president's
To the iscnaic anil Uuuso uf Representa
tives: As n nation wo still continue to enjoy
n literally unprecedented prosperity ; and
Ir in probable that only reckless spccula
4 ion and dlsrogurd of legitimate business
methods on the part of the business world
Tin materially mar this prosperity.
No Congress in our time has done uiorc
good work of importance than the present
Congress. There were .several mutters
left unfinished at your last session, how
ever, which I most earnestly hope you
will complete before your adjournment.
('niuiittc Contribution.
1 again recommend a law prohibiting
all corporations from contributing to the
campaign expenses of any party. Let
Individuals contribute as they desire ; but
let us prohibit in effective fash on all
corporations from making contributions
for any political purpose, directly or indi
rect j.
The Uorruiiicut'ft Hliilit to Aiipenl.
A bill which has passed one House of
(ho -Congress and which it is urgently
necessary should be enacted into law Is
'that conferring upon the government the
right of appeal in criminal euses on ques
tions of law. This right exists in many
of thu States ; it exists in the District of
Columbia by act of the Congress. 1 can
hot too strongly urge the passage of the
nil. in question. A failure to pnss it wall
result in seriously haompering the govern
ment in its effort to obtain justice, es
pecially against wealthy individuals or
corporations who do wrong ; and may also
prevent the government from obtaining
justice for wage workers who arc not
themselves able effectively to contestt a
tfiso where the judgemnt of an inferior
court has been against them. The impor
tance of enacting into law the particular
bill in question is further increased by
thu fact that the government has now
definitely begun a policy of resorting to
the criminal law in those trust and in
terstate commerce cases where such a
ccurso offers u reasonable chance of suc
cess. At first, as, was proper, every effort
was made to enforce these laws by civil
proceedings; but it, has become increas
ingly evident that the action of the gov
ernment' in finally deciding, in certain
cases, vo undertake criminal proceedings
was justifiable; and tnougli there have
been some conspicuous failures in these
enMs. we have had many" successes, which
have undoubtedly had a deterrent effect
upon evil-doers, whether the, penalty in
11 it ted was in the shape "f 0I' impris
onment andpenalties of both kinds have
' aireadv been intlicted by the courts. Of
ffiiirsi'. where the itidce can see his way
to inflict the penalty of imprisonment the
Jf torrent effect of the punishment on oth-n-
offenders is increased; but sufficiently
soavy fines accomplish much.
Imhuiiiici: of liiJnitclloiiH.
In my last message 1 suggested the
runetment of a law in connection with
the issuance of injunctions, attention hav
'dmr been sharnlv drawn to the matter by
the demand that the right of applying in
junctions in labor cases should be wholly
iit.ollHhecL It is at least doubtful wheth
er a law abolishing altogether the use of
injunctions m such cases would stand tlie
test of the "ourts; in which case of
course the legislation would be ineffective.
Moreover, 1 believe jt would be wrong al
together to proiuou tae use or. injuucuoiiK.
It is criminal to 'permit sympathy for
criminals to weaken our hands in uphold
ing the law: and if .men seek to destroy
life or property by mob violence there
fchould be no impairment of the power of
the courts to deal with them in the .most
nummary and effective way possible. Hut
no far" as possible the abuse of. the power
should bo provided against Ity some sucn
law as I advocated last year.
In this matter of injunctions there is
lodged in the hands of the judiciary n nee.
tKKirv nowcr which is nevertheless sub
Itct to the Possibility of grave abuse. It,
Is it power that should he exercised with
extreme care and should be subject to the
jealous scrutiny of all men, and condem
nation should be meted out us much to
the indue, who fails to use it boldly when
necessary as to the judge who uses it
wantonly or oppressively. There must be
no hesitation in dealing,, with disorder.
