Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-12-02

| the proper committees in both Houses upon
the subject, and very earnestly hope that
this Congress will put an end to the delay
which has attended the settlement of the
| disputes a. to title between the settlers and
the claimants under these grants. These
disputes retard the prosperity aud disturb
the peace of large and important com
muniiies. The Governor of New Mexico,
in his last report to the Secretary
of the Interior suggests some modifcati,ns
of the provisions of the pending bills re-
lating to the small holdings of farm lands.
commend to your attention the sugges-
tons of the Secretary of the Interior on
this subject
National Bankrupt Law.
The enactment OF a national bankrupt
law I still regard as very desir-
able. The constitution having given
10 Congress jurisdiction Of this sub
! jeet, i. should be exercised and uniform
rules provided for the administration Of the
affairs of insolvent debtors. The lnconven-
fences resulted from the occasional and
| temporary exercise of this power by Con
gress and from the conflicting state code of
insolvency which comes into force intermed
atsly should be removed by the enactment
of a simple, inexpensive and permanent
national bankrupt law.
international Copyright.
| also renew my recommendation in favor
of legislation affording prote elton to for
eign authors on a footing Of reciprocal ad-
vantage for our authors abroad
! Railroad Regulation.
| 1t NAV be still possible for this Congress
| to inaugarate by suitable legislation move
ment looking TO uniformity and increased
safety in the use of couplers and brakes on
freigh. trains engaged in interstate COM
merce. The chief difficulty in the way is
to secure agreement as to the best ap'
pliance employed, theFeffect of evenness
and cost being considered. This
difficulty will only yield to legislation,
which should be based upon full inquiry
and Impartial tests The purpose should
| be TO secure the cooperation of all well
| disposed managers and owners but the
fearful fact that every years delay in
| wolves the sacrifice of 1000 lives and the
manning of 10000 Young men should
| plead both with Congress and the mana
gers against any needless delays.
| National Irrigation.
The subject of the conservation and
distribution of the water supply of the arid
regions has had much attention from Con-
gress hut has not as yet been put upon
permanent and satisfactory basis The ur-
gency of the subj d es lot grow out Of any
large present demand for the use of these
lands for agriculture, bnt ont of the danger
that the water supply and the sites flor the
necessary catch basins may fall into the
hands of individuals or private corpora
tons and be used to render subservient the
large areas dependent upon such supply.
| The owner Of the water is the owner of the
lands, however the titles may run. All un.
appropriated national water sources, and ell
necessary reservoir sites should be held by
the Government for the equaized fair rates
ofthe 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 it's work to such surveys and observa-
tons as will determine the water supply,
both surface and subterranean, the areas
capable of irrigation and the location and
storage capacity of reservoirs. This done
the use OF the water aad of the reservoirs
might be granted to the respective states o.
/ territories or individuals or associations, i
upon the condition that the necessary works
should be constructed and the water fur
shed at fair rates without discrimination,
the rates to be subjected to supervision by
the legislature, or by boards of water com
| misioners duly constituted. The essential
thing to be secured is the common and equal
supply. 1t were almost better that these lands
should remain arid than that those who
| occupy them should become the slaves of
rnrestrained monopoles control ing the one
| essential element of land values and crop
results.
Telegrnphy and the Government.
| The u.e Of the telegraph by the post
| office department as a means for the rapid
transmission of written communications is,
I believe, upon proper terms quite desira
| bic. TIE government does not own and
| operate the railroads, and it should not.
| think, own or operate the telegraph lines.
! 1t does, however, seem to be quite practi.
cable for the government to contract with
the telegraph companies ss it does with the
rsilroad companies, to carry at specified
rates such communications rs the seDders
may designate for this method Of trans
mission. | recommend that such legisla-
ton be enacted as will enable the post
office department fairly to test by expert
ence the advantage of such use of the
| Telegraph.
Election Laws.
| If any intelligent and loyal company of
! American citizens were required TO cats
| l5gae the esseutisi of the human conditions
Of national life, | do no. doubt that with
absoiu'e unsnimity they would begin with
Free and Honest Elections" and 1t ia
gratifying TO know that generally there is
growing need and partisan demand for
| better election laws; but against this sign
| of hope and progress must be set the de
| pressing and andeniibe fact thst Gle ,tion
laws and methods are sometimes cuanipgiy
conirived 70 secure minority control. while
violence completes the. shortening Of
| fraud.
! In my last annual message / suggested
that the development Of the existing lawtl
providing federal supervision of COM
gressionai elections offered an effective
method Of reforming these abuses. The
need of such Law has manifested itself in
msny parts Of the country, aad its whole
come restraints ard penalties will be useful
| in ALL The constitutions!ity of such legisIa-
! tioa has been affirmed BY the supreme Curt
| It's probable effectiveness is evinced by
the character of the opposition thst is made
to IT, II has been denounced as
if it we're 3 new exercise of federal
power and an invasion OF the
rights of the States. Nothing could be fur
ther from the truth. Congress has fixed
| the time for the election Of members o;
| Congress. II has bees declared that votes
for members of Congress must be by written
or p,istet ballot. 1, has provided for the
appointment by the eircui. courts ia GER
tain Gases and upon the petition OF certain /
number Of citizens Of election supervisors
and made i. their duty to supervise the |
registration of voters conducted by the State
officers, TO Challenge persons offering to
register, to persoaally Inspect asd ecfun- |
rize the registry lists. and to afix their names
| to the lists for the purpose Of ildentifca |
ton ard prevention of frauds to attend At
elections and remain with the boxes till the !
votes are all cas-: and coueted. 10 attach to |,
the registry lists and election returns, AM
statement touching the accuracy and fair |
Bess Of the registIy aud e.ectior, and T.
take AMI transmit to the clerk Of the Uouss |
OF Representatives any evidence Of fr.udu. /
lent practices which may be presented 10 |
them. The zane lac also provides for tn !
appointment of Deputy United States Mar |
shall to attend at the polls, support the
supervisors in the discharge Of their duties