Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-12-06
NO. Is.

| COMMUNICATION bstwss1 our ports AMI tbs
ports OF such nations as MY mest our over
lures for enlarged c0nnsrcial excnangs
The steamship. carrying ths mails stately
AMI frequently, aut Offering to passengers a
| comfortable, safe aud speedy transit is the
first condition OF foreign ira lie. 1t carries tha
/ order or the buyer, but not al tast is orierei
or bought. 1t gives 70 tassailius vessels such
eargoes as are not urgent or parishaole, aat
! indirectly at least prom ptes that important
adjunct Of com nsrcs. There is now both ID
this country and in thu nations of Central an |
| South America state of exoscsatioa aud
confidence as to increased trade that will give
adouble value to your prompt action upon
this question.
The South Atlantica and Cult ports occupy
4 very favored position toward the new an
Important commerce whica ths re,iprosity
| clause of the tariff act ard the postd ship
| ping bill are designsi 10 promote. Stsanshto
lines from these ports to soma northern port
Of South America will almost certainly effect
connection between the rlitrJa sys6sms OF
the continents long before any continuous
line of railroads can BE- put into operation.
| The very large Appropriation m lie at the last
session for the harbor OF Galveston was iusti-
I hed, Is 1t seeme1 to ma by these considera.
| lions. The great Northwest will fesl the
advantage Of trunk linss to the South as we'll
Is TO the East and Of thsnew markets opened
Tor their surplus fool products aui Tor mauy
AN INTERNATIONAL BANK.
had occasion In Mas last to transmit to
Congress report adopted by the Intern4-
| honal American Conferences upon the sub
| iect of the incorpoI alton OF an international
American bank with visw to facilitating
money exchanges between the Stasss repre-
sented in that conference. Susa an in
stitutioa would greatly pronoss thu
trade we are seeking 10 develop
renew the reson nendatioa thaE cirsful
and well-glariei charter b. yftntsl do
not think tue powers grAnta sholll inc,u 10
those ordinarily exercise by trust. guaranty
AMI sate-dsposit compt1isS or that mora
branches in the Units1 States should ol au-
thorizs1 than are stricsly Necessary to az
complish tbs object prin1riy in visw,
namely, convenient foreigi exchanges.
It is quite important that prompt asti0l
should be taken in tais N tttsr. in or ler that
any appropriations Tor bstter COMMUNICATION
with these countries, an1 any agree ants
that may be male for rScipr1 ial trtds, may
not be hinderei by tn inc lnvenieacs OF max
ing exchanges through EuropsIn monay
centers, or burdensd BY ths triblts which is
an incident of that method OF BUSINESS
RELIEF FOR THE SUPREME COURT.
The bill for the relic, OF the Supreme Court
has after many years of discussion. reached a
position where hnal action is easily attain
able, and 10 10 h0Pe1 that auJ Difference Ut
opinion may be 50 har noniead as to save the
essential features of this very important
measure. In this connection | earnestly r.
new my re Communication that the salaries OF
judges OF the United States district courts be
10 readjustei that none o, the n shall receive
less than $500 per annun.
A NATIONAL BANKRUPT Law.
The enactment Of national bankrupt law
| still regard as very dssraols. The Consti-
tuition having given to Congress jurisdiction
Of this subject, it shoud b. exsrcissi, AMI
uniform rules provided for the admlnstra-
Hon of the affairs of iusolvent debtors. Th3
lpconveniences resulting from the occasional
aud temporary exercise OF the power by
Congress, and from the conflicting State
codes OF insolvency which eomsint forca in
termediately should be removed by TAI en-
hctment OF a simple, inexpensive ami perml-
nent national BANKRUPT law.
Ialso renew my recomm sndation in favor
OF legislation afforiin just Copyright pro-
tection to foreign authors, on footing OF
reciprocal advantage Tor our autho-s abroad.
SAFETY IN COUPLING CARS
1t may still be possible for this Con yres,
10 inaugurate, by suitable legislation, a
movement looking 10 uniformity an a Ia
creased safety in the uss OF couDers an
brakes upon freight trains engaged ia in
terstate commerce. This chief difficulty in
the way is to secure agresm snt as to the bsst
appliances simplicity, effectiveness aud cost
being considered. Ths diffleuty will only
yield to legislation, which should be based
upon full inquiry and impartial tests. This
purpose should be 10 secure the co operation
BE- all we'll. disposed managers an1 owners,
but the fearful fact that every years delay
involves the sacrifice of 200g lives aud tbs
manning OF 10000 young men SHOULD plead
both with Congress ani thu managers
against any needless delay.
