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About Semi-weekly news-herald. (Plattsmouth, Nebraska) 1895-1909 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 2, 1900)
iii IcCiLEY N8TRA Summary of the Achievements in the De partments at Washington. PLEDGES KEPT AND PfiOHISES FULFILLED. Unprecedented Results Accomplished in Every Department of the Government Since March 4th, 1897. The three treat pledges made In the Republican platform on 2 which McKinley was elected rour yean ajo, were! J 1. To place (ho moner jriiem on a firm baiii. $ 2. To reform the Damaging Wilson lari-fT so as to protect American capital anil labor. 4 3. To reassert the Monroe doctrine in Its fall extent. 4. To maintain a firm aad dignified foreign policy -with 2 American control of the Hawaiian Islands. ALLi THESE PLEDGES HAVE BEEN FA IT H FTJ LL If FULi- FILLED. 4 s C THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE. The work of the Department of State in the last four years has been most eventful, covering the war with Spain, the Sanioan, Hawaiian and Alaskan incidents, the South African war and the "open door" in China. The brief and brilliant period of war with Spain was followed by preliminaries of peace, signed on Aug. 12, pro viding for the relinquishment of sovereignty over Cuba, the cession of Porto Rico and other islands belonging to Spain in the West Indies, together with an island in the Ladrones, to be selected by the United States, and later the acquisition of the Philippines. The annexation of the Hawaiian Islands to the United States, the cession of Guam, and the acquisition of the Philippines, extend the sovereignty of this government across the Pacific ocean, and provide a series of naval sta tions and entrepots of commerce which promise to facilitate incalculably the oriental trade, and secure the pathway to an opening market of increasing importance. The exorbitant claims of the Canadian government with reference to the Alaskan boundary have, nevertheless, been firmly met by the President, who has thus far preserved our important territorial rights by the modus Vi vendi of Oct. 20, 1899, and defeated the attempt to destroy the continuity of our Alaskan coast line, and to divide the control of the Northern Pacific. By a timely series of diplomatic notes Secretary Hay obtained assurances from the governments of Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan and Russia, by which they pledged themselves not to interfere with the perfect free- i dom of trade in those portions of China where their influence may prevail. THE UNOBSTRUCTED ENJOYMENT Or THE PRIVILEGES OF TRADE TS THUS SECURED TO X AMERICAN MANUFACTURERS AND MERCHANTS BY THE FREE CONSENT OF THE POWERS. In his message to Congress, Dec. 5, 1899, President McKinley was able to say: "Had circumstances suggested that the parties to the quarrel would have welcomed any kindly expression of the hope of the American people that war might be averted, good offices would have been gladly tendered." The indisposition of Great Britain to accept the good offices of the United States shows how futile were the T proposals of philanthropic persons in urging, unaware of the nature of international relations, the mandatory in X tervention of the United States, which would have destroyed its usefulness as a mediator, and, if insisted upon by this government, would have placed it in a belligerent attitude toward Great Britain in violation of its principle and policy of neutrality. i 1 TREASURY DEPARTMENT. The Dingley Tariff for Protection. Firrt in point of success is the Dingley tariff; second, the reform in the cur rency; third, the war loan of 1S9S; and fourth, the settlement of the Pacific Rail road indeliteiine. The tariff change was the one which pressed most urgently. The House of Representatives prompt ly responded to the President's message. 