Hut there must likewise be no such.almtte
.of the injunctive power as" is implied in
forbidding laboring meji to strive for their
' own betterm-nt in peaceful n.nd lawful
ways;' nor must the Injunction be used
merely .to aid some big corporation in car
rying out schemes for Us own uggrntTdize
nient. it must be remembered that u pre
liminary injunction in a lnlor case, if
granted without adequate proof (even
when authority can be found to support
i ho conclusions of liov on which it is
founded), may often settle the dispute
between the partie.-,; and therefore if im
nrqperly' granted may do irreparable
wrong. "... ,1. : indues who
imsuine a matter-of-course granting ot
a preliminary injunction to be the ordi
nary and proper judicial disposition of
such onses; and there have undoubtedly
been flagrant wrongs committed by judges
In connection with labor disputes even
-withiu the lmt J" -w year, although 1
think much less often than in former
years. Such judges by their unwise ac
tion immensely strengthen the hnnds of
those who are striving entirely to do
,nway with the jhiwer of injunction.; and
therefore such careless use of the injunc
tive process tends to threaten its very
friifctence, for' if the American people over
become, convinced that this process is
lmbitunlly abused, whether lit matters nf
ficting labor or hi matters affecting oor-
. yoratlons, St will be well-nigh impossible
i.o prevent its abolition.
The Crime at I,y iichlntr.
In connection with the delays of the
law, 1 call your attention mid the atten
tion of the nation to thu prevalence of
crime among us, and above all to the epi
demic of lynching and mob violence that
fiprings up, now in one part of our coun
try, now in auother. Kach Meet ion, north,
outb, east or west, has itH own faults;
no section can with wisdom spend iU
time jeering at the faultH of another sec
tion ; it uhould be busy trying to amend
tH own shortcomings. To deal with the
crime of corruption it Is necessary to
r have nn awakened public conscience, and
to supplement this by whatever legisla
tion, will add speed and certainty in the
execution of the law. When Ave deal with
lynching 'even more la necessary. A great
many white men are lynched, but the
Sline is peculiarly frequent iu respect to
ick men. Ta yreateait exciting: auut
JMessacje
of lynchiug is ilie perpetration, especially
by black men, of the hideous crime of
tape -the most abominable in all the
category of crimes, even woiBe than mur
der. .Mobs fremicntlv avenue the com
mission of this crime by themselves tor
turing to death the man committing it;
thus avenging in bestial fashion a bestial
deed, and reducing themselves to a level
with the criminal.
I.ttbor mid CnpKnl.
In dealing with both labor and capital,
with the questions affecting both corpora
tions and trades unions, there is one mat
ter more important to remember than
aught else, and that Is the infinite harm
done by preachers of mere discontent.
These are the men who seek to excite a
violent class hatred against all men of
wealth. They seek to turn wise nnd
proper movements for the better control
of corporations and for doing away with
the abuses connected with wealth, into
a campaign of hysterical excitement and
falsehood in which the aim is to lnllnme
to madness the brutal passions of man
k'nd. The sinister demagogues and fool
ish visionaries who are always eager to
undertake such a campaign of destruc
tion sometimes seek to associate them
selves with those working for a genuine
reform in governmental and social meth
ods, nnd sometimes masquerade as such
reformers. In reality they are the worst
enemies ot the cause they profess to ad
vocate, just as the purveyors of sensa
tional slander in newspaper or niagazinft
are the worst enemies of all men who are
engaged in an honest effort to better
what is bad in our socinl and govern
mental conditions. To preach hatred of
the rich man as such, to carry on a cam
paign of slander nnd invective against
him, to seek to mislead and inflame to
madness honest men whose lives are hard
and who have not the kind of mental
training which will permit them to appre
ciate the danger in the doctrines preach
ed all this Is to commit a crime against
the body iwlitie and to be false to every
worthy principle and tradition of Ameri
can national life. Corruption is never
so rife as in communities where .the dem
agogue and 'ho agitator bear full sway,
because In uneh communities all moral
bands become loosened, and hysteria and
sensationalism replace the spirit of sound
judgment and fair dealing as between
man and man. In sheer revolt against
the squalid anarchy tims produced men
are sure in 'he end to turn toward any
leader who can restore order, and then
their relief at leing free from the intol
erable burdens of class .hatred, violence,
anil, demagogy Is such that they cannot
for sonic time be aroused to indignation
' against misdeeds by men of wealth ; so
that they permit a new growth of the
very abuses which were in part respon
sible for the original outbreak. The one.
hope for success for our jwople lies in
a resolute and fearless, but sane and cool
headed, advance along the path marked
out Inst year by this very Congress. There
must be a stern refusal to be misled into
following either that bate creature .who
appeals and panders 'to the lowest in
stincts and passions in order to nronse
ono set of Americans against their fel
lows, or that other crentnre. equally base
but no bawer, who in a spirit of greed, or
to' accumulate or add to'nn already huge
fortune, seeks to exploit his fellow-Airier-icaus
with callous "disregard to their wel
fare of soul and bod.
