Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-12-06

are familiar with the conditions under which our
agricultural lands have been settled can APP
preeiate the serious and often fatal consequences
70 the settlers OF policy that puts his title under
suspicion. or DELAYS the issuances of his patent
" he care is taken TO prevent Ind to expose fraud
it should not be imputed without reason
The manifest purpose of the homestead and pre-
emption laws was promote the settlement of
the public domain by persons having bona fide
intent TO make home upon the selected lands.
Where this intent is well established and the
qulremenJs of the law have been substantially
complied with the claimant IS entitled 10 prompt
anu friendly consideration OF his case. But where
there IS reason believe that the claimant is the
mere agent of another who is seeking 10 evade
law intended 10 promote small holdings and
TO secure by fraudulent methods large
tracts of timber and other lands, both
principal and agents. should not only be thwarted
in their fraudulent purpose, but should be made
. feel the full penalties of criminal statutes
The laws should be so administered as not to con-
found these Two classes and TO visit penalties
/ only upon the latter. The unsettled state of the
titles to large bodies of lands in the terri
tories of New Mexico and Arizona has
greatly retarded the development of those
territories Provision should be made by
law for the prompt trial and final adjustment be
fore judicial tribunal or commission of all
claims, based upon Mexican grants 1t is not
Just To an intelligent and enterpriSing people that
their peSce should be disturbed and their prop
the hope that differences of opinion as TO meth
DDS may yield to the urgency of the case.
Pensions.
The law provides pension for every soldier
and sailor who mustered into service of the
United States during the civil war, and is now suf-
ferlng from wounds or disease. having an origin
III the service and the time OF duty, two of three
necessary faces viz, muster and disability are
usually susceptible of easy proof; but the third
origin in the service Is often difficult and in many
deserving InpOSSlDie TO establish. That
very many of those who endured the hardship of
our most bloody and arduous campaigns, are
disabled from disease that had real not traceable
origin in service do not doubt; besides those
are another class composed of men many of whom
served an enlistment of three full years, and of
re-eniiSted veterans, who added fourth year of
service, who escaped the casualties of battles and
the assaults of disease. who We're always ready
for any detail, who in every battle line of
their command. and were mustered out in sound
health, and have, since the close of the war;
while fighting with the same indomnible and in
dependent spirit the contests of civil life, been
overcome by disease or casualty.
am not unaware that the pension roll already
involves very large annual expenditure; neither
am deferred by that fact from recommending
that congress grant pension to such honorably
discharged soldiers and sailors of the civil as,
having rendered substantial service during the
war, are now dependent upon their own labor for
3 maintenance, and by disease or casualty are in
capacitated from earning it. Many of the
who would be included i'll this form of relief are
now dependent upon public aid. and 1t
does not, in my Judgment, consist with
continue to subsst upon the local relief given in
discriminatory to pauperS, instead of upon the
special and generous provision of the nation
they served so calamity ana unSeltshly. Our
people will, am sure very generally approve
such legislation, and l am equally sure that the
survivors of the Union army and navy Will feel
grateful sense of relief when this worthy and
suffering class of their comrades are as fairly pro
vided for. There are some manifest inequalities
in the existing law that should be remedied. To
some of these the secretary of the interior has
called attention.
ton of and better methods in the war depart
ment, the calls of the pension office for informa-
ton as to the military and hospital records of
pension claimants are now promptly answered,
and the injurious and veXatiouS delays that have
heretofore occurred are entirely avoided This
will greatly facilitate the adjustment of all pend
ing claims.
The New States.
The advent of four new states South Dakota,
| North Dakota. Montana and Washington into the
Union under the constitution in the same month,
and the admission of their duly chosen represent
atives TO our national congress at the same SEES
sion, is an event eXampled as it is interesting.
