Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-12-07

serious of delays however, have been in
the work upon armed ships. The trouble
has been the failure of contractors to de-
liver armor as agreed. The difficulties
seem now, however, to have been all over
come. As result of the experience &C
qured by ship builders and designers and
material men, il is believed that the dates
when vessels will be completed can now
be estimated with reasonable accuracy. |
Great guns, rapid fire guns, torpedoes and |
powder are being promptly supplied, while |
l ami distinctly in favor of consistently |
pursuing the policy we have inaugurated |
of building up thorough and efficient |
navy. l cannot refrain from the sugges- |
ton that the Congress should carefully |
take into account the number of unfin- |
ished vessels on our hands. and the de- |
pleted condition of our treasury in consid- |
ering the propriety of an appropriation at
this time to begin new work.
The report Of the Secretary of the In
terror is Of special value and interest. On
the Both day of June, 1893 there were OH
| the pension rolls 966,092 names, an i'll
| crease of S9,9I4 over the number on the
rolls June 3oth, 1892. The discovery hav-
| ing been made that many names had been
| put on the pension roll by means OF
| wholesale and gigantic frauds The COM
missioner suspended payment upon a
number of pensions which seemed to be
| fraudulent or unauthorized, pending a
complete examination, giving notice to
| the pensioners in order that they might
have an opportunity to establish, If posi-
| BILE. the Justice of their claims, notwith-
standing apparent inyalidity. am unable
tounderstand why frauds in the pension
| rolls should not be exposed and corrected
| with thoroughness and vigor. Every name
fraudulently put upon these rolls is a
| wicked imposition upon the kindly senti-
ment in which pensions have their origin;
! ,In,,N ,1t.n has
| bad citizen; every false oath in support of
a pension has made perjury more common
and false and undeserving pensioners rob
| the people. not only of their money, but
| of the patriotic sentiment which the sur
vivors of war fought for the preserva-
ton of the Union, ought TO inspire thous-
ands of neigh borhoods to have their we'll
known fraudulent pensioners exposed.
Recent developments by the bureau
| establish appalling conspiracies to accom-
plish pension frauds. By no means the
least wrong done is to brave and deserving
pensioners. who certainly ought not to be
condemned to such association. Those
who attempt, in the line of duty, to
rectify these wrongs, should not be accused
of enmity or indifference to the claims of
the honest veteran.
The condition of the Indians and their
ultimate fate are subjects which are re-
lated to sacred duty of the government,
and which strongly appeal to the sense of
justice and the sympathy of our people.
our Indians number about 2ls,OOO. Most
of them are located on l61 reservations,
containing &c. 116. 53l acres of land. About
10000 of these Indians have. to large
degree, adopted civilized customs. Lands
in several territories have been allotted to
many of them. / am sure that secular,
educated and moral and religious touching
must be important factors i'll any effort to
save the Iudian and lead him to civiliza-
ton. | believe too, that the relinquish-
nent of tribal relations, and the holding
of land in several territories may in favor
able conditions, aid this contamination.
The solution of the Indian problem de-
ponds very largely upon good administra-
ton. The personal fitness of agents and
their adaptibility to the popularity of car
ing for their wards, is of the utmost ini-
portance. The law providing that except
in special cases, army officers shall be de-
tailed as Indian agents, it is hoped will
prove a successful experiment.
, | especially commend 10 the attention of
the Congress the statements contained in
the Secretary's report concerning forestry.
The time has come when efficient measure
} should be taken for the preservation of
, our forests from indiscriminate and
remediless destruction. The report Of the
J Secretary of Agriculture will be foufrt eT
ceedingly interesting especially 10 that
large part Of our citizens intimately CON
cerned in agricultural occupations,
The continued intelligent execution of
the Civil Service law and the increasing
approval by the people of its operation ara
, most gratifying. The recent extension of
its limitations and regulations to the
! employees at free delivery possibilities, which
: has been honestly and promptly accom-
plished by the commission with the hearty
cooperation of the P0stmaster-General, is
an Immensely important advance in the
. usefulness of the system. am, If possible,
more than ever convinced of the incalcu-
liable benefits conferred by the Civil Service
} law, not only i'll its effect upon the public
: service, but also. what is even more i'm
portant in its effect in elevating the tone
of political life generally.
The course of Civil Service Reform in
: this country, instructiyely and Interestingly
0 illustrates how strong hold movement
Q gains upon our people which has under
r lying it a sentiment of justice and right
y and which at the same time promise;
9 better administration of the government
l 1t seems to me to be entirely inconsistent
g with the character of this reform as well
e as with its best enforcement, to oblige thu
: commission to rely for clerical assistance
g upon clerks detailed from other depart
ments. | earnestly urge that the clerk
It necessary to carry on the work of thu
r commission be regularly put upon III
d roster and that the system of obliging thu
v commissioners to rely upon the services o
s clerks belonging to other departments, b
n discontinued. Economy in public expendi
o ture is duty that cannot innocently b.
neglected by those intrusted with the con
troll of money drawn from the people TO
= public uses.
q After hard struggle tariff reform i
y directly before us. Nothing so importan
u claims our attention and nothing so clearl,
u presents itself as both an opportunity and
y il duty, an opportunity to deserve tn
!, !, gratitude of our fellow citizens and
u duty imposed upon us by our oft-repeatet
u professions and by the emphatic mandat
% of the people.
"a After full discussion our countrymel
! have spoken in favor of this reform, an,
II they have contded the work of its accom-
10 plishment to the hands of those who ar
l. solemnly pledged to it, Nothing SHOULD
,s intervene to distract our attention or dis
4 turb our effort until this reform is accom-
10 plished by wise and careful legislation.
=. While we should staunchly adhere /
h the principle that only the necessity O
f. revenue jlistiiies the imposition of TART
/. duties and other Federal taxation, an
4. that they should be limited By strit
II fact that conditions have grown up anon
re- us which in justice and fairness call TO
h. discriminating care in the distribution O
10 such duties and taxation as the emei
70 gencies of our government actually de
10 mand.
Of Manifestly, if we are to aid the peopl
D. directly through tariff reform, one of ii
a most obvious features should be redut
ne ton in present tariff charges upon til
" necessities of life,
Not less closely related to our people