The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-12-07
VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS.
The Army Should BE Centralized In the
Large Cities.

The Army Should Be Centralized I'm the
Large Cities.
The report Of the Secretary OF War brings
again TO the attention OF Congress some impor.
tant suggestions as to the reorganization OF the
Infantry and artillery arms OF the service which
his predecessors have before urged should be
passed. Our army Is small. but Its organization
should all the more be put upon the most APP
proved modern basis. The conditions upon
what we have called the frontier have hereto
fore required the maintenance of many small
posts, but now the policy Of concentration is OBJ
yiously The right one. The new posts should
nave the proper strategic relations TO the only
and the North, aud part Of our southern bound.
any do not thlnk that any question of advan-
tage 10 localities or States should determine the
location OF the new posts.
The organization and enlargement OF the
Bureau OF Military Information, which the Sec
Ieiary mas effected. Is a work the usefulness OF
which VIII become every year more apparent.
The work OF building heavy guns aud he con-
stTnetien OF cohsI.defenses has been well begun
and should be rried on without check.
The report OF the Attorney General Is by law
submitted directly To Congress, but cannot re-
frain from SAYING that he mas conduc ed the In
cTeaslug work Of the Department OF Justice
with great professional skill. He has 10 several
directions secured from The courts decisions
giving Increased projections TO the officers OF the
United States, and bringing some classes of
crime. That hitherto escaped punishment, into
the tribunals OF the Unite States where they
could be tried with impartiallty.
The numerous applica ions for executive
clemency presented in behalf OF persons con.
ycted In the United States courts and given
penilentIary sentences have called nv attention
toa fact referred TO by the AttoTney-General
IN ibis his report. namely that time al
prisoners Is prescribed by the Federal
statutes only where the State In which the peni-
Ipsn.iary Is ioeaee MADE no such provision
oil The State law regulating the penitentiasy In
which they may be sent These vary-sone
being perhaps too liberal and some perhaps TOO
illib-laL The result Is sentence for 1--WE years
means one thing II prisoner Is sent 10 one
STATE ior confinement aud Is quite different
thing III be be sent 10 another. l recommend
sciibed by Congress.
1 have before expressed my concurrence In
the recommendation OF the Attorney General
that degrees OF murder should be Recognized I'm
The Federal statutes as they are, believe, In all
the States. These grades are founded on cor
rect distinctions In crime. the recognition of
which would enable the courts to exercise some
discretion In apportioning punishment ana
would greatly relieve the Executive OF what is
coming 10 be very heavy burden-the exam-
tation.
The aggregate OF claims is enormous Claims
10 the amount OF nearly $4,000 600 for the
taxing OF evidence OF injury to persons claiming
10 be loyal during the war are now before the
court Tor examination. When TO these are added
the indian depreciation claims and the French
spoliation claims an aggregate Is reached that is
Ind ed startling. In the defense Of these claims
the Government Is az great disadvantage TIE
Claimants nave preserved tn ir evidence, where
as the Government has TO send agents TO rum.
mage the field for what they can Gnd This diffi-
Guilty is peculiarly great where the fact 10 be es-
tabiisbed Is the disloyaty OF he claimant during
war. IL this great threat against our revenues
Is 10 have no other check 10 Is certain CoIeres,
should supply The department of justice Will ap-
propiiations sufficiently liberal TO secure Inc
best legal talent In the defense OF these claims
and to pursue It's vague search for evidence
The report OF the Postmaster General shows a
most gratifying increase and most etiiclent and
progressive management OF The great business OF
that department. The remarkable Increase In
= n m phar ~
miles OF mail routes furnishes another eyIdence
OF The high state OF prosperity which our people
are enloyine. New oi1ces mean new hsmlets
ana towns, new routes mean tho extension of our
boarder settlements, and Increased revenues
mean active commerce.
Inc f0stmaster-Genera1 reviews the whole
period OF his administration OF The office and
brings some OF his statistics down 10 tile monfn
OF November last The postal revenues have in
creased during the last year nearly So 600 600
Inc dehcit Tor the year ending June 80 1892 IL
$s4S 34l less than the deficiency OF the pieced-
year, II - estimated. will be reduced 10 81 7b2.
4Z3, which wiil not only Be extinguisbed during
me od ns1 nad hsca year but surplus Of nesrY
calculations the payments TO be made
under the contracts for ocean mail service have
not been Included. There have been added i5e0
new mail routes during the year with q milea o.
Of 1853 miles. and the total number of mics
OF new mail tries added during the year Is
nearly 100000 The number OF Miles Of
mail Journeys added during the last four wears
IS about 76.O0O.0o0. this being Il 600 600 miles
"oit thdu nttc W Optf AtlO0 IN Tie whole
try In 1851. The number OF postoffices has
been Increased by 279o during the wear. ana
curing the past four years aud up 10 Ocfoher %
last, the total INCREASE In the number OF ofices
has been nearly 10000. The number of free
delivery offices has been nearly doubled I'm
the past four years, and the nuubrr OF
money order Offices more than doubled In
That time. Fy> tho three wears ending
June 30 1892. the postage revenue amounted 10
Sl9I. 444.359. which VAS an increase of So
go, 100 over the revenue for the three wears
ending June 80, 1888. the increase during tbe
last three years being more than Inree and half
times as great as the increase during the fhree
years ending June So 1888. No such Increase
as that shown Tor these three years has ever nre
viousiy appeared In the revenues OF tle depart-
meDt The Postmaster Gs neral has extended 10
the postofices In the larger ciiies the merit aye
TEN OF promotion, introduced by my direction in
10 The dei ariments here. and II hax tesu!ted
there, as In other DEPARTMENTS, in large Volume
OF work and that better done.
Ever since our merchant marine was d,ivan
from the sea by the rebel cruisers duriug the
war OF the Rebellion the United State, has bern
paying an enormous annual tribute To foreign
countries IN the shape Of freights ana passage
moneys. Our grain aud meats have been taken
AZ our own docks ana our large imports here
laid down by foreign sbipmasters. An incrsas.
Ing torrrDt OF American travel 10 Europe has
contributed vast sum annually to the Dividends
OF foreign shtpowners. The balance of trade
SHOWN by the books OF our custom. houses nave