The plain people who think the me
chanics, farmers, merchants, workers
with heud or hand, tne men to -whom
American traditions are dear, who love
their country .iud try to act decently by
their neighbors, owe it to themselves to
remember that tie "most damaging blow
that can be given popular government is
to elect ar unworthy and sinister agita
tor on a plutforru -of violence and hypoc
risy. Thf Ktelit-lionr Uw.
So far as it Is In our power, it uhould
b- our aim steadily to reduce the nunf
ber of hours of labor, with as a goul the
general" introduction of an eight-hour
day. Then are industries in -which it is
not possible that tile hours of labor
hould he reduced ; just ns there are com
munities not far enough advanced for
such a movement to be for their good, or,
if in the tropics, so situated that there
is no analogy between dieir needs and
ours in this, .natter. On the isthmus of
l'anama, for instance, the conditions are
iu every way so different from what they
are hero that an eight-hour day would
lt absurd; just as it is absurd, m far
as the isthmus is concerned, where white
labor cannot ' employed, to bother as to
whether the necessary work is done by
alien black men or by alien yellow mcrj.
UiiufON Hi-(v'mi Cnpltnl uml I.uhor.
The commission appointed by tlic Presi
dent Oct. 1(5, ltlOU, at the request of Mth
the anthracite coal operators and miners, to
-lii'iairc into, consider nnd pu upon the
question ... ..'- ' in connection with
the strike In the anthracite irH. r-
Pennsylvania and the causes out of which
thu controversy arose, In their report, find,
lugs uud awurd expressed the belief "that
the State uml Federal governments should
provide the machinery for what rimy be
vailed the eoinpultory Investigation of con
troversies between employers and employes
when they urine." This expression of lie.
Ilef Is deserving of the favorublo conslder
ation of the Congress and I he enactment
of its provisions Into law. A hill has al
ready been Introduced to this end.
Control of Corporation).
The present Congress has taken long
strides In thu direction of securing proper
supervision and control by the national
government over corporations engaged la
lntei-stitu business and tho enormous ma
jority of corporations of auy size are en
gaged in Interstate business. The passage
of tlie railway rate bill, and only to a less
degree the passage of the pure food bill,
and the provision for Increasing and ren
dering more effective national control over
the bc-ef.j)iicl.-iiiK industry, mark an Import
ant advance Iu the proper direction. All
these laws have already Justified their en
actment, ft must not he supposed, how
ever, that with the passngo of these laws
It will bo possible to stop progress along
the line of Increasing tho power of the
national government over the use of capital
In interstate commerce. For example, there
will ultimately be need of enlarging the pow
ers of the Interstate commerce commission
along several different lines, bo as to give
It u larger and more efficient control over
the railroads.
It caonot often le repeated that ex
perience has conclusively shown the Impos
sibility of securing by the actions of nearly
half & hundred different Bute Legislatures
anything but Ineffective chaos In the way
of dealing with the great corporations
which do not operate exclusively within
the limits of any ona State, In some
methods, whether by a national license law I
or In other fashlou, we must exercise, and
that at nn early date, a far more complete
control than at present over these gnat
corporations n control that will among
other things prevent tho evils of excessive
over-capltallzatlou, and that will compel
tho disclosure by each big corporation of
Its stockholders and of Us properties and
business, whether owned directly or through
subsidiary or affiliated corporations. This
will tend to put a stop to the securing of
Inordinate proilts hv favored Individuals at
the expense whether of the general public,
the stockholders, or the wngeworkers. Our
effort should be not so much to prevent con
solidation itH such, but so to supervise nnd
control It ns to mo that It results In no
harm to tho people.
