The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-12-16


efforts OF some OF the European governments
TO increase their gold reserves and these ef-
forts should be met by appropriations upon our
part The conditions that have created this
drain Of the treasury gold are in an important
degree political AMI not commercial. In view
OF lie fact that "a general revision of our
emu. laws in the near future seems to be
probable it would be better that any changes
should be part OF that revision rather than of
| . temporary nature.
During the last fiscal year the secretary pur-
chased under the act OF July a. 1870 81, S3j,74s
ounces OF silver and issued in payment thereof
! ISL, lOj.6Js in notes. The total purchases since
the passage Of the act have been l2) Az, asI
ounces and the aggregate of notes Issued,
slle,5S359l The average price paid for
silver during the year was "a cents per
| ounce, the highest price being SO2X
July l. 1871, and the lowest 1888 March 81, 1892.
In view OF the fact that the monetary confer
ence is now sitting and that no conclusion has
Us yet been reached withhold any recommen-
dation upon this subject
THE WAR OFFICE
The report OF the secretary OF war brings
again to the attention Of congress some impor
tant suggestions to the reorganization Of
| the infantry and artillery arms of the service,
| which his predecessors have before urged that
! they be pressed Our army is small but its or
ganization should all the more be put upon the
most approved modern basis. The conditions
| upon what We have called tn. frontier" have
| heretofore required the maintenance Of many
small posts, bur now the policy OF ooncenlrs-
tion is obviously the right one The new posts
| should have the proper strsgetic relations to
| the only frontiers" we now hsVe, those of ths
| scscoast and OF the northern part OF our south
ern boundary. DO not think that any question
| OF ADVANTAGE in localities, or states, should de-
! termine the location OF the new posts. The
organization and enlargement Of the bureau of
military Information which the secretary has
effected lisa work the usefulness Of which will
become every year more apparent The work Of
building heavy guns and the construction of
coast defenses has been well begun and should
be carried on without check.
JUSTICE
The report of the attorney-general IS
by law submitted directly to congress,
but l cannot refrain from saying that he
has conducted the increasing work Of
the department of justice with great profess
sion2l skill He has in several directions Sc
| cursd from the courts decisions IN liking in
creased protection to the officers Of the United
States and bringing some classes of crime that
| escaped TO punishment in the tribunals Of the
United States, where they could be tried with
| impartiality.
The numerous applications for executive
| clemency presented in behalf Of persons con-
| victed in the United States courts and gwen
penitentiary sentences have called my atten-
| tion to a fact referred to by the attOrney-gen-
| eral in his report, namely that a time
| allowance for good behavior for such
prisoners is prescribed by the federal
statutes only where the state in which the pen
itentiary is located had made no such provision
| Prisoners are given the benefit of the provi-
sions Of the state law regulating the peniten-
| tisry to which they may be sent. These are
various some perhaps too liberal and some per-
| haps too illiberal The result is a sentence for
five years means one thing il the prisoner is
sent TO one state for confinement and quite a
different thing IL he is sent to another. rec
| ommend uniform credit for good behavior be
| prescribed by congress.
| 1 have before expressed my concurrence in
| the recommendation of the attorney-etE1arsl
that degrees Of murder shall be recognized in
the federal statutes, as they ere, l believe in
| oil the states. These grades are founded on
correct distinctions in crime. The recog-
milton Of them would enable the courts
TO exercise some discretion in apportion-
| ing punishment and would greatly relieve
the executive Of what is coming 20 be u very
heavy burden-the examination Of these cases
on application for communication
| The aggregate OF claims pending in
! the court OF claims is enormous. Claims TO
| the amount of nearly Sa0,oO,UJO for injury TO
| persons claiming to be loyal during the war are
now before that court for examination. When
| 10 these are added the Indian depreciation
claims and the French spoliatiOn claims an ag
gregate il reached that is indeed startling. In
| the defense of these claims the government is
] at "a great ulSduNGulASt. lut SAdlulNulS hdNC
| preserved their evidence whereas the govern
Inent has to send agents rummave the field for
what they can Ind. This difficulty is peculiar
II great where the fact to be established is the
dislovaitv of the claimant during the war. II
this great threat against our revenue is to have
no other check II is certain congress should sup
ply the department. OF justice with appropria-
| tons sufficiently liberal to secure The best
legal talent in tho defense Of these claims and
to pursue its vague search for evidence.
THE POST OFFICE.
The report Of the postmaster general shows
| n most gratifying increase and most efficient
and progressive management OF the great busl-
ness Of that department The remarkable in
crease in revenues in the number Of post Offices |
and In the miles OF mail interchange furnishes !
further evidence Of the nigh state of prosperity
| which our people are enjoying. New onices |
mean new hamets, towns. routes mean the |
extension OF our border settlements. and in |
creased revenues mean active commerce. The |
pos imas ,cr-general reviews the whole period |
OF his administration OF the ONCE and brings |
some OF his statistics down TO the month Of |
November last The postal revenues have in |
creased during the last year nearly t5.0O0o0J. |
The dcficib for the year ending June % 1892, is
ISIS Sal less than the deficiency OF the precei-
ing year. The deficiency Of the present fiscal |
year Il IL estima led will b. reduced to 81 752 l3
which will not only be eNtin1uished during the |
next fiscal year, bat surplus Of nearly Sl,O0J-
IN these calculations the payments to be made |
under the contracts for ocean mail service |
have not been included. There have been added |
1880 new mail routes during the year with a |
mileage OF $500 miles, and the total number OF |
new miles OF nail trips added during the year
is nearly 100000 The number of miles of |
mail Journeys added during the last four years |
is about $4,000 this addition being 2i,00000O
OF miles more than there were in operation in |
the whole country IN 1891
The number OF post Offices has been increased |
by 2,T9O during the year, and during the past /!
four years and up to October % last the total |
| increase of the number OF offices has been near
ly 1,OJI The number OF free delivery Offices |
has been nearly doubled in the past four years |
and the number OF money order offices more !
than doubled with that time. For three years |
ended June ~, 1892 the postage revenue /
amounted to 9l9I, Tii. 49, which was An increase
OF So rs l5J over the revenue for three years !
ended June 30, IS g, the increase during the !
last three years being more than three and half
times great as the increase during the !
three years ended June 81, 1858 No such in !
crease as that shown for these three years has |
ever previously appeared in the revenues Of the |
department. The postmaster general has ex-
tended to the post Offices in the larger cities |
the merit of promotion introduced BIZ my di /
rection into the departments here, and il has /
resulted there as in the departments, in large
volume Of work. ard that better done.
Ever since our merchant marine was driven |
from the sea By the rebel cruisers during the |
war of the rebellion, the Unite States has been
paying On enormous annual tribute TO foreign |
countries In the shape OF freight and passenger
moneys, our grain and meats have been taken /
At our own docks and or large imports there /
laid down by foreign shipmasters. An increas- !
ing torrent OF American travel TO Europe has I
contributed a vast sum annually TO the aivi- |
cends OF foreign ship owners. The balance Of |
trade shown by the books OF our !