6u the same day in which it was read in the House, the late Mr. Dingley of Maine, chairman of the committee on ways and means, introduced the new tar iff bill. Such unusual expedition bad Leon made possible only by the untiring work of the members of the committee on ways and means for several mouths previous. The bill v ns passed in the House of Representatives March 31, 1897, less than a month after the inauguration of President McKinley and two weeks after Congress had been convened in extra ses sion. It passed the Senate July 7, 1S97, with amendments. Two days later its consideration was begun by a conference committee of the two houses, and it finally passed the House July 19, and the Senate July 24. It became a law on the latter day when the President signed the bill. Thus, within five months (no other tariff law was ever passed in so short a time) after the inauguration of the President, a new tariff law was plac ed on the statute books. Everyone knows the beneficent results of the Dingley tariff in restoring pros perity. It helped farms and factories. -d labor in the mines, gave ueuer aidei revived the tin w aires to textile workers. plate industry, and in every line of busi ness gave employment to tens of thou sands. The Gold Standard Law. Equally striking was the success of the currency law placed on the statute book, March 14. 190. The currency law does more than re move all doubt concerning the standard -i1mo It directs that all forms of money issued or coined by the United Smres shall be maintained at a parity of ith this standard, and it is made the dutv of the Secretary of the Treas ure- to maintain such parity. A reserve fund of $150,000,000 in gold coin and bullion is set apart in the treasury for the redemption of United States notes mid treasury notes of 1S90, instead of tiaiiNNHNH). formerly recognized as the gold reserve. Better banking facilities for the conn .liutriet nre provided by this act, the .,ntn r-iTiitiil lieinir reduced to 825,- OOO in places of not over S.OiH) popula tion. Under this section 244 new banks ,,,..-. i,.n nr-i nizcil. with a capital of .ii ' ' r- - - $l(1.(NII).(tlM). Refunding the National Debt. T..-l-uiw the most 11. (table feature of thr. new currency law is that which r Lit,. to the refunding of the nu'ioual debt. The 5 per cents of 1S04, ti rw.r of l!H)7. and the 3 ier cents of l'tOS, the principal of which aggregates Hi; 4tlO. were authorized to be re funded into 2 per cent bonds, payable at the pleasure of the United States after thirty years from the date of their issue, and pavable. principal and interest, in gold coin of the present standard value. The act contains a provision that the new 2 per cent bonds to be issued in ex change for the old threes, fours and fives hall not be issued at less than par. The Secretary of the Treasury was authoriz ed to conduct the refunding operations so that the old threes, fours and fives should be received in exchange for the 2 per cents on a basis of 22 Pr cent. By May 1. 1900, almost one-third of the outstanding threes, fours and fives had been converted into 2 per cent of the new issue, thus practically securing the suc cess of the refunding plan. No other nation of the earth can boast of such nn achievement as is the exchange of these old high-rate interest bonds for bonds issued upon so low a basis as 2 rer cent. Six 3IilHon in Interest Saved. Under the refunding provision the treasury effected a net saving of interest amounting to ?6W4,454 on bonds re placed, between March 14 and May 1, 19O0. If all the bonds opened to refund ing should be exchanged the saving in interest will reach over $20,000,000. Spanish-American "War Loan. The credit of the Government under this administration is shown in the suc cess of the popular loan for the Spanish American war. For a period of thirty-one days sub scriptions were received, at the end of which time it was found that the total of subscriptions ascregated only a little under $1,400,000,000. or almost seven times the amount of bonds offered to the public. This was a remarkable demon- , FOOLISH CALF A LESSON TO LABOR. THE 1 A7-:v.tf0 - DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. Good Work Done for Farmers by McKinley. The diseases of farm animals have re ceived special study in the Department of Agriculture in the last four years. Nearly 2,000,000 doses of blackleg vac cine have been distributed among the farmers and cattle owners in the infected districts, with the result that the mortal ity among the young cattle in the infect ed districts has been reduced from ten to fifteen per cent annually to one-half of ene per cent. In the case of sheep, the gasoline process for exterminating para sites has met with great success. In hog cholera and swine plague seventy to eighty per cent of treated animals have been saved. Batter, Eggs and Pork. Encouraging results have been reached in the shipment of butter and eggs to England and also remote points in Asia. The inspection of pork advanced fronv, 22.900.SS0 in 1S9G to 108,928,195 in 1899, or nearly 500 per cent. Aiming to create a home supply of chicory, the