The state capital., 1891-12-12

of disasters to result from the coinage
OF &,O0DOO0 per month were not wider of the
a The exports OF silver from n Hondon Lon Lotto to
dar year, fell off over 80 per cent or S17 ,a2, 73O
aith the same. months of the preced-
ing year The exports OF domestic silver bul- s
the last ten years over S17 0000 fell in the last
fiscal year to Sl3 797 39l while, for the first time
in recent years, the imports OF silver into this tn
745 365. The government is pow buying and
putting aside 81 100000 ounces. which, allowing
for 7.140.000 ounces of new bullion used in the
arts is 6,Gi0000 more than our domestic product
available for coinage.
I nope the depfessiJn in the. price of silver Is
temporary; says the, president. and that q fur
ther trial of this legislation win more faVorably
affect it. That the increased volume of cur
rency thus supplied for the people was needed.
and that beneficial results uDon trade and
prices have followed this legislation / think
must be very clear to everyone; nor should it
be forgotten that for every dollar of those notes
issued full dollars worth OF silver bullion is
deposited in the treasury as security for its
Upon this subject. as upon the
tariff my recommendation is that the exist
ing laws be given a full trial and that
our business interests be spared the dis
cal changes always impart. 1 am still of the
opinion that free coinage Of silver t1nder exist
ing conditions would disastrOusly affect our
business interests at home and abroad. We
could not hope to maintain, an equality in the
purchasing power of the gold and silFer dollar
in our own markets. and in foreign trade tho
stamp gives no added value than the bullion
contained in coins. The producers of the coun-
try it's farmers and laborers, have the highest
interest that every dollar, paper or coin, issued
by the government shall be as good as any
other. If there is one less valuable than an
other its sure and constant errand will be to
pay them for their toll and for their crops. The
money lender will protect himself by stipula
t5ss. tns for payment IN .s0 gold ab f1s the e s o.
that. T0 place business Upon a sill
yer basis would mean a sudden ana severe
contraction. of the currency by the withdral Of
gold and gold iotes, and such an nusettling OF
all values as would produce CONNER -lal panic.
cannot believe that people so strong and
prosperous as ours will promote sucn policy. !
The producers of silver are entitled to that
consideration, but they should not forget that
the government is now buying and putting on
the market what is the equivalent OF the entire
product of our silver mines.
Bi- metallsm is the desired end, and the true
friends Of silver win be careful not to overrun
the goal and bring in silver mono met allism;
with its necessary attendants, the loss of our gold
To Europe and the relief of the pressure there for
larger currency There is however growing
sentiment in Europe in favor Of 9 larger use of
promoting this sentiment than by accommodating
gold here scarcity of gold in the European
reserves will be the most persuasive argument
for the use of silver.
Referring to the treasury surplus, the presi-
dent says it wis agreed by all that the with
drawal Of SO large an amount OF money from
circulation was an embarrassment to the JIiSl'
ness of the country and made necessary the
intervention of the treasury department at fire.
uuent intervals to relieve threatened monetary
famines. The surplus on March /, 1889 was
S183. .S27 19O2 % which has been steadily re-
duced by the redemption of interest bearing Sc
curities of the United States. The result of the
policy of the administration has been large in
crease in the circulation; which on December
l. 1891. was ST. per capita: .
In commencing the conduct Of the war de-
partnient the president Incidentally pays high
compliment to SECRETARY Proctor, whose retire
ment to enter the senate 1s profoundly re-
eretted The success of the experiment OF 1p-
dian enlistments in the regular army and the
Improvement in the morale of the service Is
menfiOiIed.
In spite of our restriction laws the Chinese
are coming in and more effective laws are
urged. Also greater jurisdiction for United
States courts over felony commltteo "hfie III
the act of violating United States laws
Postmaster General Wanamaker report
shows s5.OO0,O00 increased revenues and i'm
proved service. Ocean mails are prOmpter and
reach more ports through the subsidy plan: 3S-
coo miles of new service have been established d
on railroads. and postal delivery Is urged FOR
towns of 5000 and free boxes for small towns.
