Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-12-14
CRAWLING. MICHIGAN THURSDAY, DECEMBER a. 1899

penditures and the revenues will each ex
ceed 500, ZOO, 900 during the current year.
Fortunately, since the revival Of prosperous
times the revenues have grown much faster
than the expenditures, and there Is every
indication that "A short period Will witness
the obliterution OF the annual dehcit. He
forms suggested In the report OF the Post
master General, would, In his opinion, not
only put the postal service at once on a
self-sustaining basis, and i commend the
subject to the consideration or the Congress.
Naval Prestige Maintained.
The navy has maintained the spirit and
high efficiency which have always charac-
terized that service, and has lost none OF the
gallantry In heroic action which has sig
nalized Its brilliant and glorious past Ihe
nation has equal pride In Its early and later
achievements Its habitual readiness LOT
| every emergency has won the confidence ana
admiration of the country. The people are
| Interested In the continued preparation and
prestige, 81 ,ne 5n navy t ana w and i
| provement. l heartily concur In the rec
Concentrations for the Increase of the navy,
as suggested by the Secretary.
Army and Navy Pensions.
| The 3oth OF June 1879, the pension roll Of
! the United States numbered 991, ,519. These
! include the pensioners OF the army ana
navy In all our wars The number added 70
! number dropped was AZ, 1856, and the number
of claims dlsallowed was lOI,9lo. Ihe
amour. dIsbursed for army and and sN aayg I pen e
which was s1.651, ,46l.61 less than the sum
of appropriations.
Preliminary Work of Census.
| In accordance with the act OF Congress APP
| proved March ), 1899. the preliminary work
In connection with the twelfth census is now
| fully under way. The officers required Tor
the proper administration Of the duties I'M
| posed have been selected. The provision Tor
| securing a proper enumeration OF the p0pu
! lation, as we'll as to secure evidence or the
Industrial growth of the nation, is broader
and more comprehensive than any siulilar
| legislation In the past.
! Under the authority Of the act OF Congress
approved July Z, 1895, the commission, con,
| Attorney General and the Secretary or In
| terror has made an agreement or settlement,
which has had my approval, of the indebt.
edness to the government growing out oil
the issue of bonds to aid In the construction
Of the Central Pacific and Western facihc
railroads. The agreement secures TO the
government the principal and interest OF
said bonds, amounting to 5s,S12, I1a4S; The
| whole Indebtedness was about S3o,OoOOo,
more than half OF which consisted or ac-
crued interest, for which suln the govern
ment has realized the entire amount, less
about S6,000,00O, within period OF two
years.
Progress of Agriculture.
The Department of Agriculture is con
stantly consulting the needs OF producers In
all the States and Territories. IL Is intro
ducing seeds aud plants OF great value ana
promoting fully diverslhcation of crops.
| Grains, grasses, fruits, legumes and vegeta.
bles are Imported for all parts of the United
States Under this encouragement the sugar
beet factory multiplies In the North and far
West semi-tropical plants are sent to the
South and congenal climates are sought for
the choice productions of the far East. The
subject OF Irrigation when IL Is of vital I'm
portanee TO the people is being carefully
! studied. Markets are being sought and
opened up for surplus farm and factory prod
ucts in Europe and Asia The outlook for
the education OF the young farmer through
agricultural college and experimental sta
tons, with opportunities given TO specialize
In the department of agriculture, Is very
promising.
There is widespread interest in the i'm
prcvement OF our public highways at the
present time, and the Department of Agri-
culture is cooperating with the people IN
each locality In making the best possible
roads from local material and In experiment
lug with steel tracks.
Philippine Island Problem.
| Dee 10, 1898, the treaty OF peace between
the United States and Spain was signed. 1t
! provided, among other things, that Spain
should cede to the United States the archi
pelago known as the Philippine Islands, that
| the United States should pay Spain the sum
| of $4,000, 900, and that the civil rights and
| political status of the native inhabitants of
| the territories thus ceded to the United
| States should he determined by the Con
| gress The treaty was ratified by the Sen
| ate Feb. q. 1899 and by the government of
| Spain March following. The ratiications
were exchanged April II. and the treaty
| voted the sum contemplated by the treaty
| and the amount was paid over 10 the Span
ish government May l. IN tnis ltnt manner me The
| islands were ceded by the government OF
| Spain, which had been I'm undisputed pos
session Of them for centuries. They were
! accepted, not merely by our authorized com
missioners In Paris. under the direction of
the executive, but by the constitutional and
well considered action of the representatives
of the people of the United States In both
houses OF Congress. ! had every reason TO
believe. and still believe. that this transfer
I in len mo
wishes and the aspirations OF the great mass
Of the Filipino people.
From the earliest moment no opportunity
was lost of assuring the people or the Islands
of our ardent desire for their welfare ana OF
the intention of this government TO do ev-
erything possible to advance their interests.
In my order of May 10. 1898. the commander
OF the military expedition dispatched TO the
Philippines was instructed to declare that
we came not to make war upon the people OF
that country, NOR upon any party or rae
tion among them. but to protect them In
their homes, in their employments and In
their personal and religious rights.
Dee II. after the treaty was signed, the |
commander of the forces OF occupation was
Instructed ito announce and proclaim In the
most public manner that we come. not as
Invaders and conquerors, but as friends, to |
protect the natives I'm their homes, In their |
cmployments and in their personal ana re-
ligious rights" The same day, while order |
ing Gen Otis to see that the peace should |
be preserved I'm Iloilo, he was admonished |
that 1T is mSst imPSrtant 9S tan .nns hsrs
Jan l. 1899, urgent orders were reiterated |
that the kindly intentions of this govern
ment should be In every possible way conf !
municated to the insurgents.
The 21st OF January | announced my In
tention of dispatching to Manila u commits
sion composed of three gentlemen OF the
highest charac, er and distinction Thoroughly
acquainted with the Orient, who, in asso-
cintIon with Admiral Dewey and Maj Gen.
Otis, were instructed to facilitate the most
humane and effective extension OF authority
throughout the Islands, and to secure with
the least possible delay the benefits OF
wise and generous protection or lie and
property to the inhabitants"
These gentlemen were DIR. Jacob Gould
Schurman. president OF Cornell University;
Charles DENLY, for many years minister to
China, and Prof. Dean G. Worcester, of the
University OF Michigan, who had made
most careful study Of life In the Philippines
Aguina1do's Claim Disproved.
While the treaty OF peace was under con-
sideratIon In the Senate these commissioners
set out on their mission of good Will and
liberation. But before their arrival at Ma
Mia the sinister ambition OF few leaders of
the Filipinos had created a situation full of
embara ssment for us and most grievous In
It's consequences to themselves. The clear
and impartial preliminary report Of the com
missioners, which transmit herewith, gives
so lucid and comprehensive history of the
present insurrectionary movement that the
story need not be here repeated. IL is enough
to say that the claim OF the rebel leader that
he was promised independence by any officer
OF the United States In return for his assist
ance has no foundation In fact and Is cate
gorically denied by the very witnesses who
were called to prove IL. The most the in
surgent leader hoped for when he came back
TO Manila was the liberation of the Islands