So the proper antidote to the dangerous
nnd wicked agitation against the men of
wealth ns such Is to secure by proper legls
latlon nnd executive nctlon the abolition
of the grave nbuses which actually do obtain
In connection with the business use of
wealth under our present system -or rath
er no system of failure to exercise any ad
equate control at all. Some persons speak
as If the exercise of such governmental
control would do away with the freedom
of Individual Initiative and dwarf Individ
unl effort. This Is not a fact. It would
be a veritable calamity to fall to put a
premium upon Individual Initiative, Individ
ula capacty nnd effort J upon the energy,
character and foresight which It Is so Im
portant to eiiconrare In the Individual. Hut
ns a matter of fact the deadening and de
grading effect of pure socialism, nnd the de
struction of individual character which they
would bring about, are In part achieved by
tho wholly unregulated competition which
results In a single Individual or corporation
rising nt the expense of all others until
his or Its rise effectually checks all com
petition nnd reduces former competitors to
a position of utter Inferiority and subor
dination. Tho nctunl working of our laws has
shown that the effort to prohibit all com
bination, good or bad, Is obnoxious where It
Is not effective. Combination of capital,
like combination of labor. Is a necessary
element of our present Industrial system.
It Is not possible completely to prevent It ;
and If It were possible, such complete pre
vention would do damage to the hotly poll
tic. What we need Is not vainly to try to
prevent nil combination, but to secure inch
rigorous and adequate control and supervis
ion of the combinations as to prevent tholr
Injuring the public, or existing In such form
as Inevitably to threaten Injury- for the
mere fact that, a combination lies secured
practically complete control of a necessary
of life would under any circumstances show
that such combination was to be presumed
to be adverse to the public Interest. It Is un
fortunate that our present laws should for
bid all .combinations. Instead of sharply dls-
erlmlnntltu: between those combinations
which do gtfod and those combinations which
do ell. Itebates, for Instance, are in often
due to the pressure of big shippers (aswas
shown In the Investigation of the Standard
Oil Company and as has been shown since
bv the lnvestlcntlon of' the tobacco and
sugar trust) as to the Initiative of big
railroads. Often railroads would like to
combine for the purpose of preventing a big
shipper from maintaining improper advant
ages at the expense of small shippers and
of the general public. Such a combina
tion, Instead of llelng forbidden by Jaw.
Bhould he favored. In other words. It should
be permitted to railroads to make agree
ments, provided these agreements were suae
tloned by the Interstate commerce conunls
slou nnd wre published. With those two
conditions complied with It Is Impossible to
see what, harm such a combination could
do to the public at large.
Inherl timet- mill Inroim- Tax.
The nntlonnl government hns long derived
Its chief revenue from a tariff on imports
and from an Internal or excise tax. In ad
dltlon to these thero Is every reason why,
when next our system of tnxntlo'j Is revised,
the national government should Impose a
gradunted Inheritance tax. anil. If iosst-
ble, a graduated Income tax. The man of
great wealth owes a peculiar obligation to
'the State, because he derives special advan
tages from tho mere existence of govern
ment. Not only should he recognize this
obligation In the way he leads his dally
I If o and In the way ho 'earns and spends
his money, but It ihould also Ik; recognized
ny 1 no way in which lie nays for the protec
tlon the State gives him. On the one hand.
It Is desirable Hint he should assume his
full nnd proper share of the burden of tax
ation i; on the other hand. It Is quite as
necessary mat In this kind of taxation,
where the men who vote the tax pay but
nine or ir, mere should he clear recogni
tion of the danger of Inaugurating any
such system sine In a spirit of entire Jus-
lice and moderation. Whenever we,, as a"
peopie, undertake to remodel our taxation
system along the lines' suggested, we must
make It clear beyond peradventure that, our
aim Is to distribute the burden f support
lug the government more equitably than
at present ; thut we Intend to treat rich man
and poor man on n basis af absolute -equality,
nnd 'that we regad It as equally fatal
to true democracy to do or permit Mnjostlre
to tho one as to do or permit Injustice to
tho other.
I nm well aware that such a subject as
this needs long and careful study In order
that the people- may become familiar with
what Is proposed to be done, may" clearly
see the necessity of proceeding with wisdom
and self-restraint, and "may make up their
minds Just how far they nre willing n, go
In the matter; while only trained legisla
tors can work out tho project In nocessurv,
detail. Hut I feel that la the near future
our national legislators should enact a law
providing for a graduated inheritance tax
by which a steadily Increasing Bate of duly
bhould )c put upon all inoacva or other
valuables coming by gift, bequest, or devise
to any Individual or corporation J
Kit lieu Hon t,t (It,- runner, 0
'The only other persons whoso welfare Is
nt vital to the welfare of the whole coun
try as is the welfare of the. w.igeworkers
are the tillers of the soli, the fanners. It
Is a mere truism to say that no growth
of cities, no growth of wealth, no liidiHt.ial
development can atone Jor nay falling off
in th character and standing of the farm
in ,.-i"intlon. Uuilng the I. st few de
endes this rn . Men recognized with
ever-Increasing clenrnei.. There is no ong
er any failure to realize tluu 'inning, at
least In certain branches, must become ..
