164 



CONGRESS. (PuEsiDEirr's MESSAGE.) 



of our people are inseparable from our civilization, 

 that every citizen should, in his sphere, be a contribu- 

 tor to the general good, that capital does not necessarily 

 tend to the oppression of labor, and that violent dis- 

 turbances ana disorders alienate from their promoters 

 true American sympathy and kindly feeling. 



The Department of Agriculture, representing the 

 oldest and largest of our national industries, is sub- 

 serving well the purposes of its organization. By the 

 introduction of new subjects of farming enterprise, 

 and by opening new sources of agricultural wealth 

 and the dissemination of early information concerning 

 production and prices, it has contributed largely to the 

 country's prosperity. Through this agencv, advanced 

 thought and investigation touching the subjects it has 

 in charge should, among other things, be practicality 

 applied to the home production at a low cost of arti- 

 cles of food which are now imported from abroad. 

 Such an innovation will necessarilv, of course, in the 

 beginning, be within the domain of' intelligent experi- 

 ment ; and the subject in every stage should receive 

 all possible encouragement from the Government. 



The interests of millions of our citizens engaged in 

 agriculture are involved in an enlargement and im- 

 provement of the results of their labor ; and a zealous 

 regard for their welfare should be willing tribute to 

 those whose productive returns are a main source of 

 our progress and power. 



The existence of pleuro-pneumonia nmoug the cattle 

 of various States has led to burdensome and in some 

 cases disastrous restrictions in an important branch of 

 our commerce, threatening to affect the quantity and 

 quality of our food-supply. This is a matter of such 

 importance and of such far-reaching consequence, that 

 I hope it will engage the serious attention of the Con- 

 gress, to the end that such a remedy may be applied 

 as the limits of a constitutional delegation of power 

 to the General Government will permit. 



I commend to the consideration of the Congress the 

 report of the Commissioner, and his suggestions con- 

 cerning the interest intrusted to his care. 



The continued operation of the law relating to our 

 Civil Service bris added the most convincing proofs of 

 its necessity and usefulness. It is a fact worthy of 

 note that every public officer who has a just idea of 

 his duty to the people, testifies to the value of this 

 reform. Its stanchest friends are found among those 

 who understand it best, and its warmest supporters 

 are those who are restrained and protected by its re- 

 quirements. 



The meaning of such restraint and protection is not 

 appreciated by those who want places under the Gov- 

 ernment, regardless of merit and efficiency, nor by 

 those who insist that the selection for such places 

 should rest upon a proper credential showing active 

 partisan work. They mean to public officers, if not 

 their lives, the only opportunity afforded them to at- 

 tend to public business, and they mean to the {rood 

 people of the country the better performance of the 

 work of their Government. 



It is exceedingly strange that the scope and nature 

 of this reform are so little understood, and that so 

 many things not included within its plan are called 

 by its name. When cavil yields more fully to exam- 

 ination the system will have large additions to the 

 number of its friends. 



Our Civil-Service reform may be imperfect in some 

 of its details ; it may be misunderstood and opposed ; 

 it may not always oe faithfully applied ; its designs 

 niay sometimes miscarry through mistake or willful 

 intent ; it may sometimes tremble under the assaults 

 of its enemies or languish under the misguided zeal 

 of impracticable friends: but if the people of this 

 country ever submit to the banishment of its under- 

 lying principle from the operation of their Govern- 

 ment, they will abandon the surest guarantee of the 

 safety and success of American institutions. 



I invoke for this reform the cheerful and ungrudging 

 support of the Congress. I renew my recommendation 

 made last year that the salaries of the Commissioners 



be made equal to other officers of the Government 

 having like duties and responsibilities, and I hope that 

 such reasonable appropriations may be made as will 

 enable them to increase the usefulness of the cause 

 they have in charge. 



I desire to call the attention of the Congress to a 

 plain duty which the Government owes to the depos- 

 itors in the Freedman's Savings and Trust Company. 



This company was chartered by the Congress for 

 the benefit of the most illiterate and humble of our 

 people, and with the intention of encouraging in them 

 industry and thrift. Most of its branches were pre- 

 sided over by officers holding the commissions and 

 clothed in the uniform of the United States. These 

 and other circumstances reasonably, I think, led these 

 simple people to suppose that the invitation to deposit 

 their hard-earned savings in this institution implied 

 an undertaking on the part of their Government that 

 their money should be safely kept for them. 



When this company failed it was liable in the sum 

 of $2,939,925.22 to 61,131 depositors. Dividends 

 amounting in the aggregate to 62 per cent, have been 

 declared, and the sum called for and paid of such divi- 

 dends seems to be $1,648,181.72. This sum deduct- 

 ed from the entire amount of deposits leaves $1,291,- 

 744.50 still unpaid. Past experience has shown that 

 quite a large part of this sum will not be called for. 

 There are assets still on hand amounting to the esti- 

 mated sum of $16,000. 



I think the remaining 38 per cent, of such of these 

 deposits as have claimants should be paid by the Gov- 

 ernment, upon principles of equity and fairness. 



The report of the Commissioner, soon to be laid be- 

 fore Congress, will give more satisfactory details on 

 this subject. 



The control of the affairs of the District of Columbia 

 having been placed in the hands of purclv executive 

 officers, while the Congress still retains alf legislative 

 authority relating to its government, it becomes my 

 duty to make known the most pressing needs of the 

 District and recommend their consideration. 



The laws of the District appear to be in an uncer- 

 tain and unsatisfactory condition, and their codifica- 

 tion or revision is much needed. 



During the past year one of the bridges leading 

 from the District to the State of Virginia became un- 

 fit for use, and travel upon it was forbidden. This 

 leads me to suggest that the improvement of all the 

 bridges crossing the Potomac and its brancheSj from 

 the city of Washington, is worthy of the attention of 

 Congress. 



The Commissioners of the District represent that 

 the laws regulating the sale of liquor and granting 

 licenses therefor should be at once amended, and that 

 legislation is needed to consolidate, define, and en- 

 large the scope and powers of charitable and penal 

 institutions within the District. 



I suggest that the Commissioners be clothed with 

 the power to make, within fixed limitations, police 

 regulations. I believe this power, granted and care- 

 fully guarded, would tend to subserve the good order 

 of the municipality. 



It seems that trouble still exists growing out of the 

 occupation of the streets and avenues by certain rail- 

 roads having their termini in the city. It is very im- 

 portant that such laws should be enacted upon this 

 subject as will secure to the railroads all the facilities 

 they require for the transaction of their business, and 

 at the same time protect citizens from injury to their 

 persons or property. 



The Commissioners again complain that the accom- 

 modations afforded them for the necessary offices for 

 District business, and for the safe keeping of valu- 

 able books and papers, are entirely insufficient. I 

 recommend that this condition of affairs be remedied 

 by the Congress, and that suitable quarters be fur- 

 nished for the needs of the District government. 



In conclusion, 1 earnestly invoke such wise action 

 on the part of the people's legislators, as will subserve 

 the public good and demonstrate during the remain- 



