uncompartmentalize one configure.ac command

Easier to simply see it in configure.ac instead of having to jump
back-n-forth between files to understand what's happening.
update silent rules. move AM_PRO_AR higher-up the list of things to do
Slightly more compact and similar in style
Code reduction... Already taken care of in po directory....
Merge pull request #1072 from JoesCat/master

more makefile stuff