technical and sclentltle profession. This
means that there iniiHt be open to farmers
the chance for technical and scientific train
last, not theoretical merelv but of the most
severely practUrul type TIiIh education of
the farmer Is peculiarly necenry here In
tho United States, where the frontier con
ditions even In tit newest States hnve now
nearly vanished, where there must l a
substitution of u more IntetisiNJ system of
cultivation for the old wasteful farm man
agement, and where there must bo a bettor
business organization among the farmers
themselves.
Several factors must co-operate In tho Im
provement of tho farmer's condition. He
must have the chance to be educated In the
widest possible sense In the sense which
keijps ever In view the Intimate relationship
between the theory of eduction and tho facts
of life. This Is especially true of the farm
er. All students now realize that educa
tion must seek to train the exicutlvc pow
ers of young people and to confer more
real significance upon the phrase "dignity
of labor," and to prepare the pupils so
that In addition to each developing In the
highest degree his Individual capacity for
work, they may together help create a
right public opinion, arid show In many
ways social and co-operative spirit. Or
ganization has become uccessary In the bus
iness world, nnd It has accomplished much
for good in the world of labor. It Is no
less necessary for farmers.
Irrigation amd Forest Preserrmtlon,
Much Is now being done for (he States
of the Rocky Mountains and Great rialns
through' the development of the national
policy ot Irrigation and forest preserra-,
tlon; no government pulley for the bettej
nient of our Internal conditions htm been
more fruitful of good than (hit). The for
csts of the White .Mountains and Southern
Appalachian regions should nlso be pre
served; and they can not he unless fhe peo
ple of the States, In which they lie, through
their representatives In Congress, sceurc
vigorous action by tho national govern
ment. MnrrliiKC uml Divorce l,uwn.
I am well aware of how difficult It Is to
pass n constitutional amendment. Nccr
theless Iu my Judgment thu whole question
of marriage and divorce should bo relegated
to the authority or the .Nat loan I Congress.
At present the wide differences In the laws
of the different States on this subject result
In scandals and abuses; and surely there Is
nothing so vitally essential to tho welfare
of the nation, nothing around which the
nation should so bend itself to throw every
safeguard, as the home life of the nverage
citizen. The change would be good from
every standpoint. In particular It would
bo good bocaiixo It would confer on the Con
gress tho power nt once to deal radically
and efficiently with polygamy; nnd this
should be done whether or not marriage
and divorce are dealt with. It Is neither
safe nor proper to leave tho question of
polygamy to be dealt with by the several
States. Power to deal with It should be
conferred on thu national government.
Development of American Hlililii.
Let mo once again call the attention of
the Congress to thu niestlon of developing
American shipping. 1 trust that a law cm
bodying lu substance thu views, or a mnjoi
part of the views, expressed In the report
on this subject laid before the House at
Its last session, wilt no passed, it win
ot course benollt primarily our seaboard
States, such as .Maine, IoulsInua and Wash
Ington ; but what bencllts part of our pro
pie lu the end benefits nil ; Jut ns govern
ment aid to Irrigation and forestry In the
West Ib renlly of benefit, not only to the
Uocky Mountain States, but to all our cou t-
try.
Xeeil of Currency IN-forin.
I especially call your attention to the
condition of our currency laws. The ua
I tonal bank net has ably served a great pur
pose In aiding tho enormous business devel
opment of tho country; and within ten
years there has been an Increase In circu
lation per capita from sui.u in $;i;uw.
For scevral years evidence has been ncciimu
biting that additional legislation Is need
cd. The recurrence of each crop season
emphasizes the defects of tho present laws.
