Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-12-08


made in providing the material for SUD
marine defense in connection with these
works. Ii is peculiarly gratifying at TINS
time to note the great advance that has
been made in this important undertaking
since the date of my annual message to
the Fifty-thrd congress at the opening
of its second session in December, 1888
At that time l informed the congress of
the approaching completion of nine Il
inch, twenty 10-inch and thirty-four g
inch high-power steel guns and seventy
five 12-inch ri1ed mortars. This total
then seemed Insignificant when compared
with the great work remaining to be
done. Yet X was not the less a source on
qualification to every citizen when he re-
flected that it represented the first in
stallment of the new ordnance of Amer
lean design and American manufacture,
and demonstrated our ability to supply
from our own resources guns of unexcel-
led power and accuracy.
AT that date, however, there were prac-
tically no carriages upon which to mount
these guns and only thirty-one emplace-
ments for guns and forty-six for NOR
tars. Nor were all These emplacement5
in condition TO receive their armaments.
Only one high power gun was at that
time in position for the defense OF the
entire coast.
Since that time the, number of guns
actually completed has been increased
to a total of tWerty-one 12-inch, fifty
six 10-inch, siXty-one 8-inch high power
breach-loading steel guns, ten rapid fire
guns and eighty 12-inch rifed mCrtarS.
In addition there are in process of con-
struction one 16-inch type gun, fifty IL
inch, fifty-siX 10-irch, twenty-sever o
inch high power guns and slxty-siX u
inch rihed mortars in all 42S guns and
mortaIs
During the same year Immediately
preceding the massage referred to the
first modern gun carriage had been com
pleted and eleven more were in process
tfgar, lIgv ST1a n
non-disappcaring type. These, however,
were not such as to secure the necessary
cover for the artillery gunners against
the intense fire Of modern machine rapid
fire and high power guns. The inventive
genius Of ordnance and civilian experts
has been taxed in designing carriages that
would obviate this fault, resulting, 1t IS
bell we'd, in the solution of this difficult
problem. Since 1898 the number OF gun
carriages constructed or builded has been
raised to a total of 129, of which ninety
are of the disappearing principle, and
the number of mortar carriages to l52,
while the ninety-fiVe emplacements
which were provided for prior to that
time have been increased to $50 bulit ana
building.
This improved situation is largely due
to the recent generous response OF con-
gross TO the recommends items OF the war
department. Thus we shall soon nave
completed about one-ifth of the COM
prehensiVe system. The first step which
was noted in my message to the congress
of De. I, 1893
When ii is understood that masonry
emnlacement not only furnishes plat
form fer the heavy modern high power
gun, but also in every particular serves
the purpose and takes the place or the
fort in former days, the Importance OF
the worl, accomplished Is better compre-
hended. In the hope that the work will
be prosecuted with no less V1gor in the
future, the secretary of war has subit-
ted an estimate by which. II allowed,
there will be provided and either built or
building by the end of the next fiscal year
such additional guns, mortars, gun car
riages and emplacenents as Will repre-
sent not far from one-third OF the total
work to be done, thus af1ording o pros
pect that the entire work will be sub
Stantially completed within six years. In
less time than that, however, we shaH
have maintained a marked degree of Sc
curity.
The experience and results of the past
year demonstrate that with a continue
ton of the present careful methods the
cost of the remaining work will be mucn
less than the original estimate. we
should always keep in mind that of eleven
forms of military preparation coast de-
Tense alone is essentially pacific in It's
nature While it gives the sense of Sc
curty due to consciousness of strength
DIT is neither the purpose nor the erect
of such permanent fertilization to involve
us in foreign complications, but rather to
guarantee us against them. They are
not a temptation to war. but security
against It, Thus they are thoroughly IN
accord with all the traditions or our ma
tional diplomacy.
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
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
violations of federal laws, which for
many years has been a subject of exec
utive recommendation, has at last to
slight extent been realized by the util-
ization of the abandoned military prison
at Fort LeaVenworth as a United States
pententiary.
GOVERNMENT PRISONS.
This is certainly a movement in the
right direction. but 1t ought to be at once
supplemented by the rebuilding or extern
sive enlargement of this improvised pris-
on, and the construction of at least one
more, to be located in the southern states.
The capacity of the Leavenworth peniten-
tiary is SO limited that the expense of ltsi
maintenance, calculated at a percapita'
rate upon the number of prisons 1t can
accommodate, does not make as econom-
ical an exhibit it would If 1t were larger
and better adapted to prison purposes,
but am thoroughly convinced that econ
omy. humanity and q proper sense of re-
sponsihilitY and duty towards those
whom we punish for violation of federal
law dictate that the federal government
should have the entire control and man.
agement of the penitentiarles where the
convicted violators are confined.
1t appears that since the transfer of
the Fort Leavenworth military prison to
its new uses the work previously done
by prisoners confined there, and for
which expensive machinery has been pro-
vided, has been discontinued. This
work consisted of the manufacture of ar
ticles for army use now done elsewhere.
On all grounds ii is exceedingly desirable
that the convicts confined in this peniten-
tiary be allowed to resume work of this
description.
THE SALARY SYSTEM.
1t is most gratifying to note the salts
factory results that have followed the
inauguration of the new system provided
for by the act of May rs, 1896, under
which certain federal officials are COM
pensated by salaries instead of fees The
new plan was put in operation on the