Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1891-12-18

coin issued by the government, shall be
as good as any other. To place bust
ness upon silver basis would mean a
sudden and severe withdrawal of gold
and gold notes and such an unsettling Of
all values as would produce great panic.
/ believe it is the earnest desire of a ma
lority of people that a full coin use be
made of silver as soon as the co-opera-
ton of other nations can be secured and
a ratio fixed that will give circulation
equally to gold aud silver. Bimetallism
is the desired end, and true friends Of
silver will be careful not to overrun the
goal and bring in silver monometallism
with its necessary attendants" As
scarcity of gold in the European reserve
will be the most persuasive argument for
the use of silver, the president speaks Of
bond redemption during the year, saying
it has put into circulation over two hum
bred and fifty million of dollars
The Civil Service.
He commends the report of the civil
service commission to the careful atten-
ton Of its opponents as well as friends
He believes the law is being executed
with impartiality and that system is be-
ing improved.
The attention Of congress is again ur
ton for the protection of the lives of
railroad employees.
Favors the NicarSSuan Canal.
The president deems it of the highest
Importance that the Nicaraguan canal
should be speedily constructed, at the
smallest practicable limit of cost. To &C
complish this, the president recommends
that the bonds of the canal company be
lryy ,tnn Of bn Sfot
government, thus insuring their ready
sale, from time to time, as the money is
needed for the prosecution of the work.
Such a guarantee" he says, could, /
think, be SO given as not to involve any
risk of ultimate loss. | most sincerely
hope that neither party nor sectional lines
will be drawn upon this great American
project SO full of interest to our people,
and so influential in its affects on the
prestige and prosperity of our country"
The presidents plan provides that the
government shall retain control of the
stock of the company as security against
mismanagement and loss.
War ana Navy.
The president Concurs in the recon-
mendatlon OF the secretary of war for
the three battalion organizations for in
fantry; expresses the hope that the adoD-
ton smokeless powder and the modern
rifle will not be longer delayed con-
ours in the recommendation of the post
master general for an extension of the free
delivery and money order system; COM
mends to congress the recommendations
of the secretary of the navy, and says
there should be no hesitation in promptly
completing q navy of the best modern
type large enough to enable the country
to display its flag on aH seas for the pro-
lection of its citizens and its extending
commerce.
Chinese Smuggling
On the question of smuggling into the
country of Chinese through Canada the
president says there is satisfactory, evil
dence that this business is oganized and
active. The construction placed upon
the exclusion law by some Of the district
judges that such Cinnamon must be re-
turned to Canada and not to China, robs
it of all effectiveness and he recommends
such legislation as will remedy these de
fects in the law.
Pensions.
Much attention is given to the work of
the pension bureau, and the opinion is
expressed that there will be no necessity
for a deficiency appropriation this year.
Irrigation.
The irrigation question ID dealt with at
length and the president expresses the
opinion that the government should not
part with its ownership of reservoir sites,
except on conditions that will insure to
settlers their proper water supply upon
equal and reasonable term?
Gerrymandors.
The president devotes much space to
the gerrymander question, having par
ticular reference to the recently adopted
Michigan plan of choosing presidential
electors by congressional districts. That
concurrence in plan should be broken is,
the president thinks, unfortunate and
threatening episode and one that may
we'll suggest whether the states that still
give their approval to the old method
ought not to secure by constitutional.
amendment practice which has had the
approval Of all. Gerrymander schemes,
he says, have already found effective ap-
plication to the choice of senator's and
representatives in congress, and now an
evil start has been made in the direction
of applying them to their choice of presi-
Dental electors. II this end is accomp-
lished we shall then have three great de,
partments Of government in the grasp
of the gerrymander, the legislative and
executive directly, and the judiciary in
directly through the power of appoint
ment. The essential features of re-
publican government, he says, are
the right of the people to choose their
own officers and the nearest practicable
equality of value in the suffrages given
in determining that choice. The state
is to choose and, under the pretense of
regulating methods, the legislature can
neither vest the right Of choice elsewhere
nor adopt methods not conforrnable to
republican institutions. at is not my
purpose here" says he, "to discuss the
question whether the choice by the legis
lature or by the voters OF an equal single
district Is choice by the state, Dut only
to recommend such regulation Of this
matter by constitutional amendment as
will secure uniformity and prevent that
tisgraceful partisan jugglery to which
such a liberty of choice, if it exists,
offers temptation. II I were called
upon to declare wherein our chief ma
tional danger lies, should say without
hesitation in the overthrow Of majority
control by the suppression or perversion
of popular suffrage" The president
urges that some steps be taken to avert
the danger and says the energies OF those
who have seen it have been chiefly ex-
pended in trying to fix responsibility
upon the opposite party rather than in
efforts to make such practices impossible
by either party.
The Election Bill
The president speaks Of the election
bill, which failed of passage last year,
and says he yet entertains hope that it ia
possible to secure calm, patriotic con-