The Wilmington daily Republican., 1891-12-10
receipts are SASS 5,sse, $50 and the expenditures
ga, 500, ,O93."

WhS WpTtu III lNpm oTk hDDub U.b0O per ounce.
The ablest advocates of free coinage In the
last congress were most confident in their pre-
dictons that rhs purchase by the government
required by the law would at once bring the
price of silver to l,2029 per ounce, which would
mako the bullion value of a dollar 100 cents
and hold it thero The prophecies of the anti
silver men of disasters to result from the coin
age of S2,GOn,01O per month were not wider Of
the mark. The friends of free silver are not
agreed, think, as to the causes that brought
their hopeful predictions to naught. Some
facts are known. The exports of silver from
London to India during the first nine months
OF this calendar year fell Off over so per cent,
or Sl7, ,2O2, 100 compared with the same months
of the preceding year.
"The exports of domestic silver bullion from
this country, which had averaged for the last
ten years over sl70O0, t00 fell in the last fiscal
year to Sl3T39, 800, while, for tho first time in
recent years, the imports of silver into this
country exceeded tho exports by the sum of
S2,141,365. In the previous year the net ex-
ports of silver from the United States
amounted to Ss,5i5455. The production Of the
United States increased from 50030,000 ounces
in 1889 to 54,5 900 in 1891 The government is
now bnying and putting aside annually $780,
600 ounces, which, allowing for 7,140,OG0 ounces
of new bullion used in the arts, is $3.50 001 more
than our domestic product available for coin
age hope the depression in the price OF sill
yer Is temporary, and that further trial of
II am still of the opinion that the FREQ coin
age of silver under existing conditions wond
disastrously affect our business interests ot
home and abroad. We could not hope to main
tain an equality in the purchasing power OF
the gold and silver dollar in our own markets,
and in foreign trade the stamp gives no added
value to the bullion contained In coins The
producers of tho country, Its farmers and lii
borers, have the highest interest that every
dollar, paper or coin, Issued by the government
G1Fl1 hEa sod.
lender will protect himself by stipulating for
payment in gold, but the ltborer has never
been able to do that. To place business upon
a silver basis would mean sudden and severe
contraction of the currency"
"The presence of II large cash surplus | n the
treasury has for many years been the subject
of much unfavorHble criticism. The surplus
on March ], 1889, was SlSi,as7 ,l9D.20. The
policy OF applying this surplus to the redeInp-
tion of the interest bearing securities OF the
United States was thought to be preferable to
that of depositing it without interest in select
ed national banks. There have been redeemed
since the date last mentioned of interest bear
ing securities Sea9tT9,B5D resulting In a reduc-
tion of the annual interest charge of Sl,6S4-
875."
"The report OF the secretary of war exhibits
the results Of an intelligent, progressive and
businesslike administration OF n department
which has been too much regarded as one OF
mere routine. The separation of Secretary
from Ine department by reason oil h1E
appointment as senator from the state Of
Vermont 10 a source of great regret TO me-"
Extension of the mail service in country dis.
triots is thus urged
In tho report of the postmaster general
somo very gratifying results are exhibited and
many betterments of the service suggested. A
perusal of the report gives abundant evidence
that the supervision and direction of the pos.
tai system have been characterized by an in.
telligent and conscientious desire to improve
the service. 1t Is not just that the farmer,
who receives his mail at neighboring town,
should not only be compelled TO send to the
postoilice for it, but to pay a considerable rent
for a box in which TO place ii or to wait hia
turn at general delivery, while the city resi-.
dent has his mail brought to his door. II Ia
STATED that over 81, ,00O Oneighborhoods arc under
the present system receiving mail Mt postoffices
where money orders and postal notes are mot
issued. The extension of this system to these
communities is especially desirable"
Regarding our growing navy the president
aays;
'HFhe report Of the secretary Of the navy shows
gratifying increase of new naval vessels in
commission. The Newark, Concord Benning-
ton and Miantonomoh have been added dnrins
The year, with an aggregate of something more
than ll,t0) tons. Twenty-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 satisfactorily the
completion of the more important vessels will
yef require about years time. Some of the
vessels now under construction, 1t is believed
will be trumphs of naval engineering"
There Is this to sny OF the pension bureau:
Tho administration of the pension bureau
has been characterized during the year by
great diligence. The total number of PEN
sioners upon the roll on the 3lth day of June,
1891 was BI6,lG0. There were allowed during
the fiscal year ending at that time a51, ,50l cases.
OF this number lh2,3s7 were allowed under the
law OF June "a, 1880 The issuing of certificates
has been proceeding at the rate of about 30 100
per month, about % per cent. of these being
cases under the new law The commissioner
expresses the opinion that he will be able to
carefully adjudicate and allow a5n,H0O claims
during the present fiscal year. The appropria-
ton for the payment OF pensions for tho fiscal
year 1901 was SET BSl, ,105 80, aud the amount
expended SIZE l31, ,B4n 25, leaving I'm une xpendel
surplus OF sB,l5i,li4.6i. Tho commissioner IL
quite confident that there will be no call this
year for deficiency appropriation. The esti-
mate for pension expenditures for the fiscal
year ending June 20, 1891, is Sfi4,05B, ,10l.r
OF the department OF agriculture he says:
"lf the establishment OF the department of
agriculture was regarded by any one ss mere
concession to the unenlghtened demand OF a
worthy class OF people, that impression has
been most etfectually removed by the great re-
suits already attained. Its home influence has
been very great in disseminating agricultural
and horticultural information; in stimulating
and directing afurther dirersiticntion of crops;
~ ueletlluB anu efaulc6ting diseases of do
mestie animals and, moro thnn ALL in tho close
and informal contact which it has established
and maintains with the farmers and stock
raisers OF the whole countryn
The civil service is commended thus:
The civil service commission invites a per
sonal inspection by senator's und represent
atives OF its records and methods It is not
claimed that the system or its administration
| is perfect butt believe that the law is being
executed with impariiality, and that the sys-
TEN is incomb9rably better and fairer than
that of appointments upon favor"
"Gerrymanaering" Is thus protested against.
1.-THE method of appointment by the states of
electors of president and vice president has re-
Gently attracted renewed interest by reason OF
| q departure OF the state of Michigan from the
method which had become uniform In all tho
states. Prior to 1882 various methods had bessn
used by tho different states and even by the
same state
''South Carolina, until the civil war, con-
tinned TO choose Its electors by a vote of the
legislature, but after the war changed its
m fhnda anda AL fr,f ft.n -, a..