Democratic Sentinel, Volume 10, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 November 1886 — Page 3

IROQUOIS BRAVES.

The Famous Democratic Club Indulges in a Superb Banquet. Speaker Carlisle Eloquently Reviews the Condition of America’s Great Industries. Hon. Joseph E. McDonald on the “Benefits of the Democratic Administration." At the annual banquet of the Iroquois Club of Chicago, given at the Palmer House, the questions of tariff reform, the national finances, and the proper method of dealing with the public lands were elucidated by Speaker Carlisle, Senater Beck, and Commissioner Sparks. Letters of regret were read from many prominent Democrats, the list being headed by President Cleveland, Governor Fitz Hugh Lee, Abram S. Hewitt, and Fitz John Porter.

JOHN G. CARLISLE.

The Renowned Kentuckian on tlie Tariff and the Evils Thereof. Responding to the toast “American Industries —Their growth and prosperity cannot be promoted by unnecessary or unequal taxation,” Hon. John G. Carlisle said: Although the toast just read asserts a selfevident truth, w.j cannot afford to ignore the fact that even in this age of philosophical speculation and practical knowledge there are men in the front ranks of literature, politics, and business who seriously contend that the Government can make its citizens rich and prosperous by taxing them. If these gentlemen should attempt to convince the public that the farmer could be made more prospeious by increasing the tax on his land, or that the manufacturer could he benefited by compelling him to pay a high rate of taxation on his machinery, or his income, the absurdity of their position would be so apparent as to excite universal ridicule, and yet such propositions would be no more absurd or unreasonable than the assertion that the prosperity of the people generally can be increased by imposing taxes upon their food, their clothing, their building materials, their means of transportation, and the tools and implements used in their industries. Taxes do not create wealth; they destroy it. All taxation, whetiier it be direct or indirect, and no matter how it may be disguised or in what manner its payment may be enforced, is ultimately a charge upon labor, while its immediate and invariable effect is to withdraw the full amount of the exaction from the productive industries of the people. When it iH equitably imposed for public purposes only, and its proceeds are honestly used iu defraying the necessary expenses and meeting the just obligations of the Government, all are equally benefited, and no • one has a right to complain; hut, when a tax is imposed upon one part of tho people or one class of industries simply for the purpose of increasing the profits of another part of the people, or another class of industries, or when a tax is so laid that its necessary effect is to increase the profits in some industries at the expense of others equally meritorious, the impolicy and injustice ot' the proceeding are too obvious to require comment. ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OP REVENUE. Absolute equality in the adjustment of the rates of taxation and in the designation of the articles upon which it shall be imposed is not to be expected, and, in fact, is not attainable ; but substantial equality and uniformity are essential elements in every just revenue system. So long as the power of taxation is exercised only for the purpose of raising revenue for the support of the Government, the principles of equality and uniformity can b 8 recognized and enforced in a large degree, at least; but when the power is perverted and used to increase the profits of private individuals and prevont the collection of revenue by the Government, it is impossible to regulate its exercise by any rule or principle, except favoritism and selfishness. In such a -case equality and uniformity would necessarily defeat the primary object of tho tax, because it is evident that if all were compelled to pay equal tribute to each other nobody would be benefited, and it is just as evident that if all do not pay equal tribute somebody must be cheated. American industries—and by these I mean to include every honest and useful occupation—cannot be promoted by any system of taxation or any policy of legislation which discriminates between them and compels one to contribute a part of its own earnings to increase tho profits or prevent losses in another. There should he no expatriated or persecuted industries in this country. There should be no ranks or degrees among the legitimate occupations of the people, nor any road to the favor or bounty of the Government not open to all alike. Mining and manufacturing, aiid the occupations dependent upon them, are great and valuable industries, and should be cherished and supported in every proper way. They afford employment to many millions of capital and many thousands of laborers, and their products contribute largely to the wealth and comfort of the people; hut they are not by any means the only American industries.

INDUSTRY STRUGGLING WITH NATURE. In the households of the poor, in the fields and forests, in the mines and fa dories, in the stores and shops, on the railroads and canals and rivers, on the high seas—everywhere there are American industries struggling with the mighty forces of nature, and subduing, combining, and utilizing the elements of the earth and the air; and any view of our industrial system which fails to compehond all these necessarily leads to partial aud erroneous conclusions. Taking tnat broad view of them which comprehends the smallest as well as the greatest, and appreciates the interests of the whole instead of a part only, it is imx>ossible to understand how their growth and prosperity can be promoted by taxation in any form, it is not difficult to see how a system which prevents competition, and therefore increases prices, may enable an individual who has capital involved in a particular industry to realize profits instead of suffering losses, but it is manifest that this mußt always be done at the expense of the consumers of his products, who are also, as a general rule, engaged in industrial pursuits. In every such case the actual losses are precisely the same as if competition had not been prevented, and prices had not been increased ; but instead of being borne by the individual’ who oarries on the business they fall upon the purchasers of his products, and are paid out of the earnings in other industries. The other industries, therefore, not only make good his losses, but pay him a profit besides, thus giving him a bonus for investing his capital, and wasting his esill and labor in an unprofitable business. EFFECTS OF PROTECTIVE TARIFF. That taxation for protective purposes has resulted so far in a continuous waste of capital and labor in this country is conclusively shown by the present condition of- the so callecb protected industries, and by the history of our legislation on the subject. The earlv advocates of the system proposed it only as a’ temporary expedient to aid in the permanent establishment of certain industries, and insisted that after a few years of dependence upon the bounty of the Government and people, they •would be strong enough to stand alone and compete successfully with their rivals, not only in the home market but in all others. Under the influence of this argument the first protective tariff was enacted in 1816. and yet, after seventy years have passed, many of the same industries which then asked temporary assistance only are now demanding more than double the rates of duty then deemed sufficient, and their accredited committees and organs unanimously declare that unless these enormous bounties shall be indefinitely continued tho industries must cease to exist. According to their own showing, tho policy inaugurated uearlv threequarters of a century ago for the purpose of rendering them independent and self-sustain-ing has had exactly the opposite effect. Its constant tendency has been, and is now, to impair their ability to compete with the products of similar industries elsewhere and to make them more and more dependent unou bounties and special legislation for support. It has added largely to tho cost of production by increasing

the price of machinery and materials and the necessaries of life; it has confined the products of the so-called protected industries to the home market exclusively, so that the amount of production must be regulated by the domestic demand alone, and oper itions must be suspended when that demand is satisfied; it has obstructed international exchanges, thus partially excluding the products of our other industries from profitable markets abroad, diminishing their earnings and arresting their growth and prosperity ; it has provoked other Governments to resort to retaliatory measures, discriminating against our products and trade in their own ports and markets and giving preference to the products and trade of our most formidable rivals, and here at home, by encouraging capital and labor to rely upon legislation for profits, l ather than their own capacity, it has greatly impaired that spirit of independence aud enterprise which is absolutely iudispensable to the t-B.vjgsful prosecution of business in this age JfetMßfovcment and progress.

EX - SENATOR M'DONALD.

