The morning call., 1890-12-02

bills relating to small holdings of farm lands.
| commend TO your attention the suggestions OF
Tue SECRETARY OF The Interior upon this subject.
! LEGISLATION RECOMMENDED.
The enactment of a national bankruptcy law
still regard as very desirable. The Constitution
having given 10 Congress jurisdiction Of this sub.
| ]ecf, II should be exercised and uniform rules
| provided for the administration OF the affairs Of
insolveni debtors. The Inconvenience resulting
from the occasional and temporary exercise of
| the power by Congress and from the conflicting
State codes OF insolvency. which come into force
| intermediary. should be removed by the enact
ment of simple, inexpensive ana permanent
national bankruptcy law.
also renew my recommendation in favor Of
legislation aff0idne just protection to foreign
authors on footing Of reciprocal advantage for
| authors abroad.
1t. II may sun be possible for this Congress- to
inaueuraie by suitable legislation a movement
looking 10 uniformity and Increased safety in the
use OF eonplers and brakes upon freigbt,rains
| engaged In Interstate commerce. The chief diff.
Guilty III the way Is to secure agreement as TO the
pest appliances, simplicity, effectiveness and
cost being considered. The difficulty Will only
| Yield TO legislation which should be based upon
| full inquiry and impartial tests. The purpose
should lie to secure the co. operation of all we'll
! fact that every years delay involves the sacr-
| young men should plead both with Congress and
| managers against any needless delay.
THE QUESTION OF IRRIGATION.
The subject OF the conservation aud equal
distribution OF the water supply OF arid regions
| as YET not been put upon permanent and salts
| factory basis. 1 lie urgency OF the subject does
not grow ont Of any large or present demand for
Inc use OF The lands for agriculture, but out OF
| the danger that tile water supply aud the sites
| for The necessary catch basins may fall into the
| hands Of individuals or private corporations aud
| be used 10 lender subserviet a large area de.
| pendent on such supply. Tie owner Of water is
| The owner of the lands. however lie titles may
lun. All unapprOlriated waller sources and all
| necessary reservoirs should be held by The Gov
eminent for the equal use, al fair rates, OF Tie
homestead settlers who will eventually take up
| these lands.
The United States should not. in my opinion,
undertake the construction OF dams or canals,
but should limit all work 10 such surveys and OBJ
| servations as Will determine the water supply,
Doih surface ana subterianean, the areas capa-
| Die OF irrigation and the use OF the storage ca
| paclty OF reservoirs. This done the use OF the
water and OF the reservoir sites might be granted
10 the respective States or Territories, or 10 In
dlVldualS or associations, upon the condition
| that The necessary works should be constructed
and the water furnished al fair rates, without
discrimination, the lates to be subjected TO pro-
| visions by the Legislatures or BY Boards OF
| water commissioners duly constituted. The
| essential thing TO be secured is The common and
equal use, at fair rates, OF the accumulated
supply. II were almost better that these lands
| should remain and than that those Who occupy
them should become The slaves OF restraining mo-
| nopoiies, controlling the essential element OF
| land values and crop results.
POSTAL TELEGRAPH SERVICE.
| The use OF The telegraph by The Postoffice De.
pailment as means Tor The rapid transmission
| OF written communications, Is, | believe, upon
| proper terms quite desirable. The Government
| does not own or operate the railroads, aud it
should not, think, own or operate the telegraph
| lines II does, however, seem 10 be quite prac-
| iicaDe for the Government 10 contract wi b the
Telegraph as 1t does with the railroads, to carry
| at specified rates such communications as the
| sender may designate Tor this method OF trans
mission. recommend that such legislation be
| enacted as Will enable he Postoftice Department
| fairly 10 test by experiment The advantages Of
| such use of the telegraph.
FREE AND HONEST ELECTIONS.
III any Intelligent and loyal company OF Ameri-
| can citizens we're requested to catalogue the es-
| sential human conditions Of national life, do
not doubt that with absolute unanimiiy they
| would begin with "fIee and honest elections"
| aud 1t Is gratifying 10 know That generally there
| Is growing and non-partisan demand for better
| election laws; but against This sign of hope and
| progress must be set the depressing and undenl.
| able fact that election laws aud methods are
| sometimes cunnlngy con,rived 10 insure minor
lty control, while violence completes the shott-
| coming OF fraud. In my last annual message
suggested The adoption Of the existing law provid.
| Ing Federal supervision of Congressional cleo
| tions as Offering an effective method OF reform
| Ing these abuses. The need of such a law has
manifested itself In many parts of the country.
| and It's wholesome restraints and penalties Will
| be useful in all. The cOustituIiOuaiity OF such
| LEGISLATION has been affirmed by the Supreme
| Court. Its probable effectiveness is evinced by
the character u lie opposition that is made o il.