There must noon be a revision of them, be
cause to leave them as they are mean to
Incur Mobility of business disaster. Since
your body adjourned there has been a Hue
tnnt Ion In tho Interest on call money from
12 per cent to .'10 nor cent: and the fluctu
ation was even greater during the preceding
six months. '1 lie Secretary of the Treasury
had to step lu and by wise nctlon p". a
stop t; the. most violent period of oscilla
tion. Kven worse than such Hurt nation Is
the advance In commercial rates nnd the
uncertainty felt lu the sufficiency of credit
even at high rates. All commercial Inter
ests suffer during oath crop period. Ex
cessive rates for call money lu New York
aftract money from the Interior banks Into
the speculative Held; this depletes the fund
thai would otherwise be available for com
mercial uses, and commercial borrowers are
forced to pay abnormal rates; so that each
fnll a tax. lu the shape of Increased Inter
est charges, Is placed on the whole com
merce of tho country.
Tho morn statement of these facts shows
that our present system Is seriously defec
tive. There Is need of a change. 1 do not
press any especial plan.
Tin- Philippine Turin".
1 most earnestly hope that the bill to
provide a lower tariff for or else absolute
free jrnde In riillippliio products win be
come it law. N'o harm will come to nny
American Industry; and while there will be
some smnll but real matcrlnl benollt to the
I'lllplnos, tho main benefit will come by the
showing made as lo our purpose to do nil
In our inmer for their welfare. So far our
action in tho I'lillippus lias Keen ammo
antl.v Justified, not mainly nnd Indeed not
primarily becume of the added dlglntty It
Iikk riven uti h n nntlon by proving that
we are capable honorably and ttUt-lenllv lo
lfnr ihe International burdens which a
mighty people should lienr, but even rnoie
becnuso of the Inimoriso benefit that has
comw lo the people of J be Philippine Islands
in these isinnus we are sicauny uiirouuLoi
both liberty and order, to u greater degree
than their people have ever boffin known,
and next spring. If conditions warrant, we
shall take n great stride forward In test
Ing their (Opacity for self-government by
summoning the first Filipino legislative, as
sornblv ; and tho-away In which they stii-nd
thlsoicst will largely determine whether the
self government thus1 granted will be In
creased or decreased ; for If wo have erred
at all In I he Philippines It has been lu pro
ceedlng too rapidly In tho direction of
grsullng a large measure of self government.
American cltlzejishlp shoiihl0be conferred
on the citizens of Porto Itlco. The harbor
of San .loan In Porto Uh-o should be
dredged and Improved. The expenses of the
Federal court of Porto Itlco should be
met from the Federal treasury. The admin
Intratlnn of the affairs of Porto Itlco, to
gethor with those of tho Philippines. Ha
waii, and our other Insular possessions.
Should all be directed under ono executive
department ; by preference the department
of, state or the department of war.
I n 1 1 r u it 1 1 o 1 1 (i I M o rn 1 1 y .
Not only must we treat all nations fald-ly,
but we must treat with Justice and good
will all Immigrants who coinu here under
the law. Whether they are Catholic or
Protestant, .low or Oentlle; whether they
i-oino f i our Fnglanil or Oennnny, ltussla.
.Inpan, or Italy, matters nothing. All we
1 1 live a right to question Is the man's con
duct. If he is honest nnnd upright In his
dealings with his uolghfmr and with tho
state, then be Is entitled to respect and
good treatment. Especially do wo need to
remember our duty to the stranger within
our gates. It In the sure mark of a low
j-lvlllatlou, a low morality, to abuse or
discriminate against or lu auy wa." humlll
ate hiicIi stranger who has come here law
fully and who Is conducting himself prop
erly. To icmcmla-r i his Is Incumbent on
every American citizen, nnd It Is of course
peculiarly "Incumbent on every government
official, whether of tho nation r of the sev
eral stntcH.
I am prompted to nay this by the attitude
'of ostlllly here and thero "assumed towarvl
the .i, laneKc in this country. This hostiil
ly Is sp- -utile and Is limited to a erv few
places. N. rthelesri, It Is most discredit,
able to us as a .. ole,uiul ll may l fraught
with the gravest con 'iioiioiw to the nation.
