The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-12-07

created this drain of the treasury gold are
in an important degree political and not
commercial
In view OF the fact that Il general revis-
ion of our revenue laws ia the near future
seems to be probable, il would oe better
that any changes should be "A part os that
revision rather than of a mporaTy na-
ture.
During the last fiscal year the secretary
purchased under the act of July IA. 1890,
J4 3S4, AS ounces of silver. and issued ia
payment therefor $5l, 106 COS in notes. The
| total purchases since the passage OF the
act have been 10. .479.sSl ouuces and the
aggregate OF the notes issued SIG, 1S3.590
| The average price paid for silver during
the year WAS 81 cents per ounce. the high
est being sl.02S on July l, 1891, aud the
lowest 80 *, on March q, 1902 Inview of
( the fact that the monetary conference l.
now sitting and that no conclusion has yet
| been reached, withhold any recommends
tion as TO legislation upon this subject
The wAE DEPARTMENT.
The report OF the secretary of war brings
| again to the attention of congress some
| Important suggestions as to the reOCganl-
| zation of the iufsutry and artillery arms
I of the service, which his predecessors have
before urged be pressed. Our army is
small, but its organization should ali the
| more be put upon the most approved
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 cOncen-
| tration is obviously the right one The
new posts should have the proper strategic
/ relations 10 the only frontiers we now
/ have, those of the seacoaSt and OF the
/ northern and part of our southern boun-
| dry. / 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, upon
| which the secretary is at work, ana the
usefulness of which will become every
/ year more apparent, the work OF building
/ heavy guns and the construction Of the
coast defenses, have been Well begun, aud
! should be carried on without cheek.
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
| The report of the attorney general is by
! law submitted directly TO congress, but |
! cannot refrain from saying that he has
conducted the increasing work OF the de-
| partmeut of justice with great profes-
sional skill. He has, III several directions,
secured from the courts decisions giving
increased protection 20 the officers OF the
United States and bringing some classes
of crime that formerly escaped, to punish
menu in the tribunals OF the United States.
where they could be tried with Impair
| tiality.
The numerous applications for executive
clemeucy presented in behalf of the pris-
oners confined in the Federal prisons aud
gwen pecuniAry sentences have called my
attention 10 II fact referred TO by the
attorney general IN his report, namely,
that a time allowance for good behavior by
such prisoners ls prescribed by the federal
statutes only when the state In which the
peuitentiary is located has made no such
e
benefit of the provisions of the state law
regulating the peuI lIlary to whica they
may be sent. These are various, some,
perhaps. too liberal, aud scme, perhaps,
TOO llllberal. Tue result is thar a sentence
for five years means one thing If the pris-
ouer is sent TO one state for confinement
aud quite different thing il he i sent 20
another. | recommend Jhat uniform
credit for good behavior be prescribed by
congress.
l have before expressed my concurrence
in the recommendation OF the attorney
general that degrees OF murder should be
recognized in the federal statutes, as they
aCe, l believe, in all the states. These
grades are founded On correct distinctions
In crime. The recognition, ,nithem would eu-
able tue courts TO exercise some discretion
IL apportloulug punishment and would
greatly relieve tue executive OF what Is
coming To be a very heavy burdeu-Jhe
for Communication.
THE COURT OF CLAIMS.
The aggregate of the claims pending
against the government In the court OF
claims l. enormous. Tue amount Of near
Iy StO7 900 900 Tor the taking OF property
aud in jury 20 persons claiming 10 oe loyal
during the war Is now before the court.
When to this j. added the Indian depredA-
tlon and French spoiIatiOn claims an
aggregate Is reached which - indeed start
ling. Ia the most OF these cases the gov
ernmeut Il at = great disadvantage. The
claimants have preserved their evidence.
whereas the government has 10 send
agents 10 rummdge the field for what they
eau find. Tuis difficulty Is peculiarly
great " here the fact 10 be established Is
the disloyaity of the claimant during the
war II this great threat against our rev
enues Is To have no other cuecR, Certainly
congress should supply the department ot
Justice with appropriations sufficiently
liberal to secure the best legal tAlsut ia the
defense of these claims aud 10 pursue the
vague search for evidences.
THE PosToFFICE DEPARTMENT
The repor. Of the postmaster general
shows n gratifying increase aud most eff
cent and progressive management OF tbs
great business of that department The
remarkable increase iu revenues, Ia the
number OF posiofices and in the miles Of
mail Interchange, furnishes further evi-
ceuce of the high state of prosperity which
our people are eujpyiug. New Offices mean
new hamiets, new routes mean the eXten-
sion or our border settlements. aud ln
creased revenues me an active commerce,
The postmaster general reviews the whole
period Of his administration Oi ,hs Oihce
and brings some Uf his statistics down 10
the month OF November last. The postal
revenues have increased during the hast
year nearly $500 on Tue dehcJt i8r the
year ending June ~, 1892, Is SS4S. q! less
than the deficiency Ot Tue prec cetiuG year. /
Tue deficiency Of che present fiscal year, 30 !
i eSt mated. vii. b. reduced 70 81 49,. 81 T.
which wiu not only be ex ingui-he,t during {
the urx; fiscal year. but surplus ot ueariy
81, 600, 0J0 should be shown In thes- cti. F.
cu!atl0us tue payments go De uIa.Ie uadcr f.
the contracts for ocean mail service nave F.
not been included.
There have been aided / so new mail .
routes durinC the year, wItu "a mileage - T.
S St3 miles. aud the total number % new +
miles OF mail trips added duTiug ths year
Is nearly seventeen millions lbs mum
Der OF miles Of mail journeys aitel dar.
ing the last iour year. - about sb.yjJ. 9j,, f.
tbis addition Dr.Ds Il .pFJ. U4sJ % us5.,s more .
than were Iu operation IG tie Whole .
couBtFy 10 l-fL Ine uumber % poet
offices has Increased 2 ~ duTiaZ the scar. .
a04 curing LAe pit7p ieIt F"-'f7s anu tsii A7 f.
Oct - last, the total iucre.sss 10 tie ugsal
ter ~ Offices hsss been nearly lJ.oyJ
1as numbcr o. free del vegy Of
aczs has been nearly dOabIrd ia ihe pas,
four yesrz aud the number Il money order .
Offices more ghaa doubted within t3st time
" tEe fJuE years ending june - ist5.
the postal revenues aEuountesi 20 SI5f. "a
3s3 which U1s aa lasgssasy o. 80. - .lyJ .
over tne revenues Tor the three years -la-
iuv lime - ls-- the l.crea-s GuFIna. tU- E
last three yssrs b-iuS more tban three
and . half tines Is great ys the gacTssse F.
GurlaE size three year. Ss.illg june -. .
]. - N .nru Iacrn..s a. tnat aIluxn LIZ !