Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-12-08

Executive Departments.
TuE TREASURY.
The report OF the secretary Of the treasury
will attract special interest in view OF the many
misleading statements AS have been made IA TO
the state Of public revenues Three preliminary
facts should not only he stated but emphasized
before looking into details; First that the
public debt has been roaucoi since March 1852,
t!S5, go, and the annual interest charges
VII, 6si, $50, second, that there have been paid
out for pensions during this administration ON
up TO November I, ls9s, s3'a i7S -, an excess
Of siil, 800 800 % over the sum expended during
the period from March l. 1855 TO March I, 1857;
and third that under the existing tariff up 10
December about t9SOJl,OOO OF revenue which
would hiyo boon collected upon imported sugars
II the duty had been maintained has gone into
the pockets OF the people and not Into the pub
lie treasury, as before, II thero are any who
still think that the surplus should have boon
kept out OF circulation by boarding It In tho
troasur5, or depositing II In banks with
out interests while tho government con.
tinucd to pay tho very banks interest
upon the bonds deposited as security for the
deposits, or who think that the extended pr.
sion legislation was public robbery, or that
tho duty on sugar should have been m ,inlancd,
I am content to leave tho argument where It
now rests while we wait TO see whether thosc
criticisms will take the form OF leg station.
Tho revenues OF the nscal year ending june
81
and the expenditures for oil purposes wore
Nib 0j3, 80 81 leaving a balance Of tpoli iAJ 80
There was paid during the wear upon tho pub,
Tic debt ti $40 i0i o. The surplus In the treasury
and the bank redemption fund, passed by the
act OF July II, 1850 TO the general fund, fur
nishod in large part, the cash available AMI
used for the payments made upon the public
debt Compared vita the year 1891, oar 70.
ceipts from customs duties fell on 81 900, !lOs,
while our receipts from internal rcyenuO In.
creased ys,2st,s!3i3 leaving the not loss Of
revenue from these principal sources f3l7d,
| iiLO The not loss OF revenue from all sources
was t32, db,9'asi
Tue revenues, estimated and actual, for the
year ending June 20, 1893, are placed by tho
secretary at sidi, 90 90 a, and the cxpandl-
lures at ,4l33 $50 ~, showing surplus Of
receipts over expenditures Of 2.OJ1 90 The
cash balance In the treasury at th' oni Of tho
| nscal year. IL Is estim ited will b. 2i9js, si0l
| So far as these n CURES are based on oatimltos
| Of receipts and expenditures for the remaining
months OF the current nsoal year thoro arc
not only the usual elements Of uncertainty but
| some added elements Now revenue legislation,
or even IN expectation OF Il, may seriously 70.
duce the public revenues during the period Of
| uncert ,inty and during the press Of business
adjustment to the new conditions whom thoy
become known. Hut tho secretary has very
wisel5 rafralncd from guessing ~ 10 the eject
| OF possible Oh lnycs In sur revenue laws. since
tho scope OF those changes and the u ne OF their
taking effect cannot In any dogroc be forecast
or foretold by HIM His estimates must bo
baad upon existing laws AMI upon oontlnu-
ance Of existing business conditions except 40
far as these conditions NAV DO affected by
causes other than new legislation
The estimated receipts for the fiscal year
June 30. 1921, are tlgl, 3B 80, and the ost.
mated appropriations Ab7,20l s5. 80. leaving an
estimated surplus OF receipts over the eK
penditurea OF t3236iOOO5 This does not In,
Lat No a Ia Al fuu In a.
