Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1903-12-10

ualS Is III accordance with the law of the
land. Every man must be guaranteed his
liberty and his right to do as he likes with
his property or his labor, so long as he
does not infringe the rights of others. No
man Is above the law and no man Is below
1t; nor dc we ask any mans permission
when we require him to obey 1t. Obedi-
ence to the law Is demanded as a right !;
not asked as a favor.
We have cause as a nation to be thank
full for the. steps that have been SO sue
cessfully taken to put these principles into
effect. The progress has been by evou-
ton, not by revolution. Nothing radical
has lind been done the action has been both
work will stand. There shall be no back
ward step. If in the working of the laws
1t proves desirable that they shall at any
point be expanded or ampllfed, the amend
ment can be made as It's desirability is
shown. Meanwhile they are being admin
istered with judgment but with insstence
upon obedience to them; and their need
has been emphasized in signal fashion by
The events of the past year
RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES.
From all sources. exclusive of the postal
service, the receipts of the government
for the last fiscal year aggregated $780,
396,67f The expenditures for the same
period were S5o6,O99, 0o7 the surplus for the
tionS are that the surplus for the present
fiscal year will be very small if indeed
there be any surplus. From July to No
vember the receipts from customs We're.
approximately, nine million dollars less
than the receipts from the same source
for corresponding portion of last year.
Should this decrease continue at the same
ratio throughout the fiscal year, the sur
thirty million dollars. Should the revenue
from customs suffer much further decrease
during the fiscal year, the surplus would
vanish. A large surplus is certainly unde-
ln to NO
taken off with the express intention Of
cqualizing the governmental receipts and
expenditures. and though the first year
thereafter still showed n surplus, 1t now
seems likely that substantial equality of
revenue and expenditure will be attained.
Such being the case it is Of great moment
both to exercise care and economy in APP
preparations, and to scan sharply any
change in our fiscal revenue system which
may reduce our income. The need of strict
economy in our expenditures Is emphasized
by the fact that we cannot afford to be
parsimonious in providing for what Is es-
sential to our national well-being Care
fu economy wherever possible will alone
prevent our income from falling below the
point REQUIRED in order to meet our genuine
needs.
The Integrity of our currency is beyond
question. and under present conditions It
would hn unwtse ana unnecessary to at
temnt 4 reconstruction Gf, our entire mono
tarv Srstcm. The same liberty should he
granted the secretary of the treasury to
deDosit customs receipts rs is granted him
in the deposit OF receipts from other
sources. In my message OF December 2.
1902. | called attention to certain needs of
tn" financial situation, and again ask the
cor Iteration of the congress for these
questions.
FINANCIAL SITUATION.
During the last SESSION of the congress,
at The suggestion of a joint note from the
republic Of Mexico ana the imperial gov
eminent Of China, ana in harmony with
an act OF the congress appropriatlng $4,000
to pay the expenses thereof, Il commission
was appointed to confer with the principal
European countries in the hope that some
plan might be devised whereby Il fixed rate
of exchange could be assured between the
gold standard countries and the silver
standard countries. This commission has
filed its preliminary report, which has been
made public. | deem 1t important that
the commission be continued and that
sum ot money he appropriated sufficient to
pay the expenses of its further lahors.
MERCHANT MARINE.
a majority of our people desire that
steps he taken in the interests of American
sumo our former position in the ocean
carrying trade. But hitherto the differ
ences of opinion rs to the proper method
OF reaching this end have been SO wide
that it has proved impossible to secure
the adoption of any particular scheme.
Having in view these facts, l recommend
that the congress direct the secretary of
the navy, the postmaster general, and the
secretary of commerce and labor, associa-
ted with such Il representation from the
senate and house of representatives us the
congress In Its wisdom may designate, TO
serve rs commission for the purpose OF
investigating and reporting to the congress
at its next session what legislation is de-
sirable or necessary for the development
of the American merchant marine ana
American commerce, and incidentally of a
national ocean mail service of adequate
auxiliary naval cruisers and naval re-
serves. While such measure Is desirable
in any event, 1t Is especially desirable ut
this time, in View Of the fact that our
present governmental contract for ocean
mail with the American Line Will expire
in 1905 Our ocean mail act was passed in
1881. In 1898 our 20-knOt transatlantic mail
line was equal to any foreign line, Since
then the Germans have put on 23knot
steamers and the British have contracted
for 4-knot steamers. Our service should
equal the best. If it does not, the COM
merrlnl public will abandon 1t. II we are
to stay in the business 1t ought to be with
full understanding of the advantages to
the country on one hand, and on the other
proper methods of carrying it on More
over, lines OF cargo ships are of even more
Importance than fast mail lines: save so
far as the latter can be depended upon to
war. The establishment of new lines of
cargo ships TO South America, to Asia and
elsewhere would be much In the interest
Of our commercial expansion.
IMMIGRATION,
We cannot have too much immigration
of the right kind, ana we should have none
ut all OF the wrong kind, The need Is to
dnviSc some system by which undesirable
immigrants shall be kept out entirely,
y hitn desirable immigrants are properly
distributed throughout the country. At
pre- seat some districts which need immi-
grants have none; and In others, where
the population Is already congested imlni-
grants cCme in such numbers us 10 deprcss
thr conditions Of life for those already
there. During the last two years the I'M
migration service at New York has h"Cn
greatly improved and the corruption ana
inetriclency which formerly obtained there
have been eradcated. This service has
Just been Investigated by n committee OF
New York citizens OF high standing. Ar
thur s. Brlesen. Lee X. Frankel. Eugene
A. Phlhin, Thomas w. TIynes. and Ralrh
Trautman, Their report deals with the
whole sltrnricn nj length. and concludes
with certain recommendations for admins
trative and legislative action. 1t is now
rncei"trg tho attention OF the secretary ~
commerce and labor.
Tho special investigation Of the subject
" naturalization under the direction Of the
nttorupv general and thu consequent pros
"cntiNps. reveal condition OF affairs call
ing Cor tho immediate attention ~ TIL
congress Fnrgpries and nrriuries nf
shameless aud fragrant character have h"t'n
r.'rn'~,tcd. NOT only In tho dense ccntcrS
~ "'',,"atian Int throughout the cnuu"rF: