Mexico weekly ledger., 1891-12-17

Subsidized Railroads.
The report of the commissioner Of rail-
roads shows that the total debt of the
was on Dec. 81 s1I2, ,5f2, ,61a0s A large
part OF the debt is now fast approaching
maturity, with no adequate provision for
its payment. Some policy for dealing
with the debt, with view to fts ultimate
collection, should be 1t once adopted Il
il very difficult, well nigh impossible, for
SO large body as the congrsse TO conduct
necessary negotiations and Investigations
l, therefore, recommend that provision
be INSIDE for the appointment OF com
mission to agree npon and report plan
for dealing with this debt
The Work of the Census Bureau
Is now in far advance and the great bulk
of the enormous labor involved completed.
1t will be more strictly q statistical ex-
hibit and less eneumbered by essays than
its immediate predecessors
Irrigation.
The United States should part with its
ownership OF the water courses and the
sites for reservoirs, whether to the states
and territories, or TO individuals or cor
porations, only upon conditions that Will
Insure 70 the settlers their proper water
supply upon equal and reasonable terms
In the territories this whole subject is un-
der the full control of congress. and In the
states it is practically SO as long rs the
government holds the title to the reservoir
sites and water sources. and can grant
them upon such conditions ~ il choosestc
impose. The improvident granting Of
franchises of enormous value, without
recompense to the state or municipality to
which they proceed, and without proper
protection Of the public interests, is the
most noticeable and crying evil Of present
Lac lfoh1 not ho
mitted in dealing with a subject that viii
before many years affect SO vitality thou
| sands Of our people. The legislation of
congress for
The Repression of Polygamy
has after years of resistance on the part Of
the Mormons, at least brought them TO
| the conclusion that resistance is unproft-
able and unavailing The power OF con-
gress over this subject should not be sur
| rendered until we have satisfactory evil
dence that the people of the state to be
created, would exercise the exclusive
power of the state over this subject in the
same way.
| AGRICULTURE.
| If the establishment of the department
of agriculture was regarded by anyone as
| q mere cessation to the anenliRhtened de-
mand of a worthy class of people, that
impression has been most effectnally re-
moved by the great results already at
tanned. Its home influence has been very
great in disseminating agricultural and
horticultural information; in stimulating
and directing a further diversiheation OF
crops; in detecting and Graduating dis
eases of domestic animals, aud more than
all, disclosing information and informal
contact which it has established and
maintains with the farmers and stock
raisers of the whole country. The scien-
tific corps of the department is OF O. high
order and is pushing its investigations
with method and enthusiasm The in
spection by this department Of cattle
and pork products intended for shipment
abroad, has been the basis of the success
which has attended our efforts to secure
the removal OF the restrictions main
ta;ned by the European governments.
The grain crop OF tais year was the
than that of last year, and yet the market
that has opened and the larger demand
resulting from short crops in Europe have
sustained prices to such an extent that
, the enormous surplus OF meats and bread
.. . lstuffs will be marketed at good prices,
,, bringing relief and prosperity to an in
tdustry that was much depressed. The
, , value of the grain crop OF the United
States is estimated by She secretary to be
!, this year $500 600 eco more than last, OF
, meats $3.50, ,00O, 600 more, and of all prod
: ucts of the farm 500, ,Oe9,0o0 more.
: Civil Service.
The report of the civil service commits
sion should receive the careful attention
. Of the opponents, as we'll as the friends OF
. this reform. The commission invites q
: personal inspection by senators and rep
. sentatives of its recort;s md methods, and
> every fair critic will feel that such an ex-
: animation should precede q judgment OF
s condemnation, either of the system or its
= = administration. 1t III not claimed that
. either is perfect, but / believe that the
: law is being executed with impartiality,
! and that the system is incomparably bet
ter and fairer than that of appointments
upon favor 1 recommend that the appro-
priations for the civil service commission
be made adequate to tae increased work OF
I the next fiscal year.
e Protection for Railway Employees.
have twice before urgently called the
I. attention of congress to the necessity OF
3 legislation for the protection OF the lives
l of railroad employees, but nothing has yet
been done. During the year ending June
7 30, 1890, s69 brakemsn were killed and
! s,S41 manned while engaged in coupling
cars. The total number of railroad en-
' ployes killed during the year was 2. .451.
: and the number injured % $50. A law re-
4 quiring of every railroad engaged in inter.
' of a given per cent OF its freight cars with
!; automatic couplers and air brakes, and
y couplers to be used, would very soon and
= very greatly reduce the present fearful
y death rate among railroad employees.
e Presidential Electors
n The method of appointment by the
states of electors fer president and vAo>
10 president has recently attracted renewet
a interest by reason ct departure by th'
re state of Michigan from the method
d which had become uniform in all th'
provides for choosing what are popularl.
le known as the congressional electors TO
,e president by congressional districts ant
5, the two senatorial electors by district
iy created for that purpose. This legisla
he tion was, of course, accompanied by a nev
1t congressional apportionment, and tn
ne two statutes bring the electoral vote ur
. der the influence of the "gerrymander.
he purposes are in most cases buttressed b
a a gerrymander Of the Legislative districts
We thus making it impossible for a majorit
of the legal voters of the state to correc
an gressional districts. A minority rule
Q established that only political convu
to sion can overthrow. Is il not possibl
nj now to adjourn that interminable and ir
conclusive debate while we take, by cor
sent, one step in the direction Of reforr
g., by
O. Eliminating the Gerrymander,
!, which has been denounced by all partie,
:, as an influence In the election of presider
and members of congress. All the state
), have, acting freely and separately, d.
/, termined that the choice of electors by
, tBeneral tlckeS Is tne Wisest anu saIes
method and it would seem there could I
no objection to constitutional Amen(
: ment making that method permanent.
! l believe it would be possible to const
tute u commission, non bipartisan in II
id membership and composed of patriot,
On wise and impartial men to whom col
la | sideration of the question of the evils col
ns nected with our election system an
Is methods might be committed with . goo
ch prospect of securing unanimity in som
pn plan for removing or mitigating thos
evils. The constitution would permit til
selection of the commission to be vested j
:, the supreme court If that method woul
~, give the best guaranty of impartiaiity.
e :, To the consideration of these very grav
u questions | invite not only the attentio
va va of congress, but that of all patriotic cit
at - - .'N, - SI t 80 -. s