Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-12-12
in many deserving cases, impossible to


hardships Of our most bloody and arduous
| campaigns are now disabled from diseases
| that had a real, If not a traceable, origin in
| service We do not doubt. Besides, there IS
| another class, composed of men, many of
| whom served an enlistment of the three full
years, and of re-enlisted veterans who add
| ed fourth year of service, who escaped the
| casualties OF battles and tine assaults of dis
ease, who were 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 indomitable
| and Independent spirit the contests of ciYr
| life, been overcome by disease or casualty.
lam not unaware that the pension roll al
ready involves very large annual expendi
! ture, neither am deferred by that fact from
/ recommending that Congress grant pension
| to such honOrably discharged soldiers and
| sailors of the war as, having rendered SUBJ
f., stantial service during the war are now de-
pendent upon their own labor for & main
| tenance and by disease or casualty are inca
| pacitated from earning it. Many of the men
who would be included in this form of relief
are now dependent upon public aid and it
| does not, in my judgment, consist with the
National honor that they shall continue to
! subsist on the local relief given indiscrim-
inately to paupers, instead of upon the
special and generous provision of the Nation
they served so gallantly and unselishly.
generally
approve such legislation, and am equally
sure that the survivors of the Union army
and navy will feel a sense of relief when this
worthy and suffering class of their comrades
is fairly cared for.
There are some manifest inequalities in
the existing law that should be remedied.
To some of these the Secretary of Interior
has called attention.
1t is gratifying to be able to state that by
the adoption of new and better methods in
the War Department, the calls of the pension
Office for information 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.
NEW STATES
The advent of four new States, South Da-
kota, North Dakota, Montana and Washing
ton, into the Union under the Constitution,
in the same month, and the admission of
their duly chosen representatives in our
National Congress at the same session, is an
event as uneXampled as it is interesting.
THE WORLDS FAIR.
The proposition to observe the 4OOth ami
versary of the discovery of America by the
opening of a Worlds Fair or Exposition in
some one Of our great cities will be present
ed for the consideration of Congress. The
value and interest of such an Exposition
may well claim the promotion of the General
Government.
CIVIL SERVICE.
On the 4th of March last the vil-Service
Commission held but 4 single member The
vacancies were filled on the 9Th day of Nav,
and since then the Commissioners have been
industriously, though with an inadequate
force, engaged in executing the law.
They were assured by me that a cordial
and impartial enforcement of the statutes
and of the rules and regulations adopted in
aid of it.
The reform of the civil-service will mako
no safe or satisfactory advance until the
present law and its equal administration are
well established in the confidence of the peo-
pie.
1t will be my pleasure, as it is my duty, to
see that the law is executed with firm
ness and impartialty. If some of
its provisions have been fraudulently
eVaded by appointing officers our re-
sentiment should not suggest the repeal
of the law, but reform in it's administration.
We should have one view of the matter and
hold it with sincerity that is not affected by
the consideration that the party to which we
belong is for time in power.
THE NEGRO QUESTION.
The co1ored people did not intrude them
selves upon us; they were brought here in
chains and held in the communities where
they are now chiefly found by a cruel slave
code. Happily for both races, they are now
free. They have, from standpoint of ignor-
ance and poverty, which was our shame, not
theirs, made remarkable advances in educa-
ton and in the acquisition of property.
They have as people shown them
selves to be friendly and faithful toward the
white race under temptations of tremendous
strength. They have their representatives
ia the National cemeteries where grateful
Government has gathered the ashes of those
who died in its defense They have fur
nished TO our regular army regiments that
have won high praise for their commanding
officers for their courage and soldierly qua
lities and for fidelity the enlistment oath.
They do not desire to quit their homes and
their employers resent the interference of
the emigration agents who seek to stimulate
such a desire. But, Notwithstanding all this,
in many parts of our country where the col
ored population is large, the people of that
race are, by various devices, deprived of any
effective exercise of their political rights
and of many of their civil rights.
The wrong does not eSpend itself upon
those whose votes are suppressed. Every
constituency in the Union is wronged. 1t
has been the hope of every patriot that q
sense of justice and of respect for the law
would work a gradual cure of these fragrant
evils. Surely no one suppOses that the pres
ent can be accepted as a permanent condi-
ton.
1t is said that these communities must
work out this problem for themselves We
have right to ask whether they are at work
upon it. Do they suggest any solutions
When and under what conditions is the
black man to have a free ballot? When is he,
in fact, to have those full civil rights which
have so long been his in law? When is that
equality of influence which our Government
was intended to secure to the electors to be
earnestly invoke the attention of Con.
gress to the consideration of such measures
within its well defined Constitutional pow.
ers as will secure to all our people free
exercise of their rights of suffrage and every
other civil right of the Constitution and laws
Of the United States.
STEAMSHIP SUBSIDIES.
recommend that such appropriations be |
made for ocean mail service in American |
between our ports and those of |
Central and South America, Japan and |
he Important islands in both of the |
great oceans as will be literally re- |
nunerative for the service rendered |
IS will encourage the establishment, |
and in some tair degree, equalize the chances |
If American steamship lines in the competi-
ions which they must meet.
That the American States lying south Of |
Is will cordially cooperate in establishing |
md maintaining such lines of steamships to
heir principal ports, 1 do not doubt.
We should also make provision for a naval
'eserve to consist of such merchant ships of
American construction and of a specified
onnage and speed as the owners will con-
ent to place at the use of the Government in
'ase of need as armed cruisers. England
las adopted this policy and, as a result,
an now, upon necessity, at once place upon
Ter naval list some of the fastest steamships
n the world. proper supervision of the
construction of such vessels would make |
heir conversion into effective ships of war
cry easy.