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About Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 1900)
" HAT THE LI STRATI I H NE. Summary of the Achievements in the De partments at Washington. PLEDGES KEPT AND PROMISES FULFILLED. Unprecedented Results Accomplished in Every Department of the Government Since March 4th , 1897. & The three jjrcat pledges made In the Republican platform on * whiuh McKlnley wni elootoil four years aRO , werot 0 1. To place the money nyctem on a firm baiili. * 2. To reform the Dnmnelajf AVilson tariff 50 as to protect < , American capital and labor. < J 8. To reassert the Monroe doctrine In Its full cxtoBt. v < , 4. To maintain a firm and dignified foreign policy with 0 American control or the Hawaiian Islands. $ ALLi THESE PLEDGES HAVE BEEN JPAITHFBJjliV FUL- $ FILLED. $ TREASURY DEPARTMENT. The Dingley Tariff for Pro tection. First in point of success is the Dingley tariff ; second , the reform in the cur rency ; thlid , the war loan of 1S98 ; and .fourth , the settlement of the Pacific Railroad - road indebtedness. The taiiff change was the one which pressed most urgently. The House of Repiesentativcs prompt ly responded to the President's message. On the same day in which it was rcnfl 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 lind been made possible only by the untiring work of the members of the committee on ways and means for several mouths previous. The bill wan 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 , 1897 , with amendments. Two days later its consideration was begun by a conference committee of the two houses , and it finally passed the House July 10 , 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 Presiaent , a new tariff law was plac ed on the statute books. Everyone kno vs the beneficent results of the Dinglcy tariff in le.storing pros perity. It helped farms and factories , aided labor in the mines , gave better wages to textile workers , icvived the tin * plate industry , and in every Hue of busi ness gave employment to tens of thou sands. The Gold Standard Imw. Equally striking was the success of the currency law placed on the statute book , March 14 , 1000. The currency law does more than re- mo\c nil doubt concerning the standard of value. It directs that all forms of money issued or coined by the United States shall be maintained at a parity of value with this standard , and it is made the duty of the Secretary of the Tieas- ury 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 and treasury notes of 1890 , instead of $100,000,000 , formerly recognized ns the gold reserve. Hotter banking facilities for the coun try districts are provided by this act , the minimum capital being reduced to $2 , " > , - 000 in places of not over 3.000 popul.i- tion. Under this section 244 now banks have been organized , with a capital of $10,000,000. ItCi'nndliiR the National Debt. Pel haps the most notable feature of the new cuiiencj law is that which re lates to the refunding of the national debt. The 5 per cents of 1001 , tin ; 4 per cents of 1007 , and the 3 per cents of 1908 , the principal of which aggregates $839,110,100. weie authomod to be re funded into 2 per cent bonds , payable at the pleasure of the United States after thirty jears from the date of their issue , and payable , principal and interest , in gold coin of the present standard value. The act contain' * a provision that the new 2 per cent bonds to be issued In ex change for the old threes , fours and fives shall 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 lives should be received in exchange for the 2 per cents on n basis of 2 per cent. By May 1 , 1000 , almost one-third of the outstanding threes , fours and fives had been converted into 2 per cent of the new issue , thus practically seeming the sue cess of the refunding plan. No other nation of the earth can boast of snch an achievement as is the exchange of these old high-rate interest bonds for bontls issued upon so low n basis as 2 per cent. Slv Million in Interest Saved. Under the refunding provision the treasury effected a not saving of interest amounting to $0,004,431 on bonds re placed , between March 14 and May 1 , 1000. If all the bonds opened to refund ing should be exchanged the saving in Intel est will reach over .fL'0,000,000. 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 aggregated 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- 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 Samoan , Hawaiian ami 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 relluqulshmcnt of sovereignty over Cuba , the cession of Porto Illco and other Islands belonging to Spain In the West Indies , together with nil island in the Ladrones , to be selected by the United States , nud 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 , nml provide a series of naval sta' tioiis and entrepots of commerce which promise to facilitate Incalculably the oriental trade , and secure the pathway to tin 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 vl- vendl of Oct. 20 , 185)1) ) ) , 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 scries of diplomatic notes Secretary Hay obtained assurances from the governments of Germany , Great Britain , Itlly , Japan and Russia , by which they pledged themselves not to Interfere with the perfect free dom of trade In there portions of China where their influence may prevail. THE UNOBSTRUCTED ENJOYMENT OF THE PIU'VILEGES OF TRADE FS THUS SECURED TO AMERICAN MANUFACTURERS AND MERCHANTS BY THE FREE CONSENT OF THE POWERS. In his message to Congress , Dec. 5 , 1800 , President McKinley was able to say : "Hud 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 olllces would have been gladly tendered. " The indisposition of Great Britain to accept the good olllces of the United States shows how futile were the proposals of philanthropic persons In urging , unaware of the nature of International relations , the mandatory In tervention of the United States , Avhleh would have destroyed Its usefulness ns 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. THE FOOLISH CALF A LESSON TO LABOR. While being driven home one evening by a boy , a foolish calf left its mother and ran after a bellowing steer. 