The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-12-13
experience of the yea constrains me
to Join in the recomm ,ndation for its


to join in the recommI ndation for 1t
repeal,
It Is gratifying TO note that we hav
begun to attain computed results II
the comprehensive scheme of sea coas
defense and fortif1cation entered upoI
eight years ago. A large sum has beer
already expended, but the cost Of main
tainance will be lnconsiderable as com
pared with the expense of construction
and ordinance. At the end Of the cur
rent calendar year the war department,
will have ninety twelve-inch guns
twenty ten-inch and thirty. four eight
inch guns ready to be mounted on gun
lifts and carriages and sevety.ive
tWelve.inch mortsrs In addition to the
product Of the army gun factory now
Completed at Watervelt. The govern.
ment has contracted with private par
these calibres, the first of which should
be delivered to the department for test
before July I, 1894. The manufacture
Of heavy ordnance keeps pace with
current needs; but to render these guns
available for the purpose they are de.
signed to meet, emplacements must be
prepared for them. Progress has been
made In this direction, and 1t Is des1ra-
BILE that Congress by adequate appro-
priatio1 should provide for the unin-
terrupted prosecution Of the necessary
work.
After much preliminary work and
exhaustive examination, In accordance
with the requirements Of the law, the
board appointed to select magazine
rife modern type with which to replace
the obsolete Springfield Rife of the in.
fantry service, completed its labors du.
ring the last year, and the work Of
manufacture iS now In progress at the
National Armory at Springfield. It is
confidently expected that by the end Of
the current year our infantry will be
supplied with q weapon equal to that
Of the most progressive armies Of the
world.
The work on the protected Chicka-
mauga and Chattanooga National Mil
itary Park has been prosecuted with
zeal and judgment, and Its opening
will be celebrated during the coming
year. Over nine square miles Of the
Chickamauga battlefield have been &C..
quired; twenty-five miles of roadway
have been constructed and permanent
tablets have been placed at many his
terical points, while the invitation to
the States to mark the positions of
their troops participating In the battle
has been very generally accepted. The
work OF locating and preserving the
lines of battle at the Gettysburg bat
tlefsld Is making satisfactory progress
on the plans directed by the last Con-
gress.
The reports of the Military Academy
at West Point and the several schools
for special instruction Of officers show
marked advance In the, education In
the army and q commendable ambi-
ton among its officers to excel In the
military profession and to fix them.
selves for the highest service Of the
country. Under the supervision Of
Adjutant- General Robert Williams,
lately retired, the bureau Of military
information has become well establish
ed, and is performing a service that
will put In possession of the govern
ment in time of war most valuable in
formation, and at all times serve pur-
pose of great utility In keeping the
army advised of the worlds progress
In all matters pertaining to the art OF
war.
The report Of the Attorney. General
contains the usual summary of the af-
fairs and proceedings Of the Depart
ment Of Justice for the past year, TO-
gether with certain recon mend9tions
as to needed legislation on various ub.
jects. cannot too heartily en- dorse
the proposition that the fee system as
applicable to the compensation OF Uni
ted States Attorneys, Marshals, Clerk
of Federal Courts and United States
Commissioners should be abolished
with IS little delay as possible. It Is
clearly In the interest OF the communi.
ty that the business of the Courts, both
civil and criminal, shall be as small
and as inexpensively transacted as the
ends Of justice will allow. The system
Is, therefore, thoroughly vicious which
makes the compensation Of Court Of
acials depend upoa the volume Of such
business, and thus creates conflict be-
tween proper execution Of the law
and private gain, which cannot fall to
be dangerous to the rights and free
dom Of the citizens and an Irresistible
temptation to the unjustifiable expen-
diture of public funds. If in addition
to this reform another was inaugurated
which would give the United States
Commissioners the final disposition Of
petty offenses within the grade of mis-.
demesnors, especially those coming un-
der the internal revenue laws, great
advance would be made toward more
recent administration of criminal
law.
In my first message to Congress, da-
ted December 5, 1885, l strongly recon-.
mended these changes aud referred
somewhat at length to the evils OF the
precent system. Since that time the
criminal business Of the Federal Courts
and the expense attending 1t have
enormously increased. The number OF
criminal prosecutions pending in the
Circuit and District Courts Of the Uni
ted States on the 1st day of July, 1855 +,
was 3,8O8, of which 1884 were for vio-
lations of the internal revenue laws,
i while the number Of prosecutions pend
ing on the 1st day Of July, 1893, was
nine thousand five hundred, Of which
four thousand two hundred were viola.
tions of the internal revenue laws. The
expense of the United States Courts,
exclusive of judges salaries, for the
year ending July 1, 1885. was 1884,
1871, and for the year ending July 1,
1893, $4.528,67687. 1t Is therefore ap .
parent that the reason given In 1885 for
a change In the manner of enforcing
the Federal criminal law have gained
cogency and strength by lapse of time.
also hereby join the Attorney Gen
eral in recommending legislation fixing