The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-12-08

clNlllHaIlon. II may De Salu Tn general terms that in every particular the inn provement of the Indian under govern ment care has been most marked and encouraging. The secretary, the com missioner of Indian affairs, and the agents having charge of Indians to whom allotments have been made, strongly urge the passage of a law prohibiting the sale of liquor to allot- ees, who have taken their lands in seVeralty. I earnestly join in this rec ommendation and venture to express the hope that the Indian may be speed fly protected against this greatest of all obstacles to his well-belng and ad vancement.
 The condition of affairs among the five civilized tribes, who occupy large tracts of land in the Indian Territory and who have gov ernments of their own, has such an aspect as to render almost indispensable that there should be an entire change in the relations of these Indians to the general govern ment This seems to be necessary in furtherance of their own interests, as we'll as for the protection of non-lndian residents in their territory. A commits sion organized and empowered under several recent laws is now negotiating with these Indians for the relinquish- ment of their courts and the division of their common lands in severalty and are aiding in the settlement of the troublesome question of tribal member ship The reception of their first prof. fers of negotiation was not encourag- ing; but through patience and such con- duct on their part as demonstrated that their intentions were friendly and in the interest of the tribes, the prospect of success has become more promising. The effect should be to save these h. dians from the consequences of their own mistakes and improvidence, and to secure to the real Indian his rights as against intruders and professed friends who profit by his retrogression.
 PENSIONS.
 The diminution of our enormous pen- sion roll and the decrease of pension expenditure, which have been so often confidently foretold still fail in mate rial realization. The number of pen sioners on the rolls at the close of the fiscal year ended June 30, 1896, was 970,- 67S. This is the largest number ever reported. The amount paid exclu sively for pensions during the year was $13S, ,214 76l.94, a slight decrease from that of the preceding year, while the to- tai expenditures on account of pen sions, including the cost of main taining the department and ex- Ipense attending pension distribution, amounted to S142, 2O6, $50. 59, or within a very small fraction of one-third of the entire expense of supporting the gov ernment during the same year. The number of new pension certificates is- sued was 90,640; of these 40,374 repre- sent original allowances of claims and 15,S78 increases of existing. pensions. The number of persons receiving pen sions from the United States but resi- ding in foreign countries at the close of the last fiscal year was 3,781, and the amount paid to them during the year was $5S2, ,7353S The sum appropriated for the payment of pensions for the current fiscal year ending June 30, 1897, is $140,0O0,000 and for the succeeding year it is estimated that the same amount will be necessary.
 The Commissioner of Pensions re- ports that during the last fiscal year 339 indictments were found against vi | olators of the pension laws. Upon these indictments 167 convictions re- suited
 In my opinion, based upon such statements as these and much other in | formation and observation the abuses | which have been allowed to creep into our pension system have done incalcu- liable harm in demoralizing our people and undermining good citizenship. I have endeavored within my sphere of official duty to protect our pension roll and make it what it should be, roll of honor, containing the names of those | disabled in their country's service and worthy of their country's affectionate | solicitude When I have seen those who pose as the soldiers friends, active and alert in urging greater laxity and 1 more reckless pension expenditure, while nursing selfish schemes, I have deprecated the approach of situation when necessary retrenchment and en- forced economy may lead to an attack upon pension abuses so determined as
 
 those who, worthy of a nations care, ought to live and die under the protec- | ton of nations gratitude.
 THE PACIFIC RAILROADS.
 The secretary calls attention to the public interests involved in an adjust ment of the obligations of the Pacific railroads to the government I deem it to be an important duty to especially present this subject to the considera- l tion of the congress. On January l, | 1897, with the amount already matured, 1 more than $13, 900 of the principal of | the subsidy bonds issued by the United | States in aid of the construction of the Union Pacific railway, including it's Kansas line, and more than $6,O00,00o of l like bonds, Issued in aid of the Central Pacific railway, including those issued | to the Western Pacific railroad compa- nv, will have fallen due and been paid | or must on that day be paid by the | government. Without any reference tC the application of the sinking fund now in the treasury, this will create such a | default on the part of these companies l to the government as will give it the right to at once institute proceedings | to foreclose it's mortgage lien. In ad- dition to this indebtedness, which will
 be due January 1, 1897, there will ma
 ture between that date and January 1
 1899. the remaining principal of such
 subsidy bonds, which must also be met