The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1899-12-09

.,t,- velt,w Is 10 b assured
whs,bsf thosr ucs shall he organic Or couven-
&c., 80 ee-slrlcs OF cuba are 10 one rRht
= ,trm nd manner iuesocAhly linked with
a.e., M nos or hos Tar a tor the future 70
N.,.rwire IN the nrcness Of eveuis Whatever
he ~ outcome. 4e must see toll that ire Cuba
he a reality. not a name, = perfect entity, not a
hasty expermcnt bcaring within itseu the cic-
meats Of failure our mission 70
which Ne took Up ne vases Of battle = aot 70
be fulfilled nv turning adnft any icosep iremeu
commonwealth 10 face the Neissi'naes enieh
~ olfrn attend weakrf states whose Natural
w,alth ana abundant resources arc Onset BY The
lnconguites Of their political Organization and
m, recurring occasions Tor internal uNairics 20
an th,ir strength and diSsipate their energies
M greatest blessing which can cone 10 Cuba
I. M restoration Of her agricultural and Indus
rial proSpenty, which viii give employment 10
,ale men and re-establlsh the pursuits OF peace
This is her chlcf and Immediate need
nv The treaty Of peace ue Spanish people on
Inc island have until April u. is1 10 elect
whether they viii fcmuiu citizens OF spain or
become eltisons OF CupA Cnul then u cannot
BE- definitely asccrtaincd who shall Be enuued
~ partieipate In the formation OF The gov
eument OF cuhA. ny that time the results OF
Inc census will have been tabulated. and We
shan proceed 70 provide for elections which
viii commit the municipal governments OF the
island 20 the oonces elected BY the people The
experience thus acquired will prove OF great
value in the formation OFT representative con-
yrntion Of the people TO dran a constitution
and establish a general system OF independent
government for the island In the meantime
and so long as We exercise control over the
island the products OF Cuba should have q
market In the United States on as good terms
and with as favorable rates OF duty as arc given
70 the West India islands under treaties OF re-
elproeity which shall be made.
Concerning Our Soldiers and Sailors
Since my last annual message and In obedI-
ence TO the acts OF the congress OF April p and
% 1879. the remaining volunteer force enlisted
for the spanish war, consisting OF H.S3i regulars
and ll0,eU volunteers. with over 500 volunteer
0ricers, has been discharged from the military
service. OF the volunteers, 657 officers and "a
ssl men we're serving In the Philippines and g.
$50 OF the regulars, who were entitled 70 be mus
tered out after the ratification OF the treaty OF
peace. They voluntarily remained at the front
until their places could be filled BY new troops
They were returned home In the order In which
they went 10 Manila. and are now all OF them
out OF the service and In the ranks OF citizen
ship l recommend that the congress provide
q special medal OF honor for the volunteers.
regulars, sailors, and marines on duty In the
Philippines. who voluntarily remained In the
service after their terms OF enlistment had ex-
pired.
By the act Of March b 2, 1929, congress has au-
thorlty 70 increase the regular army TO a maxi
mum not exceeding ss.OOO enlisted men and TO
enlist q force OF 5000 volunteers, TO be recruited
from the country atlarge By virtue OF this au.
thority the regular army has been increased 70
the number OF 81 800 enlisted men and a,e4S on
GERS and new volunteer regiments have been or
gained aRgregating S5,0SO enlisted men and
1854 onAcers. Two OF these volunteer regiments
are made up OF colored men, with colored line
oticers- h new troops TO take the place OF
those returning from the Philippines have been
transported TO Manila 10 the number Of 5sl on
GERS and e6,S2s enlisted men OF The regular army
and 5ai ofieers and 1855 enlisted men OF the
new volunteer force. while b0i officers and ~
la men OF the volunteer force are on the ocean
en- route 10 Manila, The force now Ia Manila
consists OF eos oficers and S0,50s regulars and
h9t officers and lb,sss OF the volunteers. making
an aggregate OF i.i9s officers and IS p68 men
When the troops now under orders shalt reach
Manila, the force In the archipelago will com .
prise 2,05l officers and 61.Isi men. The muster
out OF the great volunteer army organized fot
the Spanish war and the creation OF q new army.
the transportation from Manila 10 san Francis.
co Of those entitled 70 discharge and the trans
p%ortation OF The new troops TO take their place
have been a work Of great magnitude well aud
ably done. for which Too much credit eanno, be
given the war department
During the past year we have reduced our
force In Cuba and Porto Rico 10 CubA we nov
have 51i officers and 1906 men, In Porto Rico.
n onicers and g,BsS enlisted mcn and a battalion
Of 400 men. composed u native Porto Ricans.
while stationed throughout the United states
are plO onieers and 1851 men and In Hawaii. Il
on1eers and is enlisted men.