recommendation Of the secretary that tho sink
Ing fund law be repealed | concur Tho ro-
demptlon Of bonds since the passage Of tho law
80 June -, l5i3 has already exceeded the re-
qurcmcntB by tho sum Of ty0j,nljdslD The
retirement Of bonds In the future before ma
turity should be a matter Of convenience not Of
compilation We should not collect revenue for
that purpose but only use any casual surplus
To the balance 81 a. OilOb Of receipt, over
expenditures for tho year 1894 should be added
the estimated surplus At the begln'
ming Of tic year, flO92, 81 o. and from this
aggregate there must DO deducted as stated by
| the sscrUtlrs, about eii 0J1,OO1 Of estimate un
expended appropriations
The public conf ionco In tho purpose ana abil
ity u the government 10 maintain tho parity Of
all our money issues, whether cOiu or paper
must remain mistaken The demand Tor golC
in Europe and the consequent calls upon "a
are In u considerable degree the result 81 th'
, | ,fnrts Of some European government
/ 20 increase hclr 81 serves aud those
, forts should be me b. nppr0pra ions upOn gu
I part The Conlt ms hat have created hi
drain Of the treasury gold are Ia an imporinn
a. s.a Olitlca an uIt commercial In vie
. OF tho fa,. ,a.t general revision Of our rev
b. onuc laws In the near future seems TO D
f. probable II would De bottor that any change
I should DO a part OF that revision rather than {
q temporary nature.
/. During the last fiscal year the secretary pu
n chased under the act Of July II, 1897, 0i,3jDTl
/ ounces OF silver and issued In payment thoroC
~, 1908 In notes Tue total purchases sine
\ the passage Of tho act have been l2J,i1Pw
p | ounces and this aggregate OF notes issue
4 tllG7sj. 800 The average price paid Il
. silver during the year was W cents pc
Il ounce, the highest price being sl.O2
' July I, 1871 and tho lowest t0s3 NJ 1rch q, 1850
I In view Of tho fact that the monetary confe
onoe Is now sitting and that no conclusion hi
as yet been reached withhold any rocommo
dalton upon this subject
q THE WAR OFFICE
a The report Of the secretary OF war brini
J. again 10 the attention Of congress some impo
o tant suggestions as 10 tho reorganization
\ tho Infantry and artillery arms Of the seryic
!. which his predecessors have before urged thu
z they be- pressed Our army I, small but It's O
4. gunization should all the more be put upon u
q most approved modern basis. Tho condition
upon what we have called tho frontier" hal
a heretoior required the maintenance OF mar
Q tion Is obviously tho right one The new pos
should have the proper stragetio relations
1 the only iron iors" We now have those Of q
r. seacoast and Of the northern part OF our soui
Il ern boundary. do not think that any quesu
I. OF advantage in localities, or states, should
II tormlne the location OF the now posts III
4 organization and enlargement Of the bureau
\ military Information which the secretary h
o effected In u work the usefulness Of which "
- be, ONE every year more apparent Tho work
~ building heavy guns AMI the construction
a coast defenses has been well begun and BhOu
a be carried on without check
!, JUSTICE
!. The report Of the encouragement
s by law submitted directly TO eOngre'
I. but l cannot refrain from saying that
r, has conducted tho increasing work
4. the department Of justice with great proft
a sioual skill lie his Ia several directions
r. cured from the courts decisions m liking
10 creased protection 10 the officers Of the Uniu
At States and bringing some classes Of crime III
y, escaped 10 punishment IN the tribunals Of {
&c United Stltos whore they could DO tried vi
a The numerous applications for eKocuti
, clemency presented In behalf Of persons ca
a. yicled In the United States courts and CIV
n penitentiary sentences have called my att
~ tlon 10 a fact referred 10 by The attorne 20
y era IN his report namely that III
allowance for good behavior for su
To prisoners 10 prescribed by the fodc
M statutes only where the state In which the ~
m itentiary Is located had made no such prOYlsii
"a PrIsoners are given tho benefit Of the pro
h. ! siOns Of the stats law regulating tho penlt
Of tiary 10 whicl they may b. rsnt These I
various some perhaps 700 liberal and some y
~ haps too niibernl The result Is a seatgnee
n : ~. ~---s7-----s - s1tns n ~ a.vls@sar