He neaks of the "Benefits of the Democratic Administration.” Hon] Joseph E. McDonald responded to the toast "'Fhe Benefits of the Democratic Administration,” and on being introduced he was warmly received. He said that oh the 4th of March, 1884, after an interval of twenty-four years, a Democratic administration was inducted into office. It was true that in 1870 the Democratic candidates were duly elected—[applause]—by a popular majority of over IDO.Oia,', but the Republican party then being in power, t trough its leaders perpetrated a political iraud, that will he stamped upon their party through all time. In 1830 the Democrats would have been successful again but for the bribery and corruption practiced by the Republican party, but in 1884 the public will had to he obeyed, and the candidates receiving the highest electoral vote in the college were duly installed in office,"and the first fruit of that great victory is a restored Union. The civil war had left its imprint, and the people were divided, with many wounds yet to heal before they could be united. For a' long time after that war these wounds remained unhealed. The Union was still a Union in name, hut not in heart. The Republican party did not seem to be able to bring the sections of the country together, and its loaders did not desire to do it. It had become so much political capital to them that as long as they could array the South against the North, and "dominate the North, they could maintain their power. They reopened the wounds, and were opposed to having a united people, and were continually bringing hack the issues of the war, which had to be fought over again. Men who had not done any of the fighting during the war had become valiant so diers in peace, and insisted on drawing their Falstaffian swords and thrusting them into the dead carcass of the rebellion. They were opposed to a union of hearts and a union of hands. The union resulting from tho success of the Democratic party was inaugurated with the reformation of THE CIVIL SERVICE of the country. The speaker did not refer particularly to the civil-service law, of which he might have something to say, but he spoke of the civil service as the Democrats had found it. The Republicans had acknowledged that their civil service was corrupt, and again and again had resolved to reform it, but they had never done so, and it had continued to grow worse from year to year. Federal officers were multiplied beyond the necessities of the country, and they drew their salaries from the party in power. When Cleveland was nominated in the Chicago Convention he said, in his letter of acceptance, that it was time the civil service was reformed, aud he was hound to carry out that pledge. Before that time there were swarms of officers, inspectors of revenue, inspectors of postoflices, and pension inspectors, these latter fellows having more interest in the political affiliations of an applicant for a pension tffan they had in his claims for services during the war [applause] ; and there were deputy marshals drawing $5 per day for helping carry tho elections for the party in power. Those fellows are not so .plentiful in office now, and there are fewer workers swarming around than formerly. Now, It may he that Cleveland has prosecuted thi3 reform further than some people would be inclined to, hut it is right aud proper for every man who holds office to clearly and distinctly understand that he is paid, not for tho party services he may have rendered. At the same time the speaker did not see whysome Government employes should not devote some of their leisure time for the purpose of telling their friends how good an administration this is, and if they did so he did not Bee why they should be chided for it. It was not, in his opinion, a political offense. He rather felt inclined to commend them for it, and so far as the President was concerned he would probably modify his views in that direction, for he had shown himself to be an honest, sincere, and able executive officer. At the close of the first year of Mr. Cleveland’s administration, outside of the expeuditures for the ordinary expenses for the conduct of the Government there HAD BEEN A SAVING of $2,50\000 more than the year before. In the Pension Office alone, over which one of the distinguished sons of Illinois presided, there was a balance of 8303,030 of the appropriation, and that was covered back into the Treasury. It was the first time in the history of that department that a balance had been turned into the Treasury, nothing of the kind having ever been found before. The Pension Commissioner’s report had been like the report of the Treasurer of Rhodes in Tippecanoe County : “All paid in ; all paid out.” Now, the same could be said of the various departments of the Government. The distinguished Commissioner of Public Lands had already stated what he had accomplished in regard to our public domain in order to preserve the lands foi the people. Tho public land system was based upon the ordinance of 1780, written by Thomas Jefferson, for the purpose of carrying into effect the munificent grant which the State of Virginia made to the United States of America, embracing the Northwest Territory, Ohio, Indiana Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. That ordinance treated the lands as being vested in the United States as a great public trust for the benefit, of the people. It also recognized the fact that the States in which these lands were situated had an interest In them, and so many sections should ho set apart in each township as school-fund property. The States were also given lands in return for internal improvements, and tho speaker happened to be a member of Congress in IBiO, and voted for the Douglas grant, which is now owned by the Illinois Central Railroad. These grants were not made to corporation, but to the States, and the States tould dispose of them to corporations if they saw fit. It was a noteworthy faetthaf in all the time the Democrats were in power, prior to and subsequent to that, not a single grant was made to a corporation. The grants were made to the States, and the States could do witli thorn cs they saw fit. When the Republican part v came into j'ower it INAUGURATED A NEW44YSTEM. and under it they granted nearly 233,000,000 acres, and yet when they assembled here in Chicago they said: “Oh, we want the public lands held for settlement in small holdings," and if there had not been a change at that time there would have Leon no public lands left hut sage-brush, alkali plains, and mountain sides. A New Hampshire Democrat’s Views. Hon. Frank Jones, the ex-Democratic Congressman from New Hampshire, is in the capital, and says: “New Hampshire came to tbe front with a hurrah. My own county went Democratic for the first time in thirty years, every officer nominated by the party being elected. The new Mayor of Concord is the first Dem ocrat elected to the position iu twenty years, and the Mayoralty of Manchester had been filled by Republicans for nearly as long a period. The honest policy of the administration did much to tura the tide in New Hampshire, although I think that tho Democratic losses throughout the country are due mainly to Pro-klent Cleveland’s civil-serv-ice reform policy. lam thoroughly in accord with his ideas, but it doesn’t seem that the rank and file are.” “What effect do you consider the la‘e returns will have on the national election?” “A very healihy one. The reverses will Erove beneficial in the long run. They will ring the loiterers into line nnd put the party on its mettle to sweep the country two years hence.” —Washington special.