The operations Of the army arc fully present.
ed 10 the report Of the secretary Of war | can.
not withhold from Officers and men The highest
commendation for their Soldierly conduct In
trying situations, their willing sAcrihcea TOT
their country and the interest and ability with
which they performed unusual aud dimcult du.
ties 10 our Island possessions.
In the organization OF the volunteer regiments
authorized by the act OF March 2. lsg9. II was
found that no provision had been made TOT
ehaplains. This omission WAS doubtless from
inadvertence. I recommended the early au-
thorilation for the appointment OF one chap
lain for each OF said regiments. These regi-
ments are 10 the Philippines aud II Is important
that immediate action be taken
Postal Affairs In thu Colonies
ar IN resto,lng peaceful conditions orderly rule
far as practicable, Ia the Philippines, the re-
habilitation OF postal service has been an i'm,
portant part OF the work 1t became necessary
10 provide mail facilities both for our forces o.
occupation and for the native population. r,
meet this requirement has involved a sub
stantial reconstruction The existing system,
we're so iragmentary, defective and inadequat,
that a new and comprehensive organization IN.
to be created. American trained officials hav,
been assigned TO the directing and e~xecutiy,
possessions, while natives have been chiefly
employed In making up the body Of the force
In working out this plan the merit rule haI
been vigorously and faithfully applied
Domestic Postal Service.
The domestic postal service continues toRrov
with extraordinary rapidly. The expenditure
and the revenues will each exceed slOL,0OOD
during the current year. fortunately, since tn,
revival OF prosperous times the revenues hayi
grown much faster than the expenditures. an,
there Is every indication that a short period viii
witness obnteration OF the annual deficit II
TINS connection the report OF the ate
general embodieS q statement OF some evil
which have grown up outside OF the contempla
Ton OF law In the treatment OF some classes o
mail matter which wrongly exercises the priv
lege OF pound rate, and shows that N this mat
yer had been properly classified and had pail
the rate which II should have paid. instead OF
postal deheit the last fiscal year OF t6,6lO,OO
there would have been on one basis a surplus q
slLO7,b7U. and on another Of S.7Ss,s36. The re
form thus suggested. In the opinion OF TN
postmaster general, would not only out IN,
postal service at once on a self-sustainin
oasis' but would permit great and yalu
Able improvements, and | commend the sub
lect 10 the consideration OF congress.
The Question Of Pensions.
On the sOth Of June, 1879. the pension roll o
the United States numbered WI, $40. These in
oiude the pensioners Of the army and navy Il
ali our wars The number added 10 the roll
curing the year was tO.g9L The number droppe
Dy reason OF death. remarriage, minors By IeQa
limitations failure 70 claim within three year
and other causes was is,ls6. and the number o
claims disallowed was i07, 9i7 During the yea
wa pension certificates we're issued, OF whIcI
S''V7 we're for new or original pensIons Tn
amount discussed for army and navy pension
auflng the year was Sin, gB. Ub2 p5. which VA
lions.
The Grand Army Of the Republic at lts 70
cent national eneampment held al PhlIadelphI
bas brought 10 my attention aud 10 that OF con
Rress The wisdom and justice o. a modlaeatlo
OF the Third section OF the act OF June q. 1870
winch proFloes pensions for the widows q
onieers and enlisted men who served % DAYS o
more during the war OF the rebellion and yer
honorably discharged. provided that sue
widows are without other means Of summon
than their daily labor and we're remarked 1
tue soldier sailor or marine on account !
whose service they claim pension prior 10 III
date OF the act.
Inc present holding OF the department is thu
" the Widows Income aside from her daily labo
does not exceed In amount what her tensio
would be TO vii. 90 per annum. she would b
deemed 70 he without other means OF summon
than her daily labor, and would be entitled to
pension under this act, while " the widows in
come independent OF the amount received n
hef as The result Of her daily labor exceeds 40,
sne "ould not be pensionabie under the act
am advised by the commissioner OF pension
mat tne amount Of the Income allowed befor
uue 70 pension would be barred. has yar,e
widely under different adminlsttat,ons a, m
pension once as well as during different pe,iod
Of the same administration. and has been N
cause OF lust complaint and criticism Win m
approval OF the secretary OF The interior m
commissioner " pensions recommend ,hs, !,