department has seen the im ports fall from a value of $223,229.31 in 1S90 to $13,470 in 1S99. In seed testing and in seed and plant introduction a large number of improved products bave been added to American cultivation, notably a resistant alfalfa from Turkestan, a drought-resisting grass from southern Russia, and several cereals adapted to the arid regions. Porto Rico and the Philippines. As soon as Porto Rico began to be of special interest an exhaustive report was ' prepared on the commerce of that island. setting forth in the fullest possible man ner the character of the trade carried on with the several foreign countries, and especially with the United States. Later a report of 1(H) pages was pub lished regarding the trade of the Philip pines, embracing practically all the avail able statistics on the subject that could be collated from the official import and export returns of the various countries enjoying commercial intercourse with the islands. Owing to the scarcity of reliable data relative to Cuba, Porto Rico and the Ihilippines, the preparation of the re- - ports on these "former Spanish posses sions required a vast amount of research. Gracses and Forage Plants. Experiments with grasses and forage plants have been vigorously prosecuted during the past three years. These ex periments are necessary in order that ranchers and farmers may be informed of the kinds suitable for their respective districts. After these preliminary facts are determined the promising varieties can be recommended and adopted with out further and useless expenditure of time and money. P03T0FFICE DEPARTMENT. While being driven home one evening by a boy, a foolish calf left its mother and ran after a bellowing ster. The boy tried in vain to bring it back to its mother's side. When, finally exhausted, he shook his fist at the calf and cried: " You little fool, you! You little fool, you! You fool! You'll be sorry when supper time comes!" . MORAL Remember the hard times of 1896. Don't be a Bryan calf and get steered away from the full dinner pail, or you'll be sorry when supper time comes. stration in favor of the public credit, and it showed to other nations the tremendous resources which the people of the United States were able to command almost at a moment s notice. The success of the war loan had an effect, both at home and abroad, scarcely less important than were the narsJ victories at Manila and Santiago. Pacific Railroad Indebtedness. The settlement of the Facific Railroad indebtedness is also to be ranked as one of the greatest achievements of Presi dent McKinley's administration. This indebtedness had for years been a sub ject of fruitless endeavor; all efforts, either by Congress or the executive de partments prior to 1S97, were of little avail in protecting the government's in terest in these roads; in fact, there were grave aouots wueiner ine government would succeed in being reimbursed, even in part, the vast sum expended by the United States in aid of their construction. Yet the McKinley administration, by a firm and business-like -course, achieved great success. Out of an indebtedness of about $130,- 000,000, more than one-half of which consisted of accrued interest, the govern ment realized, in cash or its equivalent. the sum of $124,421,070.93 within a pe riod of lts than two years. i : ; : WAR AND NAVY DEPARTMENTS. . The war in Cuba and in the Philippines threw upon the department a vast amount of work in organizing, equip ping, arming, disciplining and advancing the volunteers to a state of efficiency for active field service and later transporting the various organizations to the camps or rendezvous. There were mustered in, organized, mobilized and distributed at home and abroad, and finally mustered out of the service and sent to their homes, 223,233 volunteers. There were enlisted by the general recruiting service 33,000 United States volunteers, organized into twenty-five regiments, twenty-two of which were transported to the Philippine Islands, the remaining three having been organized there from the discharged volunteers and reg ulars. There were enlisted and re-enlisted for the regular army, between May 1, 1S9S, and Jan. 31, 1900, 99,024 men. the present statns being approximately 04,000 regular army and 33,000 United States volunteers. Commissions were issued since the beginning of the war to C32 officers of the regular army, CO of which were for the various staff departments and S.84 United States volunteer officers. T