IL has been denounced as i'll were new exercise
| OF Federal power and an invasion of the tights
OF The States. Nothing could be farther from the
| truth.
PROVISIONS ALREADY MADE
| congress mas already nAtd the Time Tor the
election of members of Congress. IL has de-
| clared that the vote for members of Congress
must be by written or printed ballot. 1t has pro-
| vided Tor appointments by the Circuit Court in
| certain cases, upon the petition of a certain
| number OF Citizens OF Election Supervisors, aud
made II their duty to supervise the registration
| a voters conducted by the State officers; to
challenge persons Offering 10 register to person
ally inspect and scrutnze the registry lists, aud
TO aflX their names TO the lists for the purpose OF
| Identification aud the prevention OF frauds; 10
| attend At elections and remain with the boxes
| until the votes are all cast and counted to at
tach 10 tie registry lists and election returns any
| statement touching the accuracy and fairness
OF he registry and elections; To take and trans
| init TO the Clerk Of Tie House Of Representatives
| any evidence of f'audulent practices which may
| be presented 10 them. The same law provide,
Tor the appointment OF Deputy United States
| Marslals to attend al polls ana support the Sup
| eivisors In discharge OF their duties aud 10
| arrest persons violating the election laws. The
PROVISIONS OF THIS familiar title or the Revised
| Statutes have been put into rcise by both the
great political parties in the North well as in
IONS required by law. Ii is not, therefore,
| gu sion whether we sbaI; have Federal elec.
lion law, for we now have one aud have had Tor
nearly twenty years, but whether we shall have
| an effective law. p
NOT A SECTIONAL LAW.
The present law stops just short of efiec
| tiveness, for 1t sUrrenders TO local author
| tiles all control over the certilieation which
establishes the prma-facie right To seat
| In the House OF Representatives. This defect
should be cured. Equality OF representation and
| The parity OF lie electors must be maintained or
everything ihatis valuable in our system of gov
| eminent is lost. The qualification OF an eieetor
must be sought In the law. not In he opnions,
| prejudices or fears of any class, however power.
| ful. The path OF The elector 10 tie balloi-box
must be fee from the ambush OF fear and the en-
ticement Of fraud; the count So irue aid open
that none shall gainsay II. Such a law should be
absolutely non-paTtisan and Impartial. 1t should
| give the advantage 10 honesty aud the control
| 10 majoriIes. Surely there Is nothing sectional
about this cieed IL II shall happen that the PEN
| a'ties OF law intended TO enforce these rights
| fall here aud not there. Ii Is not because the
| law Is sectional. but because happily crime is
| local and not universal. Nor should it be tor
| gotten that every law, whether relating to cleo
tons OF to any other subject, whether enacted by
| the State or by the nation, has fore behind IT,
| The courts. the Marshal or Constable lie Posse
comitatus, the prison. are all and always behind
the law. One cannot be justly charged with un-
hlendliness 10 any section or class who seeks
only 10 restrain violations of law aud of personal
right. No community VIII find lawlessness profit
able. No community can atforo 10 have it
| known that the officers who are charged with
| The preservation OF The public peace and the
| restraint OF The criminal classes are themselves
| the product OF fraud or violence. The magis-
| trate is thin without respect and the law with
| out sanction. The foods of lawlessness can be
leyeed ana made 10 run in one channel. The
Will Of arrest FOR an election oif~nse is iull of
prompiings to men who aIe pursued by City
Marshal Tor crime against life or pi Operty.
MUST BE ENFORCED.
But 1t is said That this legislation will revive
| anmosities, and some have even suggested that
| when the peaceful methods OF fraud are made
| impossible they may be supplan ed by init nida-
| tion and violence. Ii the proposed law give any
| qualified elecior, by nai's weight, more than
his equal Influence, or detracts by much II ON
any other qualified elecor, lis fatally mpeached.
| But II The law Is equal and the anim0sites IL Is
10 evoke grow out OF the mere fact that some
| electors have been accustomed 10 exercise the
| franchise for others AS well as for themselves
| then these anmosltles ought mol to be confessed
| Without shame and cannot be Civ any weight
| In The discussion without dlshonor. No choice
Is left 10 me but 10 enforce with vigor all laws ill.,
tended TO secure 10 tie citizen his constitutional
|
| ness of such laws be promptly remedied. II TO
| promote with zeal and ready interest every
project for the development of The country's
material interests-its rivers. har bors, mines aud
factories, and the intelligence, peace and secuf-
| ,ty under the law of its communities and ITS
| homes-are not accept sufficient evidence Of
| friendliness to any state or section, l cannot
aid connlvances at election practices that not
only disturb local results, butrob the electors OF
other ST ties and sections of thelr must priceless
political rights
GENERAL APPROPRIATION BILL.