Arizona republican., 1890-12-02


 be authorized than are strictly necessary to accomplish the object primarily in view, namely, convenient foreign exchanges. It Is quite important that prompt action should be taken in this matter Tn order that any appro- priations in order for better communica- ton with these countries and any agreement that may be made for reciprocal trade nay not be hindered.
 SPANISH LAND GRANTS.
 The subject of adjusting the spanish land grants has urged the necessity for producing some tribunal for the treatment of questions growing out thereof These disputes revard the prosperity and distract the peace of large and important communities. The Governor of New Mexico in his last report to the secretary of the Interior suggests some modification or the pro vision oi the pending bills relating to smlll hold ings of farm lands, commend to your atten- tiOn the suggestion of the Secretary Of the lnte- rior upon this subject
 The enactment of National bankrupt law is still regarded very desirable, the Contribution having given to Congress jurisdiction Of the subject and 1t should be exercised and lhitorm rules provided for the administration oi the affairs ot insolvent debtors. The inconNenlence resulting from the occasional and temporary ex- eTcise oi the power by Congress from the conflict ing state code of insolvency which comes lDto toree immediately, should be removed by the enactment ot a simple, inexpensive and per manent National bankrupt law.
 1 also renew my recommendation in favor oi legislation anordlng just copyright protection
 
 advantage for our authors abroad,
 It may still be possible for this Congress to inauguTate by suitable legislation amOvenent looking to uniformity and increased hAiety Tn the use of couplers and brakes upon freight trains engaged in interstate commerce. The fearful fact that every year involves the saefhoe of A00 lives and the maiming Of 2OOO young men should plead with Congress and railroad mana gers against any needless delay.
 ARID LANDS
 sph;aot oT annsarvativa and aCmal dis tribution of the water supply of arid regions has had much attention from Congress but has yet not been put upon permanent and satis- fac tory basis The urgency of the subject does not grow out of any large or present demand for the use of land for agricultural purposes. The danger is that the watet supplies ana sites for the necessary catch basins may fall into the hands of individuals or of private corporations and used to render subseryient large area de- pendent on such supply. The owner of water is the owner of the lands, however the titles may run. All unapproprlated water sources and all necessary reservoirs should be held Dy the Government, for the equal use at lar rates of the homestead settlers, who will eventually take up these lands The United States should not undertake the construction of dams or canals but should limit all work to such sur yeys and observations as will determine the water supply, both surface and subtorranean, | the areas capable of irrigation and the use oi | the storage capacity Of reservoirs. Tms done | the use of the water and of the reservoir sites | | Territories, or to individuals or associations, | upon the condition that the necessary works | should be constructed and the water furnished | at far rates without discrimination, the rates to be subjected to provisions by the legislatures | or by boards of water commissioners duly con | stituted. The essential thing to be secured Is the common and equal use az fair rates, ol the accumulated water supply lt were almost better that lands should remain pnpeopied | than that those who occupy them should be- | come the slaves of monopolies.
 POSTAL TELEGRAPHY.
 The rise of the use of the telegraph by the Postal Department, ,as means for the rapid trans | mission of written communication is upon proper terms desirable The Government does | not own or operate the railroads and IL should | not own the telegraph lines. It does seem to De quite practicable for the Government to con
 tract with the telegraph as 1t does with the rail | roads to carry such communications as the Government may designate. The advantage of such use of the telegraph is apparent ELECTION LAWS RECOMMENDED.
 Han intelligent and loyal company of Amer ican citizens were required to catalogue the es- sential human conditions of national life, dc not doubt that with absolute unanimity they would begin with "free and honest elections, " and 1t is gratifying to know that in general | there is growing and non partisan demand for better election laws. But against this sign ni | nope and progress must be set the depressing and undeniaOle fact that election laws anu methods are sometimes cunnlngly conlnYed t0 ensure minority control. whole volume would | be needed to complete the list Of shortcomings and fraud. In my last annual message l sug- gesled that the adaptment of the existing law | providing for federal supervising or Con. | gressonal elections, offered an effective method | of reforming these abuses. The need oi such a law has manifested itself in many parts of the | country and it's wholesome rsstraints and pen alties will be useful in all. The constitutional ity Of such legislation has been affirmed by the | - anna fg nrnbNnlp effectiveness | evidenced by the character Of the opposition | that Is made to it. It has been denounced as If | IL were a new exercise of federal power and an | invasion of the rights of the state. Nothing | could be further from the truth. Congress has | already txed d time for the election of members | Of Congress, which must be by written or printed | ballots It mas provided for the appointment by | Circuit Courts upon the petition of \ ccr- | tain number of citizens, ot election super | visors and made it their duty to supervise the | registration of voters, conduc.ed by the state | officers, to challenge persons offering to regis | ter, to personally inspect and scrutinlze the registry lists ana to ahx their names 10 the lists | for the purpose of identification and preven- | tion Of frauds, to attend at electlOns and re- | main with the boxes until the votes are all cast | and counted; to attach to the registry list and | election returns any statement touching the ac- | curacy Lnd fairness Of the registry and election | to take and to transmit to the clerk of the | House of Representatives any evidence oi | fraudulent practices which may be presented to | them. The same law provides for the appoint
 
 the polls and support the supervisors in the dis charge of their duties and to arrest persons vio- | lating the election law. The provisions of this familiar title of the Revised Statutes have been put into exercise by both the great | political parties, in the North as well as | in the South It is not therefore, a ques- ton whether we shall have federal election law, for we now have one and have had one for nearly twenty years, but whether we shall have an effective one.
 The present law stops just short of effective | ness, for 1t surrenders to the local authorities | all control over the certihcation which estab- fishes the right to seat in the House of Repre- sentatives This defect should be cured. Equal ity of represen tation and the purity cf elections must be maintained or everything that is valua- ble in our system of government will be lost, The qualification of an electOr must be sought in the law not in the opinion, prejudice or fears of class, however powerful. The path ot an elector to the ballot-bOx must be free from the 1 ambush, fear and the enticement of fraud; the course true and open, that none shall gainsay it. Such law should be absolutely non partisan and impartial It should give the advantage to honesty, the control to majority. surely there is nothing sectional about this creed. If shall 1 happen that the penalties of the laws intended to enforce these rights fall here and not there, it Is not because the law is sectional, but be- cause, happily, crime is local and not universal Nor should it be forgotten that every law, whether relating to elections or to any otEer subject whether enacted by the State or by the Nation, has force behind it. The court, the mar shal or constable, the posse cOmitatus, the prison, are all and always behind the law. One cannot be justly charged with untriendliness to any section or class who seeks only to restrain yiolators of law and of personal right No com munity will find lawlessness profitable, no com munity can afford to have 1t known that the officers who are charged with the preservation of the public peace and the restraint of their criminal classes are themselves the product of fraud or violence The magistrate is then with out respect and the law without sanction. The lawlessness can be made to run in one channel
 The killing of a United States Marshal, carry