The ceItfcation of the votes cast and of the
situations adopted in each of the states filed
| with me as required by the eighth section of the
act of February % 1SS9 by the governors Of said
| territories respectively. Having, after a
| full examination, found that the several con
| situations and governments were republican in
| form and not repugnant to the constitution of
| the United States, that all the provisions of the
! act of congress had been complied with, and that
| posed states was in favor of adopting constltu-
| tons submitted therein l did declare by
| separate proclamation as to each; as to North
/ Dakota and South Dakota on Saturday, Novem-
| Der u; as to Montana, on Friday, November 5,
| and as to WaShin gtOn, on Monday. November II.
Each of these states has within it resources. the
| development of which will employ the energies
| of, and yield a comfortable subsistence to great
| population. The smallest of these new states,
| Washington, stands twelfth, and the largest,
| Montana, third among the forty-twoi in area. The
people of these states already well trained,
| intelligent and patriotic American citizens hav
| ing common interests and Sympatfies with those
| of the oder states, and a common purpose to de-
fend the integrity of, and uphold the honor of the
| nation
An Appeal for Railroad Men.
The attention of the interstate commerce com
| mission has been called to the urgent need of
congressional legislation for the better protection
| of the lives and limbs of those engaged in oper-
ating the great interstate freight lines of the
country, and especially of the yardmen and
| brakemen. a petition signed by nearly ten
! thousand railway brakemen waa presented to
the commission, asking that steps might be taken
| to bring about the use of automatic brakes and
| coupiers on freight cars.
| At a meeting Of the state railroad commission
ers and their accredited representatives, held at
Washington, in March last, upon the invitation of
| the interstate commerce commission, a reSOlu-
| ton was unanimously adopted, urging the com
| mission to consider what can be done Co prevent
| the loss of life and limb in coupling and uncoup
| ling freight cars and in handling the brakes
| Of such cars. During the year ending June
| % 1888 over 1000 railroad employees We're killed
| in service. and more than 10000 injured.
| 1t is competent, | think, for congress to
require uniformity in the construction of cars
used in Interstate commerce, and the use of inn
| proved safety appliances upon such trains. Time
| will be necessary to make the needed changes,
but an earnest and intelligent beginning should
be made at once 1t is reproach to our civiliza-
| ton that any class of American workmen should
in the pursuit of necessary and useful vocation
be subjected to a peril of life and limb great
| thar of 4 soldier in time of
Agricultural Department.
The creation of an executive department, to be
known as the department of agriculture, by the
act of February . last, a wise and timely
Spouse to request which had long been respect
fully urged by the farmers of the country, but
much remains TO be done to perfect the Organiza-
tlon of the department so that it fairly realizes
the expectations which its creation excited. In
this connection attention is called to suggestions
contained IN the report OF the secretary, which Is
herewith submitted. The need of law officer for
the department, such as is provided for the other
executive departments, is manifest. The failure
of the last congress TO make the usual provision
Tor the publication of the annual report should
be promptly remeded. The public interest in the
report and its value to the farming community
l am sure, will not be diminished under the new
organization of the department.
Weather Service Reorganization.
I recommend that the weather service be separ-
ated from the war department., and established
p bureau in the department of agriculture. This
Will involve an entire reorganization both of the
weather bureau and of the signal corps making
of the first purely civil organization and of the
Olhef a purely military stan corps. Inc report OF
the chief signal officer shows that the work of the
corps its military side has been deteriorating.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
Recommending the Regulation of the sale
of Intoxicating Drinks.
The interests of the people of the District of
Columbia should not be lost sight of in the pres
sure for consideration of measures affecting the
whole country. Having no legislation of its own,
aitb prr
10 congress for the regulation of those concerns
that are the subject of local control Our whole
people have an interest that the national capital
should be made attractive and beautiful and above
all that its repute for social order should be main
tanned, the laws regulating the sale of intoxicat
ing drinks in the Dis riot should be revised with
view TO bringing the traffic under stringent limi
tations and control
In execution of tie power conferred upon me By
the act making appropriations for the expenses of
the district of Columbia, for the year ending June
30, 1889, | did on the 18th day of August last, APP
point Rudolph Herring, of New York, Samuel NJ.
Gray, of Rhode Island, and Frederick P. Stearnso
Mas pTnJr