The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-12-11
commission TO agree upon and report o
nlan for dealing with this debt

TO agree upon and report
,lan for dealing with this debt
AS TO Irrigation.
The report of the secretary exhlolU5:
With Interesting fullness, the condition o.
the territories They have sharee VIII
the states the great increase IN lafn L,s0-
ducts and are bringing yearly large a.e-.
$40 c,,Itivation by extending their hr.-
oro+ino canals The future Of the ter
to,;es Of New Mexico, Arizona and ot:ah
In their material growth and IN the M
crease. independence, and happiness o.
+bo;r neorle is very largely depenoehS
mon wise and timely ieglslaoloh.
either by congress or their own leglsi@-
lures regulating the distribution OF inc
water supply fusnished by their strean1s
r. hbis matter is much longer neglected.
private corporations will have unro,
s+r;cted control Of one of the elements OF
life end the patentees of the ARD ianus
will he tenants at will of the water COM
panics. -. ,.-;+,, SO
o1vnarsb.n of the water sources and TIE
sites for reservoirs, whether to the states
and territories or to individuals or to cor,
variations. only upon conditions sass VIII
insure to the settlers their proper WateA
supply upon equal and reasonable terms.
PolygaIny.
The legislation OF congress for the re.
preston OF polygamy has after years OF
resistance on the part OF the Mormons: at
last brought them to the conclusion that
resistance is improbable and unavalllng.
The power of congress over this SUBJECT
sbould not be surrendered until we nave
satisfactory evidence that the people OF
the state to be created would exercise the
exclusive power Of the state over thls SUD
iect III the same way.
The NAVY.
The report OF the secretary OF the navy
shows gratifying increase OF new naVai
vessels in commission. The Newark, Con
cord, Bennington and Miantonomoh have
been added during the year, with an az
cregate of something more shan ll,oOO
tons Twcnty-four warships OF all CLASSES
are now under construction IN the navy
yards and private shops, but while the
work upon them is going forward satls-
factorily, the completion Of the more i'm
portant vessels will yet require about
veor,s time. Some of the vessels now un-
der construction, it is believed, Will Oe
triumphs OF naval engineering. Nhen IL
is recoIlected that the work OF building q
modern navy was only lnlClatea III
the year 1883, that our naval constructors
and ship builders were practically WITH
out experience in the construction OF
large iron or steel ships, that our engine
shops were unfamiliar with great marine
engines, and that the manufacture OF
steel forgings for guns and plates was al
most wholly foreign industry. the prog
ress that has been made is not only highly
satisfactory, but furnishes the assurance
that the United States will before long
attain. in the construction OF such vessels,
with their engines and ornaments, the
same pre-eminece which is attained when
the boat instrument of OCEAN commerce
was the clipper ship and tbs most i'm
pressive exhibit of naval power, TIE old,
wooden thre.-decker man-of-war. The
officers Of the navy and the proprietors
and engineers OF the great private shops
have responded with wonderful intelli-
gence and professional zeal to the conf
dence expressed by congress in its liberal
legislation.
Experiments with arTnor plate have
been conducted during The year with most
important results. 1t is now believed
that G plate of higher resisting power than
any in use has been found and that the
tests have demonstrated that cheaper
methods of manufacture than those here
tofore thought necessary can be used.
l commend to your favorable considera-
ton the recommendations of the secre-
tary, who has, am sure, given TO them
the most conscientious study. There could
be no hesitation in promptly complet-
ing a navy of the best modern type,
large enough to enable this country
to display its flag in all seas for the
protection of it's citizens, and of it's extend.
ing commerce The world needs no as
snrance of the peaceful purposes of the
United States, but we shall probably b.
in the near future more largely a competi-
tor in the commerce of the world, and it is
essential to the dignity of this nation and
to that peaceful influence which it should
exercise nthis hemisphere that It's navy
should be adequate, both upon the shores
of the Atlantic and of the Pacific.
The War Department..
The report of the secretary Of war ex.
hibits the results of an intelligent, prog
ressive and business-like administration
of department which has been too much
regarded as one of nero routine.
The separation OF Secretary Proctor
from the department by reason of his ap-
pointment as senator from the state OF
Vermont is source Of great regret to me
and to his colleagues in the cabinet, as
am sure it will be to all those who have
had business with the department while
under his charge.
In the administration OF army affairs
some especially good work has been ac-
compEshed, The efforts of the secretary
to reduce the per centage Of assertions by
removing the causes that promoted it have
been so successful as to enable him to re-
port for the last year a lower percentage
of desertion than has been before reached
in the history OF the army. The resulting
money saving is considerable, but the i'm
provemeat in the morals of the men is the
most valuable incident of the reforms
which have brought about this result.
The work Of securing sites for shore bat
teries, for harbor defence and the manu-
facture OF mortars and guns and the
power to equip them have made good pro-
gress during the year. The preliminary
work of tests and plans, which SO long
delayed start, is now ont OF the way.
Some guns have been completed, and with
an enlarged shop and more complete
equipment at Watervliet the army will
soon be abreast of the navy in gun con-
struction. Whatever unavoidable cause
of delay may arise, there should be none
from delayed or insufficient appropria-
tions. We shall be greatly embarrassed
in tho npOppp diStri hutiOn and II co Of nova