and humanity, not of prejudice and cruelty."

To the consideration of these very grave questions I invite not only the
attention of Congress, but that of all patriotic citizens. We must not
entertain the delusion that our people have ceased to regard a free
ballot and equal representation as the price of their allegiance to
laws and to civil magistrates.

I have been greatly rejoiced to notice many evidences of the increased
unification of our people and of a revived national spirit. The vista
that now opens to us is wider and more glorious than ever before.
Gratification and amazement struggle for supremacy as we contemplate
the population, wealth, and moral strength of our country. A trust
momentous in its influence upon our people and upon the world is for
a brief time committed to us, and we must not be faithless to its first
condition--the defense of the free and equal influence of the people in
the choice of public officers and in the control of public affairs.

BENJ. HARRISON.

[Footnote 22: See pp. 59-60.]

[Footnote 23: See p. 127.]

SPECIAL MESSAGES.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _December 16, 1891_.

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith, for your information, a letter from the Secretary
of State, inclosing the first annual report and copies of the bulletins
of the Bureau of the American Republics.

BENJ. HARRISON.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _December 23, 1891_.

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

I transmit herewith the report of the board appointed by me under a
clause in the District of Columbia appropriation act approved August 6,
1890, "to consider the location, arrangement, and operation of electric
wires in the District of Columbia," etc., to which the attention of
Congress is respectfully invited.

BENJ. HARRISON.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _December 23, 1891_.

_To the Senate and House of Representatives_:

My attention having been called to the necessity of bringing about a
uniform usage and spelling of geographic names in the publications of
the Government, the following Executive order was issued on the 4th day
of September, 1890:

As it is desirable that uniform usage in regard to geographic
nomenclature and orthography obtain throughout the Executive
Departments of the Government, and particularly upon the maps and
charts issued by the various Departments and bureaus, I hereby
constitute a Board on Geographic Names and designate