CHAS. FRANCIS ADAMS.

He Passes Peacefully Away, After Suffering for Years from Brain Trouble. His Public Services in Polities. Diplomacy and Literature—A Useful Life. The Hon. Charles Francis Adams, Sr., died at his residence iu Boston cn Sunday, Nov. 21. Mr. Adams’ mental and physical powers had been declining for nearly a decade. Until the very last, however, he was a quiet, dignified gentleman, who simply took no interest in what was going on about him. His intellectual collapse was so complete that for fully two years lie had been unable to identify any of his family, except, perhaps, his wife. Nothing roused him except an occasional outburst of merriment in his presence, when he would join sympathetically iu the general laughter. There were no offensive features of his infirmity whatever, the outward effect being simply complete reticence. No apprehension of his immediate death was felt until the day preceding his demise, when Mr. Adams showed siight symptoms of fever. A physician, who was called at once, said his wasted strength would not be able to resist the attack, mild as it was. Mr. Adams lingered some sixteen hours, when his life left him as quietly as a breath of air extinguishes a candle flame. The end, when it came, was simply the flickering out of the last spark of vital fire, which had been fading away so gradually that the change from day to-day was not perceptible. •

Sketch of His Life. Charles Fraucis Adams, grandson of John Adams, second President, and son of John Quincy Adams, sixth President of the United States, was born at Boston, August 18, 1807. His father holding diplomatic positions in F.urope, he spent most of his first ten years abroad, returning to America in 1817, when he entered Harvard College, graduating in 1825. He was admitted to the bar in 1838, but never engaged in practice, having previously married the daughter of Peter C. Brooks, a wealthy Boston merchant. Previous to 1818 he had served as a member of the [Massachusetts Legislature for five years. Iu 1848 he was nominated by tho newly organized “free-soil” party for the Vice Presidency of the United States. This party, composed mainly of Democr its who were opposed to the extension of slavery, cast but few votes, but its members, finally coalescing with most of the Northern members of the Whig party, formed the Republican party, which came info power in 1800. Meanwhile, in 1858, Mr. Adams was elected a member of Congress. In 1861 Mr. Adams was appointed bv President Lincoln Minister to Great Britain, a post which he retained until 1868, when he was recalled at his own request. In 1871-2 he acted as arbitrator for the United States in the commission to settle the respective claims of Great Britain and the United States growing out of the civil war. Fie was one of the originators of the “Liberal Republican” movement in 1872, but was defeated by Mr. Greeley in securing the Presidential nomination. He subsequently joined the Democratic party, by which he was nominated for Governor of Massachusetts in 1876. Mr. Adams has furnished many contributions to the North American Review and to the Christian Examiner, and in 1870 delivered before the New York Historical Society an able discourse on “American Neutrality.” He has published “The Life and Works of John Adams,” ten volumes, and “The Life and W’orks of John Quincy Adams,” thirteen volumes. John Quincy Adams, the Democratic candidate for Governor of Massachusetts in 1871, and Charles Francis Adams, Jr., who has long been identified with railroad development, are sons of Mr. Adams.

UNCLE SAM’S NAVY.

What the Chief of the B ureau of Construction and Repair Says of It. The Chief of the Naval Bureau of Construction and Repair, in his annual report, to the Secretary of the Navy, says that the Lackawanna, Tennessee, and Shenandoah are beyond repair, thus reducing tbe number of serviceable vessels in the navy to two first-rate, ten second-rate, twenty third-rate, and seven fourth-rate vessels, the latter class including two torpedo rams. Tho Franklin, Wabash, Minnesota, and New York, all first-rate vessels, are set down as requiring extensive repairs, and thirteen ironclads require more or less repairs. In addition the naval list comprises thirteen iron and twelve wooden sailing vessels used for receiving and transport ships. The new vessels completed, building, or authorized to be built are summed up as follows: One (the Dolphin), complete; two (the Boston and Atlanta), armament incomplete; live (the Chicago and the monitors), incomplete; five (the Baltimore, Charleston, and Newark, and two gunboats), under advisement; and fonr (an armored cruiser, a battle ship, a pneumatic dynamite boat, and a torpedo boat), not yet designed. To this list can be added the Alert and the Ranger, four guns each; the Monocacy, paddle-wheel gunboat, six guns; Michigan, paddle-wheel gunboat, fonr guns; Alarm, one gun; Intrepid (yet to be completed), gunboat, two -thirteeninch guns. The remainder of the ironbuilt vessels now in the service consist of thirteen river and harbor monitors with single screws rated as fourth-rates, which could not be got ready for service without an expenditure of $200,000 under this bureau alone. Of the second-rates the Trenton, Omaha, and Vandalia can probably be continued in service ten years longer, the Lancaster and Brooklyn six years, and tbe Hartford, Richmond and Pensacola five years. Of the third-rates the Michigan can be continued in tbe service for ten years, the Adams, Alliance, Essex, Enterprise, Tallapoosa, Yantic, and Nipsio for six years, and the Juniata, Ossipee, Qninnebaug, Swatara, Galena, Marion, Kearsarge, and Iroqnois five years longer.