The .Inpar.ose people i.c'-u won lu a sin
gle generation tho right to .nud abreast
of the foremost and most enllgn, -ied peo
ples of Kuropo and America ; they Inn, won
on their own merits and by their own exci
tlons tho right to treatment on a basis of
full and f i link equality. Tho overwhelming
mass of our people cherish a lively regard
nnd respect for the people of .Inpan, and lu
almost every quarter of the union tho
stranger from Japan Is treated as he de
serves; that Is, he Is treated as the stranger
from any purt of civilized Kuropo Is and
deserves to bo treated'. Hut hero- and there
a most unworthy feeling has manifested It
self toward the Japanese - the feeling that
has been shown lu shutting them out from
the common schools lu San Francisco, and
In mutterlngs against them lu ono or two
other places, because of their efficiency as
workers. To shut thorn out from the 'pub
lic schools Is a wicked absurdity, wheu
there are no first class colleges In the land,
Including the unlversltlej and colleges of
California, which do not gladly welcome
Japanese students and on which Japanero
students do not reflect credit. We have as
much to learn from Japan ns Japan has to
learn from us ; and no nation Is fit to teach
unless It Is also willing to learn. Through
out Japan Americans are well treated, and
any failure on the part of Americans at
home to treat the Japanese with a like
courtesy and consideration It by Just so
much a cuufosslon ot lulertortty Hi our civ
ilization, I lecomniend to tho Congress that an act
be passed specifically providing for the nstr
urallzatlon of Japanese who come here In
tending to become American citizens. On
of the great embarrassments attending the
performance of our International obligations
is the fact that, tho statutes of the United
States are entlruly Inadequate. They fall t
give to the national government sufficiently
ample power, through l'lilted States coiirtr
and bv the use of tho army nnd uavv. it
protect aliens In the rights secured to ihf.m
uml"r solemn treaties which are the law of
the land. 1 therefore earnestly rccomraejiJ
that the criminal and civil statutes of t-f,
1 nltcd Mates be so amended and added fc
as to enable (ho President, acting for t
I tilted status government, which Is respon
sible lu our International relatione, to
force mo rights or aliens under rtreaiien.
Uvea as the law now Is something can I
donu by the federal government toward this
end, and In tho matter now tefora me af
fecting tho Japanese, everything that It It
In my power to do will he done. un .ill Of,
the forces, military mid civil, of the ffJuUe'd
Stales which I may lawfully employ will b
so employed.
The Insurrection in Culm.
Last August an Insurrection broke out. In.
Cuba which It speedily grow evident that
the existing Cuban government was power
less to iniell. This government was re
peatedly asked bv the then Cuban govern
nient to Intervene, and finally was notified
by the President of Cuba that he Intended
t i valgus that his decision was Irrevocable;
that none or the other constitutional ornr.ci-e
would consent to carry on the governmrul,
and that lie was Powerless to maintain or
der, It was evident that chaos was Im
pending, and there was every probability
that If steps were not Immediately lakcn by
this government to try to, restore order, the
representatives or various lairopean nation
In tho Island would apply to their respective
governments' for armed Intervention In or
der to protect the lives nnd property nfi
their citizens. Thanks to tho prepiiredaosi
of our navy. 1 was able Immediately lo
send enough ships to Cuba to prevent the
situation from becoming hopeless; and t
iiirmermoro dispatched to cuim me mhto
tare of War nnd the AshIsIiuiI Secretary iff
State, In order that they might grapple with
me situation on tho ground.
When tho election has been held and (hn
new government Inaugurated. In peaceful
and orderly fashion the provisional govern
ment win come to an cud. i tew inn op
port unity of expressing upon behalf of tb
American people, with all possible solem
nity, our most earnest hope that the people
of Cuba will realize the Imperative need ot
preserving Justice and keeping order In th
Island, q'he Fulled Slates wishes nothing
or Cuba except thai. It shall prosper morally
and materially, and wishes nothing of th
Cnhilns save that they shall be able to pre
serve order mining themselves and therefin
to preserve their Independence.
The Conference- ill Itlo.
In many parts of South America theM
has been much misunderstanding or the nt
lltud" and purposes of the Fulled States
toward the other American 'republics. Ae
Idea had become prevalent that our asser
tion of the Monroe doctrine Implied, or oar-'
rled with It, an assumption or superiority,
and of a right to exercise some kind of
protectorate over the countries t whose
territory that doctrine applies. N'othlnf
could bo farther from (he truth. Yet tluf
Impression continued to be u serloiu bar
rier to good understanding, to friendly
tereourse.to tho Introduction of Aiuerlejic
capita! and the extension or American trade.
The Impression was so widespread ithat ap
parently It could not be reached by a'C,
ordinary, means.
