CONGRESS. (PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE.) 



103 



late war something like 20 per cent., including their 

 widows and relatives, have been or now are in the re- 

 ceipt of pensions. 



The American people, with a patriotic and grateful 

 regard for our ex-soldiers too broad ai:d too sacred 

 to l>e monopolized by any special advocates are not 

 only willing but anxious that equal and exact justice 

 should be done to all honest claimants for pensions. 

 In their sight the friendless and destitute soldier, de- 

 pendent on public charity, if otherwise entitled, has 

 precisely the same right to share in the provision made 

 lor those who fought their country's battles as those 

 better able, through friends and influence, to push 

 their claims. Every pension that is granted under 

 our present plan upon any other grounds than act- 

 ual service and injury or disease incurred in such 

 service, and every instance of the many in which pen- 

 sions are increased on other grounds than the merits 

 of the claim, work an injustice to the brave and crip- 

 pled, but poor and friendless soldier, who is entirely 

 neglected, or who must be content with the smallest 

 sum allowed under general laws. 



There are far too many neighborhoods in which are 

 found glaring cases of inequality of treatment in the 

 matter of pensions ; and they are largely due to a 

 yielding in the Pension Bureau to importunity on the 

 part of those, other than the pensioner, who are espe- 

 cially interested, or they arise from special acts passed 

 for the benefit of individuals. 



The men who fought side by side should stand side 

 by side when they participate in a grateful nation's 

 kind remembrance. 



Every consideration of fairness and justice to our 

 ex-soldiers and the protection of the patriotic instinct 

 of our citizens from perversion and violation, point to 

 the adoption of a pension system broad and compre- 

 hensive enough to cover every contingency, and which 

 shall make unnecessary an objectionable volume of 

 special legislation. 



As long as wo adhere to the principle of granting 

 pensions for service, and disability as the result of the 

 service, the allowance of pensions' should be restricted 

 to cases presenting these features. 



Every patriotic heart responds to a tender consider- 

 ation for those who, having served their country long 

 and well, are reduced to destitution and dependence, 

 not as an incident of their service, but with advanc- 

 ing age or through sickness or misfortune. We are 

 all tempted by the contemplation of such a condition 

 to supply relief, and are often impatient of the limita- 

 tions of public duty. Yielding_ to no one in the desire 

 to indulge this feeling of consideration, I can not rid 

 myself of the conviction that if these ex-soldiers are 

 to be relieved, they and their cause are entitled to the 

 benefit of an enactment under which relief may be 

 claimed as a ri^ht, und that such relief should be 

 granted under the sanction of law, not in evasion of 

 it ; nor should such worthy objects of care, all equally 

 entitled, be remitted t'> the unequal operation of svm- 

 pathy, or the tender mercies of social and political in- 

 fluence with their unjust discriminations!. 



The discharged soldiers and sailors of the country 

 are our fellow-citizens, and interested with us in the 



Sissage and faithful execution of wholesome laws, 

 hey can not be swerved from their duty of citizen- 

 ship by artful appi-uls to their spirit of brotherhood 

 born of common jicril and suffering, nor will they ex- 

 act as a test of dt-votion to their welfare a willingness 

 to neglect public duty in their behalf. 



On the 4th of March, 1885, the current business of 

 the Patent-Office was, on an average, five and a half 

 months in arrears, and, in several divisions more than 

 twelve months behind. At the close of the last fiscal 

 year such current work was but three months in ar- 

 rears, and it is asserted and believed that in the next 

 low inonri . ,i..] a y in obtaining an examination of 

 an ami!'- .\, patent will be but nominal. 



Tin- num'iK-r uf applications for patents during the 

 last fiscal year, including reissues, designs, trade- 

 marks, and labels, equals "40, 678, which is considera- 



bly in excess of the number received during any pre- 

 ceding year. . 



The receipts of the Patent-Office during the year 

 aggregate $1, 205,167.80, enabling the office to turn 

 into the Treasury a surplus revenue, over and above 

 all expenditures, of about $168,710.30. 



The number of patents granted during the last fis- 

 cal year, including reissues, trade-marks, designs, and 

 labels, was 25 ; 619 a number also quite largely in ex- 

 cess of that of any preceding year. 



The report of the Commissioners shows the office to 

 be in a prosperous condition, and constantly increas- 

 ing in its business. No increase of force is asked for. 



The amount estimated for the fiscal year ending 

 June 30, 1886, was $890,760. The amount estimated 

 for the year ending June 30, 1887, was $853,960. The 

 amount estimated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 

 1888, is $778,770. 



The Secretary of the Interior suggests a change in 

 the plan for the payment of the indebtedness of the 

 Pacific subsidized roads to the Government. His 

 suggestion has the unanimous indorsement of the per- 

 sons selected by the Government to act as directors of 

 these roads and protect the interests of the United 

 States in the board of direction. In considering the 

 plan proposed, the sole matters which should be taken 

 into account, in my opinion, arc the situation of the 

 Government as a creditor, and the surest way to secure 

 the payment of the principal and interest of its debt. 



By a recent decision of the Supreme Court of the 

 United States it has been adjudged that the laws of 

 the several States are inoperative to regulate rates 

 of transportation upon railroads, if such regulation 

 interferes with the rate of carriage from one State into 

 another. This important field of control and regula- 

 tion having been thus left entirely unoccupied, the 

 expediency of Federal action upon the subject is 

 worthy of consideration. 



The relations of labor to capital and of laboring men 

 to their employers are of the utmost concern to every 

 patriotic citizen. When these are strained and dis- 

 torted, unjustifiable claims are apt to be insisted upon 

 by both interests, and in the controversy which re- 

 sults, the welfare of all and the prosperity of the 

 country are jeopardized. Any intervention of the Gen- 

 eral Government, within the limits of its constitutional 

 authority, to avert such a condition, should be will- 

 ingly accorded. 



In a special message transmitted to the Congress at 

 its last session I suggested the enlargement of our 

 present Labor Bureau and adding to its present func- 

 tions the power of arbitration in cases where differ- 

 ences arise between employer and employed. \V hen 

 these differences reach such a stage as to result in the 

 interruption of commerce between the States, the ap- 

 plication of this remedy by the General Government 

 might be regarded as entirely within its constitutional 

 powers. And I think we might reasonably hope that 

 such arbitrators, if carefully selected and if entitled to 

 the confidence of the parties to be affected, would be 

 voluntarily called to the settlement of controversies of 

 less extent and not necessarily within the domain of 

 Federal regulation. 



I am of the opinion that this suggestion is worthy 

 the attention of the Congress. 



But after all has been done by the passage of laws 

 either Federal or State to relieve a situation full of 

 solicitude, much more remains to be accomplished by 

 the reinstatement and cultivation of a true American 

 sentiment which recognizes the equality of American 

 citizenship. This, in the light of our traditions and 

 in loyalty to the spirit of our institutions, would teach 

 that a hearty co-operation on the part of all interests 

 is the surest path to national greatness and the hap- 

 piness of all our people, that capital should, in recog- 

 nition of the brotherhood of our citizenship and in a 

 spirit of American fairness, generously accord to labor 

 its just compensation and consideration, and that con- 

 tented labor is capital's best protection ami faithful 

 ally. It would teach, too, that the diverse situations 