DISTRICT ATTORNEY BENTON

President Cleveland Issues an Official Order Reinstating Him, A Lrtter from the Suspended Offlter Explaining Certain Matters. The President has reinstated M. E. Bentoi asi Attorney for the Western District of Missouri. Following is the correspondence in the case: BENTON TO GARLAND. Neosho, Mo., Nov. 10. Hon. A. H. Garland, Attorney General, Washington : Dear Sir —Your letter of the Ist Inst., with inclosures, apprising me of the basis of my suspension from the office of Attorney of the United ttaies for the Western District of Missouri, is received. I desire to make a plain statement of fac!s in relation to the list of appointments to mal e campaign speeches. The United States District Court for tlie Eastern Division of tho district convened on tho tit Li day of September, - I had been there with my assistant several days prior to that date preparing cases for trill. District business, except a few pleas of guilty, was finished on the 24th of September, and on the following day court adjourned. On the night of the 25th I spoce at Jefferson City. I then went to Kansas City, and Rush (my assistant) and I prepared ourselves for the October term of court for tha Western Division. Meanwhile I had, at the earnest solicitation of Messrs. F. Dockery, Cravens, and others, candidates for Congress, and the Democratic State Central Committee, anc. with tho knowledge of Senators Cockrell anu Vest, agreed to mako some campaign speeches. After so arranging them as to time as not to interfere with my official business, I gav? a list to D. 11. Shields, Chairman, and this list was published, tho dates beginning Sept. 29 et 7p.m. at Aurora, Mo. The appointments weiu made on each side of my district, so I couid, and did, reach Kansas City once each week to look after the routine business of the office. My assistant (W. M. Hush) was iu the office all the time I was away. Two of my appointmouts weremado (Webb City and Karcoxie) conveniently to Joplin, where I appeared iu two important cases on the 14th day of October before Ciark Crafort, United States Commissioner. I filied my engagement to Saturday, October 1(5, at Seneca. Monday, October 18, tho District Court for the Western Di ision began itß term. Every indictment aud information was prepared. In consequence of this the grand jury was dismissed at noon of the third day. I had tlio_ght I would get through with the business of this short term iu one week. I had two engagements to speak during that week—one at St, Joseph, which 1 did not fill; tho other at Kansas City 1 did fill at night after tho adjournment of court. I found on Saturday, tho 23d of Octolior, I had six important cases which I believed should bo tried. On that night I came bore and got my partner, Hon. Joseph Cravens, Hon. John T. Teel, of Mount Vemon, and Dr. James Evans, of Nichols, Greene County, to agree to fill my appointments, beginning with Southwest City, on tue 2.ith of October, and immediately returned to Kansas City aud announced that I was ready for trial the hour the 1 istrict Court docket was called. I remained in court attending to cases until I received tho President’s letter suspending me. Ab to my record as a public officer, I am willing for the department reports of my success in trials, the court officers of tho Cirouit and District Courts, and those who had business with the office to say. I relied on the following clause of the President’s letter of July 19 in mak :ig engagements to speak : “I:'.dividual interest and activity in political affairs are by no means condemned. Officeholders are neither disfranchised nor forbiddon to exorcise political privileges, but their privilege is not enlarged nor is their duty to party increased to pernicious activity by offlceholding." If making political speeches is the causo of my suspension, I can make no defense, but if it is inferred that I neglected my official duties by so doing, lam not guilty, and" ask full scrutiny into the facts. I respectfully ask that this communication be referred to the President, with such recommendation as you deem just, i have but to add that I had no idea that the milking of political