Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1893-12-11

silver bullion which was purchased a
cost of $126, ,261 ,553.
The purchasing Of silver under tht
law of July IA, 1890, during the last fis
cal year, aggregated 81 ,OOs, 1929 fine
ounces, which cost $45, ,531, ,374. So. The
| total amount Of silver purchased from
the time that law became operative
until the repeal of its purchasing
clause on the first day of November
1893, was 168, ,674 ,59O46 fine ounces
which cost 1856, ,93O, $40. .84. Between
| March 1, 1878, and Nov. 1, 1893, the
government purchased under all laws,
5O3, ,OO3,717 fine ounces of silver at q
cost of $516, SIT ,555. The silver dol
lars that have been coined under the
act of July Il, 1890, number sc, ,O87, 1856.
The seigniorage arising from such
coinage was $6,977, ,o98.39, leaving on
hand in the mints 14O, ,669, ,760 fine
ounces of silver, which cost 1926, 758, :
218.
The recent repeal Of the provision
of law regarding the purchase Of sill
yer bullion by the government as a
feature of our monentary scheme has
made an entire change in the COM
plexion of our currency affairs. I do
not doubt the ultimate result of this
action will be most salutary and far
reaching.
[ desire also to earnestly suggest
the wisdom of amending the existing
statutes in regard to the issuance Of
government bonds. The authority
now vested in the secretary of the
treasury to issus bonds is not as clear
as it should be, and the bonds author
lied are disadvantageous to the gov
ernment, both at the time Of their
maturity and rate of interest.
The secretary of the interior has the
supervision Of SO many important sub
jects that his report is of especial val
ue and interest. On June 30, 1898,
there were on the pension rolls 956, OH
names, an increase of 80, ,944 over the
number on the rolls June 80, 1892.
The number added to the rolls dur
ing the year was 123, ,634, and the num-
ment on pensions allowed during the
year amounted to $58, ,75o, ,e-49 50. l{rfsj
includes arrears, or the accumulation
between the time from which the al
lowance of pension dates and the time
of actually granting the certificate.
Although the law Of 1890 permits
pensions for disabilities not related to
military service, yet as a requisite to
it's benefits disability must exist in
capacitating applicants "from the
performance of manual labor to such
a degree as to render them unable to
earn a support"
The execution of this law in it's early
stages does not seem to have been in
accord with its true intention; but
toward the close Of the last admins
tration an authoritative construction
was given to the statute, and since
that time this construction has been
followed. This has had the effect OF
limiting the operation of the law to it's
intended purpose.
I am unable to understand why
frauds in the pension rolls should not
be exposed and corrected with thor
oughness and vigor. Every name put
upon these rolls is wicked imposi-
ton upon the kindly sentiment in
which pensions have their origin.
The sum expended on account Of
pensions for the year ending June 80,
1898, was $156, ,74O, ,467.14 The COM
missioner estimates that $165, 900, 900
will be required to pay pensions dur
ing the year ending June 80, 1894.
After a hard struggle tariff reform
is directly before us. Nothing so i'm
portant claims our attention, and
SO clearly presents itself as
both an opportunity and duty-an
to deserve the gratitude
of our fellow citizens, and duty i'm
posed upon US by our oft-repeated
professions and by the emphatic man
date of the people.
Manifestly, if we are to aid the peo
pie directly through the tariff reform,
one Of it's most obvious features should
be a reduction in the present tariff
charges upon the necessaries of life.
The benefits of such reduction would |
be palpable and substantial, seen and
felt by thousands who oald be better
fed and better clothed and better shell
tered. These gifts should be the will
ng benefactions of a government
whose highest function is the promo
ion of the welfare of the people.
Not less closely related to our peo-
ole's prosperity and we'll being is the
'emoval of restrictions upon the i'm
oortation of the raw materials neces-
,arY to our manufacturers. The world