The department received, carefully considered, acted upon and sent 400,806 telegrams, and approximately 2,000,- 000 written communications. Immediately npon the passage of tie bill appropriating $50,000,000 for the national defense, a board was J organized for the purchase of auxiliary ships, and, after careful examination, 102 ships of various types were secured at a total cost of $17,930,S30. Of these vessels, but two, the New Orleans and the Albany, were strictly J vessels of war. Between March 10 and June 30, all these vessels were purchased and as rapidly ns overhauled were placed in commission and put into active service. In addition to the ships which were added to the navy by purchase, fifteen revenue cutters and four lighthouse tenders were transferred from the Treasury Department to the navy, and four of the great steamers of the International Navigation Company and one of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company were chartered. There were in all 1S ships added to the regular naval establishment, and it became at once necessary to provide officers and men to man them. For this purpose 225 officers on the retired list were ordered to active duty. 830 officers were i appointed for temporary service, and the enlisted force was increased from 12,500 to over 24,000 men. X RuraS Free Delivery a Benefit to Farmers. Rural free mail delivery is the most striking extension of postal facilities brought about in the last four years. On June 1, 1900, there were 1,200 rural ser vices in actual operation, and 2,000 ap plications for an extension of the sys tem then in process of establishment. The appropriations for the rural free delivery service have been increased from $30,000 in the fiscal year lS!7-8 to $150, 000 in 1898-0, then to $450,000 in 1899 1900, and lastly to $1,750,000 for the present fiscal year 1900-1901. Three years' experience has shown that in well-selected rural districts the mails can be distributed to the domiciles of the addresses or in boxes placed with in reasonable distance of the farmer's home at some crossroad or other conven ient spot at a cost per piece not exceed ing the free delivery in many cities. Done by the Republicans. It was a Republican administration that conceived and executed the idea of brightening the home of the farmer, ed ucating his children, increasing the value of his land, compelling the improvement of the roads, and bringing him news of the markets and of the weather, 60 as to secure him a better price for his crops by delivering his daily mail to him on his farm. EVERY DEMOCRATIC HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SINCE THE IDEA WAS FIRST BROACHED OF ' CARRYING THE MAILS INTO THE RURAL DISTRICTS HAS DECLAR ED AGAINST IT. THE FORTY THIRD CONGRESS. WITH A DEMO- CRAT FROM NORTH CAROLINA AS CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMIT- TEE ON POSTOFFICES AND POST ROADS, PROCLAIMED THE PLAN IMPOSSIBLE AND TURNED IT DOWN. POSTMASTER GENERAL BISSELL, POSTMASTER GENERAL WILSON AND FIRST ASSISTANT POSTMASTER GENERAL JONES, IN THE CLEVELAND ADMINIS TRATION, ALL TOOK UP THE CRY OF EXTRAVAGANCE AND IMPOS SIBILITY OF EXECUTION. . Consequently little or nothing was done to give the farmers access to the mails until Cleveland went out of office. When First Assistant Postmaster Gen eral Perry S. Heath 'took up the rural free delivery service under the direction of the President and the . Postmaster General, in March, 1897, it was lan guishing to the point of extinguishment, and in a few months more would have been starved to death. They at once grasped its possibilities and advocated its immediate develop ment, and a Republican Congress gener ously seconded their efforts. Under their vivifying touch it has grown until there is now not a State in the Union that has not felt the civilizing and educational in fluence of the rural free mail delivery, and not one that Ioi not desire a fur ther expansion. a 1 t M It - e- it h It - ie b-to ie ie St B, l lit JJ Bd tu be fecial ru- II lid est of x-io-in ob ty se 11.. ilec bT lor ; in ILV ld- 2ate rict im-,ob-iflvc ave. tec. Bth. and (aid k 3. it fJ; I!. Sin oti aid .-: 17.14; trest, tnts' id by i all d the d the jet to On or S3. iburg. 1 ankie be un tased, mtter. lay of tor of Is acts tiaK a . . lWOU. In the e sum March ttrator f that id and Bid as- . and ch ad hat a rep rt fat the county, appear I graut orders, t may aiatteis f be ESCOTT. liAM lor Or7 ai io:or. I. tA KK KK'l .fitly rriiMWw flMlM. vr