speeches would be taken as a violation of the President’s letter of July 19, 188(1. Very respectfully, m. E. Benton. CLEVELAND TO RENTON. Executive Mansion, Nov. IG. Hon. M. E. Benton : Dear Sir— Your letter of the 10th inat., addressed to the Attorney Genoral, has been submitted to me and carefully considered. Its frank tone, and all I know of your ebaraoter, convince me of the truth therein related touching matters which led to your suspension from office. When I issued the warning to officeholders to which you refer as an “order,” I expected to be much harassed by all manner of loose and frivolous tales, originating in malice or disappointment and deliberate design on the part of political enemies to annoy and embarrass, concerning indulgence by appointees under the present administration in tha “pernicious activity” in politics against which my warning was directed. I hoped, however, that by careful consideration of tho spirit as well as tho language of such warning those in good faith intending to respect it might not be in doubt as to its meaning, and would themselves apply it to conditions and circumstances which it was impossible for me to specify. I did not intend to condemn the making of a political speech by a Federal official to his neighbors and friends, nor at any timt and place where it was merely incidental, if tbe speech itself was decent and fair, but I do not think such official can enter as a business a political campaign, and, consenting to a long list of engagements to address political meetings, widely separated and of daily occurrence, and fill such engagements without neglecting his duty, if he holds an office worth having, nor without taking with him in the canvass his official power and influence. Therefore this course is condemned. The number of speeches that can be properly made can not he specified, nor the time when, nor the place where, nor the circumstances in which they are proper, nor can their character be prescribed. But a correct line of conduct can be determined on without difficulty. I believe in the right of a desire to li ed the spirit of the admonition given by divorcing the conduct of a citizen from the uso of official influence in a political campaign, illustrating at all times the truth that official duty is paramount to partisan service, maintaining the dignity of office-hold-ing. avoiding any pretense of control over tne political actim of others by reason of official place, and teaching the lesson to the people that public positions are not bestowed or held under a pledge of active partisan service. A printed list taken from a newspaper and submitted to me ci ntains engagements to speak, made by your consent, daily for quite a long period, and not infrequently twice a day, in different parts of the State of Missouri; and I wr.s led to believe that on many of the days specified the court at which you had duties to perform was in session. This seemed to me to present a case of flagrant and defiant neglect of official duty and propriety, and aven with the explanation given, your course appears to be thoughtless, and at least subject to criticism. But the statement in your letter showing that you did not permit campaign engagements to interfere with the performance or official duty, your satisfactory discharge of such duty during your term, and a belief in the truth of your allegation that yon honestly supposed you might properly do all that was actually done, have induced me to rescind the order suspending you from office, and to reinstate you to the same. Yours very truly, Grover Cleveland. CLEVELAND TO GARLAND. ExunmvE Mansion, Washington, Nov. 17. Hon. A. H. Garland, Attorney General: Sib—Having fully examined and considered the statements contained in the letter of Mnecmas E. Benton which you submitted to me at th< > time of our consultation concerning the matte?: therein referred to, I have determined to rescind the order suspending Benton from the office of Attorney of the United States for the Western District of Missouri, and direct that he be notified of his reinstatement to that office. Very respectfully youra, Grover Cleveland.

UNCLE SAM’S MAIL.