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 fdol , you ! You fool ! You'll be sorry when supper time comes ! " AtORAl 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 \\cre able to command almost at a moment's notice. The success of the war loan had an effect , both nt home and abroad , scarcely less important than were the naval victories at Manila and Santiago. Pacific Railroad Indebtedness. The settlement of the Pacific Railroad indebtedness is also to be ranked as one of the greatest achievements of Presi dent McKinlej's administration. This indebtedness had for jeais been a sub ject of fruitless endeavor ; all efforts , either by Congiess or the executive de partments prior to 1897 , were of little avail in protecting the government's in terest in these roads ; in fact , there weie grave doubts whether the government would succeed in being reimbursed , even in part , the vast sum expended by tin- United States in aid of their construction Yet the McKinley administration , by a firm and business-like tourse , ucbltMud gie.U success. Out of an indebtedness of about $1. > 0- 000,000 , more than one-half of which consisted of accrued Interest , the go\ em inent realbed , in cash or its equivalent , the sum of $121,121,070.93 within n pe riod of leca than two yours , 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 eillcicncy for active fit-id service and later transporting the various organizations to the camps or rendezvous. There were mustered in , organised , mobilized and distiibuted at home and abroad , and finally mustered out of the service and sent to their homes , 223,235 volunteers. There were enlisted by the general recruiting service 35,000 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 oluntt-eiH and reg ulars. ulars.There There were enlisted mid re-enlisted for the regular army , between May 1 , 1808 , and Jan. 31 , 1000 , 00,021 men , the present status being approximately 01,000 regular army and 35,000 United States volunteeis. Commissions were issued since the beginning of the war to 032 otlicers of the regular army , ( ! ( ! of which were for the vaiious staff departments and 3,874 United States volunteer oltlcers. The department recehed , carefully considcicd , acted upon and sent -100,80(5 ( telegrams , and approximately 2,000- 000 written communications. Immediately upon the passage of Uie bill appropriating $50,000,000 for the national defense , a boaul was organized for the purchase of auxiliary ships , and , after careful examination , 102 ships of various tjpesweie secured at n total cost of $17,050 , SoO. Of Uiese vessels , but two , the New Orleans and the Albany , were strictly vessels of war. Between March 10 and June 30 , all these vessels were purchased and as rapidly as 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. Tlierft were in all 128 ships added to the regular naval establishment , and it became at'once necessary to pnnido ollkeis and men to man them. For this purpose 225 otliccra on the retired list were ordered to active duty. tCil ! olllcer& were appointed for temporary service , and the enlisted force was Increased from 12,500 to over 21,001) ) men. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. Good Work Done for Farmers * by McKinley. The diseases of fnrm nnlmnls have re ceived special study In the Department of Agriculture In the last four yours. Nearly 2,000,000 doses of blackleg vac cine have l > cen distributed among the fanners and cattle owners In the Infected districts , with the result that the mortal ity among the > OUIIR cattle In the infect ed districts has been reduced from ten to fifteen per cent annually to one-half of one 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 hnvo been saved. Ilnttrr , KKRB nml I'orlc. 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 from 211,000,880 in 181)0 ) to 103l)28K)5 ) ) In ISO ! ) , or nearly fiOO per cent. Aiming to create a home supply of chicory , the department has seen the Im ports fall from a value of $225,220.31 In 1800 to $13,470 In 1801) . In seed testing and In seed and plant Introduction a large number of Improved products have been lidded to American cultivation , notably a lesistant alfalfa from Tuikestan , a drought-resisting grass from southern Ilussia , and several cereals adapted to the arid regions. Porto Illco nii'l the Philippines. As hoon as Porto Hlco began to bo of special Interest an exhaustive leport was prepared on the commerce of that Island , hotting 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. hater a report of 1(50 ( pages was pub lished regarding the trade of the Philip pines , embracing practically all the avail able statistics on the subject that could bo collated from the olllclal 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 Ulco and the Philippines , the preparation of the re ports on thrso former Spanish posses sions required a vast amount of research. Grncscs and Fora o PluntH. Experiment * with grasses and forage plants have been vigorously pnisecutcd dm Ing the past three years. Those ex periments arc necessary Jn order that ranchers and farmers may bo informed of the kinds suitable for their respective districts. After these preliminary facts are determined the promlslnR'j.'ieUes can lie recommended and adopted with out further and useless expenditure of time and money. POSTOFFIOE DEPARTMENT. RuraH Free Delivery a Benefit to Farmers , Hurol free mall delivery is the most striking extension of postal facilities brought about in the last four years. On June 1 , 1000 , 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 nppropiintions for the rural free delivery service hnvo been increased from .fr.0,000 . in the fiscal year 181)7-8 to $ lfiO- 000 In 1898 1) , then tol.r > 0,000 in 1899- 1000 , and lastly to $ l,7r > 0,000 for the present fiscal year 1900-1001. Thrco years' experience has shown that In well-selected r.urnl districts the malls can bo distributed to the domiciles of the addresses or in boxes placed with in reasonable distance of the farmer's liome nt some crossroad or other conven ient spot nt a cost per piece not exceed ing the free delivery in ninny cities. Done by the KopnhliuniiN. It was n Republican administration that conceived and executed the idea of brightening the home of the fanner , ed ucating his chilifron , increasing the value of his land , compelling the improvement of the roads , and bringing him news of the markets nml of the weather , so 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 TED 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 ofllce. 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 n ml advocated its immediate develop ment , and a Republican Congress gener ously seconded their efforts. Under their M > ifjing touch it has giown until there is now not a State in the Union that has not felt the civilizing and educational in- lluence of the rural free mall delivery , and not one that docs not desire a fur ther expansion. j