It was part or Secretary Hoot's nilssloc
to dispel this unrounded Impression, nut
there Is Just cause to hellavn that he hai
succeeded.
Tin; AlKTcclntN Convention.
The Algeclras convention, which wat
signed by the Fulled Stales as well ns Is
iiiiisL of tho powers of Kuropo, supcrsetler
the piovlous convention or ISHO, which wiuc
also signed both by the United States anC
a majority of tho F.uroponn powers. Thin
treaty confers upon us equal cnnunerclajl
rights with all European countries, and doe
not entail a' single obligation of any kind'
upon us, uud I earnestly hope It may !,
speedily ratified. To ,iefisu to ratify lii
would merely mean that wo forfeited otirl
commercial rights In Morocco and would uor
achlee another object of nny kind, in thew
event of such refusal we would ho left for'
(he first time lu u hundred and twenty:
years without any commercial treaty with
Morocco; nnd this at a time when we ars;
HU-rywhoro seeking new markets and out
lets for trade.
Protection of I "or Senln.
The laws for the protection of the soak
wit bin the Jurisdiction of tho I jilted Slam
need revision and amendment. In case w
are compelled to abandon the hope or mat-;
Ing arrangements with other government
to put an end to the hideous cruelty now'
Incident to pelngfc sealjng, It will be a
question for your suctoiis consideration uuw
far wo should continue to protect and main
tain the seal herd on laud with tho remit,
of continuing such n practice, nnd whether
It Is not belter to end tho prnctlco by ex
terminating the herd ourselves lu the moit
liumano way possible.
AVor for llnr Illuhl.
It must ever be kept .In niliid0 that Mar
ls not merely Justifiable, but Imperative,
upon honorable men, upon an honorable na
tion, where pence can only be obtained b.,
the sacrifice of conscientious conviction or'
of national welfare. Peace Is normally
great: good, and -mally It eolneldci with'
righteousness: but It Is righteousness anil
not peace which should bind the eonscloiw'
of a nation as It should bind the conscience
or an individual; and neither a nation nor
an Individual can surrender conscience to
another's keeping. Neither can a nation,
which Is an entity, and which does not dlt
us individuals die, refrain from taking
thought for the Interest of tho generations
that are to come, no less than for the. In
terest of the generation of to-day ; and no
public men have a right, whether front,
shortsightedness, Vom selfish ludlffcreuci,
or from sentlineiitullty. to sacrifice national)
Interests which are vital In character. A
Jst war Is lu the long run far better Tor x
nation's soul than the moat prosperous par
obtained bv acquiescence lu wrong or In
justice. Moreover, though It Is crimlnjS
Tor a nntlon not lo prepare for war, si
that It muv escape tint dreadful con.;
quonces of being defeated in war, yet J
must always be remembered that even l-
he defeated In war may bo far better than
not to have fought at all. As hns been wy
and finely said, a beaten nation Is not n-f.:
essarlly a disgraced nation ; but the n.il(nv
or man Is disgraced If the obllgaUc-u, to d
lend right Is shirked.
The Army nnil Xiivy.
I do not ask that wo continue to Incrrawr
uir navy. I ask merely that It be mala
tniiii-.' ot Its present strength; and this cm
be done out, " we replace the obsolete and
outworn ships by nu.-. "d good ones, th
equals of any afloat In any in,?;: To stop
building Nhlps for one year moans that. ia:
that year the navy goes back Instead of.
forward. In lth the army and the nacj
there Is urgent need that everything pos
sible should be done to imilii tutu thu high
est standard for the personnel, nltku ns re
gards the officers and tho enlisted men. For
years prior to the Spanish war the scenv'
tarles of war were praised chletly If .they."
piaotfced economy; which economy, etpe u
dully connection with tho quartermaster,
commissary, and medical departments, wc
directly reHM)nslblo for most of the mU
management that occurred lu the war ltelr
. uud parenthetically bo It observed thf
the very people, who clamored for the ml-l
directed economy lu the- first place werl
foremost to deuounce the mismanagement;)
loss, and suffering which were prlruazUyi
ilue to this name misdirected economy arvi!
to the lack of preparation It Involved. The
q'he readiness and efficiency of loth Uks1
army and nary In dealing with ihe recent
sudden crista lu Cuba Illustrate afresh tuttr
value to the putlon.