The administration of the interior department
is commended and the work accomplished for
the past year reviewed -
The AUTHORIZATION of 81, ,991 40 for the Choc-
taws and Chickasaws, contained by the gen
eral Indian appropriation bill of March 3, 1891,
has not been expended, for the reason that the
president has rot yet approved release to the
government of tho Indian claim to tie lands
mentioned. This matter will be made the sue
ject of special message.
The relations cf the five civilized tribes now
occupying Indian territory to the United States
(savS the presdent), is not [. believe, that best
calculated to promote the highest advancement
of these Indians. That there should be within
our borders five independent states, having nc
relations except those growing out OF treatles
with the government Of tha United States; nc
representation in tie Nations legislature, its
people not citizens, is a startling anomaly.
Citizenship for the Indian is urged so that the
indian may secure his rights ON the floor instead
of through the lobby. 1t is the hope of the
president that the present congress viii make
a sufficient appropriation to enable him to opeE
for settlement the lands of the Cheyennes and
Arapahoes. about 3,GGO,0O0 acres.
During the past summer the Cherokee com
mission have completed arrangements with the
Wichita KickapoO and Tonkawa tribes, where
by if the agreements are ratified by congress
over SOOG00 additional acres will be opened TO
settlement in Oklahoma. Since March 4, 1883
about % Gf0.D00 acres have been separated from
Indian reservations and added to the public do
main.
The administration of the pension bureau has
been characterized during the year by great
diligence The total number of pensioners upon
the roll on the 30th day of June, 1891, was 6l6,-
l60 There were allowed during the fiscal year
ending at that time 2505 cases. Of this mum.
Der O2.3S1 were allowed under the law of june
27 1850 The issuing of certificates has been
proceeding at the rate of about 10000 per month
about IS per cent. of these being cash under the
w.
opinion that he viii be able to carefully adjudi-
cate and allow $50, coo claims during the present
fiscal year. The appropriation for the payment
of pensions for the fiscal year 1o909l. kas Sl27,
6S5 1880, and the amount expended S1l9,530,
$500, leaving an unexpended surplus OF 9,i55,
1446i
The estimate for pension expenditures for thu
fiscal year ending June so, 1898, is Sl4f ,936,O
The report of the commissioner of railroads
shows that the total debt Of the subsidized rail
roads to the United States was, on December
81 1890 SIP 5l2 613G6 A large part of this debt
is now fast approaching maturity, with ne
adequate provision for its payment Some pol
icy for dealing with this debt, with view to lt'
ultimate collection, must be at once adopted.
The secretary of agriculture says we lost SZO
0G0,G10 year by European restrictions on pork
which, thanks to our present Inspection laws
and the efforts of the administration Will agar
flow in this direction .
Our grain crop never was large before; i
is 80 per cent. above last year and worth $3.50,
0OO,COO; meats, S150.000,GO Foreign demant
good The interstate commerce law, the presl
dent believes, will be benefit to the farmer IL
getting this product to market
Congress is urged to pass a law protecting
the lives of railway employees Ihree hun9[et !.
and sixty nine brakemen were killed and 7,S4
MANNED while coupling cars last year. Iota
number of railroad men killed, 2,45l; total ia
iured, 1850.
Uniform methods of appointing presidential
electors is urged.
Gerrymanders for congressional purposes
says the president, are in most cases, buttresset
thus making it impossible for majority of the
legal voters of the state to correct the appor
tionment and equalize the congressional dis
tricts. A minority rule is established that only
a political constitutional convention can over
throw. l have recently been advised that in ont
county of certain state, three districts for tht
election of members of the Legislature
are constituted as follow; One ha:
$500 population, BOO and one
| 10000, while in another county detached, non
contiguous sections have been united to make
legislative district. These methods have al
ready found effective application TO the choice o.
senators and representatives il congress, anC
now an evil start has been made n the direction
of applying them to the choice by the states O.
electors of president and vice president i
this is accomplished should have three great
departments Of government in the grasp OF the
gerrymander: the legislative, executive and
| Judiciary indirectly through the power of ap
! pointment.
| Nothing Just now is more important than tt
provide every guaranty for the absolutely fail
and free choice by an equal suffrage within the
respective states of all the officers of the Ma
| tional government whether the suffrage is ap
phed directly, as in the choice of members Of
l