Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1891-12-07


their homesteads in the early spring.
During the past summer the Cherokee
commission have completed arrangements
with the Wichita, Kickapoo and Tonqana
tribes, whereby, if the agreements are
ratified by congress, over 500, 900 additional
acres will be opened to settlement in Okla
homa.
The negotiation for the release by the
Cherokee of their claim to the Cherokee
strip has made no substantial progress so
far the department is officially advised,
but it is still hoped that the cession of
this large and valuable tract may be Sc
/ cured
! Court of Private Land Claims.
Attention is called to the difficulty pre-
sented by the secretary of the interior as
! to the administration of the law of March
3, 1891, establishing a court of private
! land claims. The small holdings intended
| to be protected by the law are estimated
at more than 10000 in number. The claim
ants are most deserving class and their
stiles are supported by the strongest
Equities.
The difficulty grows out of the fact that
the lands have largely been surveyed &C
cofding to our methods while the hold
| ings, many of which have been in the
same family for generations, are laid out
| in -aarrow strips few rods wide upon a
stleam and running back to the hills for
| paSturage and timber. Provision should
| b.sknade for numbering these tracts as lots
bfor patenting thereby such numbers,
! ami without reference to section lines.
Our Pensioners.
The administration of the pension bu-
reau has been characterize during the
year by great diligence. The total num-
Der of pensioners upon the roll on the Both
day of June, 1891, was go, 100, There were
allowed during the fiscal year ending at
that time 250,5O0 cases OF this number
1O2367 were allowed under the law of
June n, 1890.
The issuing of certificates has been pro-
ceeding at the rate of about 10000 per
month, about IS per cent. of these being
cases under the new law. The commits
siOner expresses the opinion that he will
be able to carefully adjudicate and allow
$4,000 claims during the present fiscal
year. The appropriation for the present
fiscal year, 1S90-'91; was S127, $50 1913 so, and
| the amount expended $115, $50, 649.25, leav-
ing an unexpended balance of 50, 49, IA. Ga
The president says with regard to this
important matter:
The mistake which has been made by many
in their estimates of the cost of pensions is in
not taking account of the diminished value of
first payments under the recent legislation.
These payments, under the general law, have
been for many years very large, the pen
sions, when allowed, dated from the time of
filing the claim, and most of these claims had
been pending for years. The first payments
under the law of June, 1890, are relatively
small, and, the per cent of these cases in
creases, and that of the old cases diminishes,
the annual aggregate of first payments is
largely reduced.
Report on Railroads.
The report of the commissioner of rail
roads shows that the total debt of the
subsidized railroads in the United States
was on Dec. 81, 1890, SIP, 512, 613.O6
With regard to this important matter
the president says:
have twice before urgently called the atten-
ton of congress to the necessity of legislation
for the protection of the lives of railroad en-
ployes, but nothing has yet been done. During
the year ending June 30, 1890. 80 brakemen
were killed and 7S41 manned while engaged in
coupling cars. The total number of railroad
employees killed during the year was 245l, and
the number injured, $3.50. This is a cruel and
largely needless sacrifice.
Census Bureau.
The work of the census bureau is now
far in advance. and nearly the great bulk
of the enormous labor evolved completed.
It will be more strictly a statistical ex-
hibit, and less encountered by essays than
its immediate predecessors. The methods
pursued have been fair careful and in
telligent, and have secured the approval
of the statisticians, who have followed
theIi with scientific and non-partisan
interest. The appropriations necessary to
the early completion and publication of
the authorized volumes should be given in
time to secure against delays, which in
crease the cost and at the same time di-
minish the value of the work.
Touching PoISgamy.
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 unavailing.
The power of congress over this subject
should not be surrendered until we have
satisfactory evidence that the people of
the state to be created would exercise the |
exclusive power of the state over this sub |
ject in the same way.
Department of Agriculture.
If the establishment of the department |
of agriculture was regarded by any one as
a mere concession to the unenlightened de- /
mand of worthy class of people, that i'm
preston has been most etfectually removed |
by the great results already attained. Its /
home influence has been very great in dis |
eliminating agricultural and horticultural |
infOrmation in stimulating and directing |
a further diversification of crops; in detect |
ing and eradicating diseases of domestic |
animals, and, more than all, in the close |
and informal contact which it has estab- |
lished and maintained with the farmers
and stock raisers of the whole country.
Civil Service Reform.
The report of the civil service commits
sion invites a personal inspection by sena-
tors and representativessof it's records and |
methods, and every fair critic will feel |
that such an examination, either of the
system or the administration. 1t is not |
claimed that either is perfect, but the |
president believes that the law is being ex-
ecuted with impartiality, and that the
system is incomparably better and fairer
than that of appointments upon favor, and
1 recommend that the appropriations for
the civil service commission be made ade-
quate to the increased work of the next
fiscal year.
Presidential Electors.
A brief history of the methods adopted
by the various states for the appointment
of electors of president and vice president
was then referred to by the president, in
which he stated that renewed interest
was attached to the custom by the depar-
ture by the state of Michigan from the
method which has become uniform in all
the states Prior to this various methods
had been used by the different states, and
even by the same state. In some the
choice was made by the legislature, in
others directors were chosen by districts,
but more generally by the voters of the
whole state upon general ticket.
A Glorious Future.
L have been greatly rejoiced to notice
many evidences of the increased unifica-
ton of our people and of revived national
spirit. The vista rhat now opens to us is
wider and more glorious than ever before.
Qualification and amazement struggle for
supremacy as we contemplate the popula-
ton, strength and moral strength of our
country.
A trust, momentous in its influence upon
our people and upon the world, is for a
brief time committed to us. and we must
not be faithless to it's first condition. the
defense of the free and equal influence of
the people in the choice of public officers
and in the control of public affairs.
BENJAMIN HARRISON,
Executive Mansion.
Dec g. 1891.
An Enormous Microscope.
The Poeller Physical Optical insti-
tute of Munich, has under construc-
ton an enormous microscope for exhi-
IL s,t( ~ II