Report oT Mr. Vilas, Showing 11;? Year’s Operations of the Department. The Year’s Postal Chansrei— Kero than 22,000 Changes of Postmi t.'rs Daring the Year. Tlie report of Postmaster Geur.l Vilas for the fiscal year endod June 30. 1886, Bays iu immensity and extent of means, of expenditures, of performances and results, the postal machinery of the United States exceeds—in some points far exceeds that of any other nation on the globe. The entire length of all railways employed by the United States nearly equals the combined extent of those of all other countries of the world, while the other post routes more than quadruple the total of any single people besides; aud the mileage last year of our mail transportation exceeded by more than 125,000,000 miles the service rendered to any other government. Of postoflices no other nation has one-third our number. It is estimated that 100,000,000 more letters were mailed in the United States last year than in Great Britain, and nearly that number more thun were mailed in Germany, France, and Austria combined. The proportion to each inhabitant is estimated iu the United States at 66, Great Britain 57, Germany 19. At the close of the fiscal year tho total number of postoflices was 53,614, besides 497 branch offices. Of these 2,244 were Presidential offices, divided us follows: First class, 75; second class, 400; third class, 1,769. In the fourth class there were 51,370. Among all the offices 7,265 were money-order offices, besides 92 moneyorder stations. Concerning appointments the report says: “The appointments of Postmasters during the last fiscal year numbered altogether 22,747, of which 9,112 were made to till vacancies occasioned by resignations or oxEired commissions, 587 to vacancies caused y death, 3,482 on the establishment of new offices, aud 9,566 upon removals. Of the total number of appointments, 1,039 were made by yourself, the vacancies having occurred from the following causes, respectively—viz: By expiration of commission, 468; by resignations, 253; by deaths, 24; by removals or suspensions, 247; und to offices which had been assigned from the fourth to the third class, 47.” During the year the free-delivery service was extended to Aurora, Ill.; Duluth, Minn.; and Newport, Ky. Tho total number of carriers was 4,840, an increase of 483. The total cost of this branch of the service was $4,312,306, an increase of $326,354 over the previous year. The work performed by the carriers is summarized as follows:

“The number of pieces of mail matter, counting collections and deliveries, handled by tho carriers during tho year was 1,949,520,599, an increase over the previous year of 204,983,186, or 11.75 percent., while tho carriers increased but 11.08 per cent, in number.” The money-order system has been extended to 311 additional offices during tho year, while 10 were dropped from the list. “During the year there were issued 7,940,302 domestic orders, amounting to nearly $114,000,000; 5,999,428 postal notos, amounting to $11,718,000; and 493,423 international orders, aggregating $7,178,786.21; besides the payment of foreign orders reaching a total of almost $4,000,000. The entire amount of fees received was $1,214,506.38, less by $2,869.60 than the previous year.” The act establishing the special-delivery system limited its privileges to 555 postoffices. During the full year of its use—to Sept. 30, 1886 —1,118,820 letters were received for special delivery at these offices. Taking the full year, the total amount of fees received from this source was $84,782, leaving a gross profit to the Government of $27,097. From the enlarged system, extending the privileges of the act to all postoffices and all mailable matter, tho Postmaster General expects great results. Tho total revenues of the department for the year were $43,948,422, and the excess of cost over revenue $8,254,157. Of the total appropriations lor tbe year, amounting to $54,183,642.14, the entire outlay actually made and estimated to be made is but $50,839,340.46, leaving a balance to be eventually covered into tho Treasury of $3,344,301.68. Letter-sheet envelopes, the report says, have been long authorized, but no real attempt was made to introduce them until last October, when a contract was made with the owner of a patent, by which the department receives them without cost, and pays for only what it sells. So far the envelope appears to find popular favor, but the Postmaster General thinks longer experiment desirable before recommending the purchase of the patent and the manufacture by the Government. The dead-letter office during the year handled 5,023,745 pieces of mail matter, of which number 186,448 were delivered unopened to the proper parties, and 366,379 foreign pieces were returned to the country of origin. Of those opened about one-half were destroyed as undeliverable or valueless. Letters to the number of 12,138, containing money aggregating $21,732, besides 18,105 letters containing drafts, checks, or other instruments for the payment of money of the total face value of $1,121,154.74, were delivered to the owners. The revenue derived from dead letters which could not be restored to owners, and from auction sale of unclaimed parcels, amounted to $8,879.29. Postoflices were reported robbed to the number of 487, and 269 were burned; 76 postal cars were burned or wrecked, 27 mail stages and 7 mail messengers were robbed, 79 pouches were lost, and 127 reported stolen or injured. The records of the inspectors show the following facts; “For violation of postal laws 660 persons were arrested, of whom 243 were in the service and 417 were not; 110 were postmasters, assistants, or clerks, 14 railway postal clerks, 24 letter-carriers, 27 mailcarriers, and 11 of various employment. Seventy-nine burglars and 31 former postmasters are included among the arrests outside of the service. The State courts took jurisdiction of 54 oases and the Federal courts of 606. Of the latter convictions followed in 214, acquittals in 26, trial waits in 295, and the residue were dismissed or failed of indictment.”