TILE PosToFFIcE AND TIE TEbE3RAPd
The use OF ths telegraph by the Postoflits
Department as means for td3 rapi trans
mission OF written com nu Iica5iols Is, BE-.
lieve, upon proper terms quito desira1 Die.
The Government d0ss not owA or Opsrats ths
railroa Is, ami it should not, thiaS, OWL or
operate ths tels graph lines 1t does nos
however, seam to bs quiet practicable for
the Government TO contract with tn5 tele-
graph com suies, as II does with tbs rail.
road companies, to carry at sp 'citsl RATS
such communications as tas ssltsrs may
designate for this mstho Of transmission.
recommend that suca le glsation be enacted
as will enable the Posto Hes Dspartm snt
, fairly to test by experiment the advantages
of such use of the telegraph.
THE ELECTION LAWS.
IL any intelligent and Loyal company OF
American citizens were required to catalogue
the essential human conditions OF national
life do not doubt that with absolute unani-
nifty they would begin with free aud honest
elections" And IL Is gratifying to know that
generally there is gro sing aud bipartisan
demand for better election laws But against
this sign OF hope and progress must be set the
depressing and undeniable fact that cleo
ton laws and methods are sometimes cum
ningly contrived TO secure minority control,
while violence completes tue shortcomings
of fraud.
In my last annual message suggested that
the development Of the existing law prOyid-
ing Federal supervision OF Congressional
elections offered an effective method OF re-
| forming these abuses. The n3ed OF such
law has manifested itself in many parts OF
the country, and its wholesome restraints
and penalties will be useful in all The con
stitutionality Of such legislation has
| been affirmed by the Supreme Court.
| Its probable effectiveness is evids1ced
| by the character of the opposition
that is made 70 IL. It has been denounced
as IL Ii were a new exercise OF Federal
( power and an invasion Of the rights OF the
| States. Nothing could be further from the
I truth. Congress has already fixed the time
| for the election OF members Of Congress IL
| has declared that votes for members OF Con
| gress must be by written or printed ballot;
/ IL has provided for the appointment by the
/ circuit courts in certain cases, and upon the
I petition OF csrtain number OF citizens. Of
| election supervisors, and made II their duty
\ TO supervise toe registration OF voters con
/ Quoted by the State officers. 10 Challenge
/ persons Offering to register; 70 psrsonaily IN
/ spect and scrutinizs the registry lists, and 70
/ affix their names 10 the lists for the purpose
/ of Identification and Toe prevention OF
| frauds. 20 attend at elections and remain
| with the boxes till the votes are ali cast aad
counted; TO attaca 70 the reg stry lists aud
election returns any statement touching
the accuracy and fairness OF toe registry
and election. and 70 take All transmit
to the Clerk Of the Houss u Rep
reeentatives any evidence OF fraudulent
practices which may be presented 70 them.
The same law provide for the appointment
| OF Deputy United States Marshals 10 attend
! the ooliS. support mo Supervisors in tae dis
charge OF their duties, aud 70 arrest persons
violating the election laws. The provisions
OF this familiar title Of the Revised Statutes
have been put into exsTcs ~ by both the great
political parties, and in the North as well as
In toe South by the fling with the court Of
the petitions required by tbs law.
( II Is not. therefore, a question whether va
shall have Federal election law for wenow
have one, aud have had for nsariy twenty
years but whether we shall have an effective
law. The present law stops just snort OF
effectiveness, for it surrenders TO tbs loc4i
authorities all control over tas csrtihcatiOn
which establishes the prima facts rIgdt 70 a
seat in the House OF Representatives.
This defect should be cursI Equality
OF representation and the parity OF tas elsc-
tors must be maintained or everything that
u valuable in our systsm Of goTernnsnt u
lost. The qualification OK an elector fn1ss
be sought in the law, not In the opinlons
preiudices or fears Of any class, however
powerful The path OF the eesesor 70 tbs