Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-12-10

| All put oue were Oh tue n0n-ulSappear-
ing type. These, however, were not such
| as to secure necessary cover for the ar
tillery gunners against the intense fire Of
modern-machine,r ,rapid-fre and hgh-power
guns. The inventive genius of ordnance
and civilian experts has been taxed in de-
| signing carriages that would obyiate this
| fault, resulting, il is belived, in the solu-
tiOn of this difficult problem Since 1893
the number of gun carriages constructed
or building has been raised to a total of
~, of which 30 are on the disappearing
principle, and the number of mortar carr
riages to 1852, while the 05 emplacements
which were provided for prior to that time
have been increased to 2S0,b and build
| ing.
This improved situation is largely due
| to the recent generous response of Com
gress to the recommendations of the War
| Department
Thus we shall soon have complete about
| one-hfth of the comprehensive system, the
| first step in which was noted in my mes
sage to the Congress of December 4th,
1893.
When it is understood that masonry en-
placement not only furnishes platform
for the heavy, modern high-power gun,but
also in every particular serves the purpose
| and takes the place of the fort of former
| plished is better comprehended.
In the hope that the work will be prose.
cutcd with no less yigor in the future the
Secretary of War has submitted an esti-
mate by which, If allowed, there will be
provided and either built or building by
the end of the next fiscal year such addi-
tional guns, mortars, gun carriages and
emplacements as will represent not far
from one-third of the total work to be
done under the plum adopted for our coast
defenses, thus affording a prospect that
the entire work will be substantially COM
pleted whiting six years. In less time than
that however, we shall have attained d
| marked degree of security
The experience and results of the past
year demonstratethat with continuation
of present careful methods the cost of the
| remaining work will he much less than the !.
original estimate. We should always keen
in mind that of all forms of military pre-
paration, coast defense alone is essentially
| pacific in its nature. While it gives the
sense of security due to consciousness
sof strength it is neither the purpose nor
| the effect of such permanent fortification
TO involve us in foreign complications, but
rather to guarantee us against them,
They are not temptation to war, but Sc
curity against it. Thus they are thor
Oughly in accord with all the traditions of
| our national diplomacy.
The attorney general presents detailed
| and interesting statement of the import-
| ant work done under his supervision dur
| ing the last fiscal year. The ownership
and management by the government of
| penitentiaries for the confinement of those
| convicted in United States courts of viola
tions of Federal laws, which for many
| years has been subject of executive
] recommendations has nj In, 4,
extent been realized by The utilization OF
| the abandoned military prison ut Fort
Lenvenworth as a United States pcniteu.
tiary. 8
| n, I'his is certainly II movement in til.
right direction, but II ought TO he .lt 0D,c
supplemented by the rebuilding or pstcn.
sive enlargement of this improyiscl prisut
and the construction of ut least one more
to he located in the Southern Stat, $. III.
capacity of the Leavenworth pcuitpntiary
is so limited that the expense OF its MAIN
tenance, calculated at II per capitn rltr
| upon the number of prisoners II cnn ne.
commodate, does not make as econnmi n!
an exhibit as it would If il were larg,,r
and better adapted to prison purpos $.
but am thoroughly convinced that econ
omy, humanity and Il proper sense of re-
sponsibility and duty toward those whom
| we punish for violations of Federal law
dictate that the Federal government
should have the entire control and man
agement of the penitentiary where con-
victed violaters are confined. 1t appears
that since the transfer of the Fort Leav-
enwortii military prison to its new uses
the work previously done by prisoners con.
fined there, and for which expensive ma
chinery has been provided, has been dis
continued. This work consisted of the
manufacture of articles for army use, now
done elsewhere. On nll grounds it is eS-
ceedingly desirable that the convets con-
| fined i'll this penitentiary be allowed to
resume work of this description.
| 1t is most gratifying to note the sn tis-
| factory results that have followed the ir-
| auguration of the new system provided for
by the Act of May 2S,1s96, under which
certain Federal officials are compensated
| by salaries instead of fees. The new plan
was put in operation on the Isl day of
July, 1896, and already the great economy
IT enforces its prevention OF abuses, and
its tendency to a better enforcement of the
laws are strikingly apparent Detailed
| evidence of the usefulness of this long
delayed but now appily-aceomplished re-
form will he found clearly set forth in the
attorney generals report
Our post office department is in good
| condition, and the exhibit made of its op-
erations during the fiscal year ended June
30. 1876, if allowance is made for imper-
fections in the laws applicable to it, is
livery satisfactory. The total receipts dur
ing the year were $50, ,i99. .20S40 The
total expenditures were $90,626, 29G.S4
exclusive of $1559, ,S9S.27, which was
earned by the Pacific railroad for trans
portation and credited on their debt to the
government. There was an increase of
receipts over the previous year of $5,516,-
0S0.21. or IL per cent. and an increase of
expenditures of S3,S36, ,124.02, or 4.42 per
cent
The deficit was S1,6T9, ,956. 10 less than
that of the preceding year. The chief ex-
penditures of the Postal Service are regu-
lated by law and are not in the control of
the Postmaster General. All that he eau
accomplish by the most watchfu admnis-
tration and economy is to enforce prompt
and thorough collection, and accounting for
public moneys. and such minor savings r.
in small expenditures. and in letting those
contracts. for post office supplies and star
service which are not regulated by
statute.
An effective cooperation between the
auditors office and the post office depart
ment, and the making and enforcement of
orders by the department requiring im-
mediate notification to their sureties of all
delinquencics on the part of post masters
and compelling such post masters to make