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About Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 1904)
7 To the Senate and House of Representa tives : The nation continues to enjoy note worthy prosperity. Such prosperity is of course primarily due to the high in dividual average of our citizenship , taken together with our great natural re sources ; but an important factor therein IH the working of our long-continued governmental policies. The enlargement of .scope of the functions of the national government rpiiiirpil ] by our development s a nation involves , of course , increase or expenses ; and the period of prosperity through which the country is passing jus tifies expenditures for permanent im provements Jfar greater than would be "wise in hard times. Battleships and forts , public buildings and improved w.-it- erxvsiys are investments which should he made when we have the money ; but abundant revenues' and a large surplus always invite extravagance , and constant care should be taken to guard against unnecessary increase of th ordinary ex penses of government. Capital ami iLabor. In the vast and coiiip'U'ated mechan ism of our modern civilized life the domi nant note is the note of industrialism ; iiml the relations of capita ! and labor , and especially of organized capital and organized labor , to each other and to the public at large come second in impor tance only to the intimate questions of family life. Our peculiar form of gov ernment , with its sharp division of au thority between the nation and the sev- enil States , has been on the whole far .more advantageous to our development than a more strongly centralized govern ment. But it is undoubtedly responsible for much of the diJlictilty of meeting with adequatelegislation the new problems presented by the total change in indus trial conditions on this continent during the last half-century. In actual practice it has proved exceedingly dilUcult , and in many cases impossible , to got unanim ity of wise action among the various States on these subjects. From the very nature of the case thi is especially true of the laws affecting the employment of capital in huge masses. As long as the -States retain the primary control of the police power the circumstances must be -altogether extreme which require inter ference by the federal authorities wheth er in the way of safeguarding the rights of labor or in the way of seeing that wrong is not done by unruly persons who Bhicld themselves behind the name of la- bor. If there is resistance to the federal courts , interference with the mails , or interstate commerce , or molestation of federal property , or if the State author ities in some crisis which they are un able to face call for help then the fed- cral government may interfere * but the interference itself simply takes the form of restoring order without regard to the questions which have caused the breach of order. I believe that under modern industrial conditions it is often neces sary , and even where not necessary it is jet often wise , that there should be or ganization of labor in order better to -secure the rights of the individual wage worker. All encouragement should be given to any such organization , so long ns it is conducted with a due and decent regard for the rights of others. But when any labor union seeks improper ends , or seeks to achieve proper ends by improper means , all good citizens and more especially all honorable public ser vants must oppose the wrongdoing as resolutely as they woul1 oppose the wrongdoing of any great corporation. Of course any violence , brutality or corrup tion should not for one moment be tol- erated. Wage-workers have an entire right to organize and by all peaceful and honora - ble means to endeavor to persuade their \ JL/lvJ * * \ < A * J LU x " V ' x * * v - fc iv\ v t * * V .11. " f" * M follows to join with them in organiza tions. They have n legal right , winch , according to circumstances , may or may not be a moral ri ht , to refuse to work 3n company with men who decline to join their organizations. They have under no circumstances the right to commit vio lence upon those , whether capitalists or wage-workers , who refuse to support their organizations , or who side with tliose with whom they are at odds ; for mob rule is intoW-jitio i" "iv form. Prevention of Railroad Accidents. The ever-increasing casualty list upon our railroads is a matter of grave public concern , and urgently cans for action by the Congress. Many of our leading roads liave been foremost in the adoption of the most approved safeguards for the protection of travelers and employes , yet The list of clearly avoidable accidents continues unduly large. 1 would point out to the Congress the unrent need of legislation in the interest of the public safety limiting the hours of labor for railroad employes in train service upon railroads engaged iu interstate commerce , and providing that only trained and ex perienced persons be employed in posi tions of responsibility connected with the operation of trains. Of course noth ing can ever prevent accidents caused by human weakness or misconduct : and there should be drastic punishment for / / any railroad employe , whether officer or > ' man , who by issuance of wrong orders ( or by disobedience of orders causes dis aster. The Bureau of Labor. Much can be done by the government in labor matters merely by giving pub licity to certain conditions. The Bureau of Labor has done excellent work of this kind in many different directions. I shall shortly lay before you in a special message the full report of the investi gation of the Bureau o * . Labor into the Colorado mining strike , as this is a strike in which certain very evil forces , which are more or less at work everywhere un- < ler the conditions of modern industrial ism , became startlincly prominent. Dealing with Corporations. When we come to deal with great cor porations the need for the government to act directly is far greater than in the < : ase of labor , because great corporations can become such only by engaging in in terstate commerce , and interstate com merce is peculiarly the field of the gen eral government. It is an absurdity to expect to eliminate the abuses in great corporations by State action. The na tional government alone can deal ade quately with these great corporations. The American people need to continue to show the very qualities that they have shown that is , moderation , good sense , the earnest desire to avoid doing any damage , and yet the quiet determination to proceed , step by step , without halt and without hurry , in eliminating or at least in minimizing whatever of mischief or of evil there is to interstate commerce In the conduct of great corporations. They are acting in no spirit of hostility to wealth , either individual or corporate. They are not against the rich man any more than against the poor man. On the contrary , they are friendly alike toward rich man and toward poor man , provided only that each acts in a spirit of justice and decency toward his fellows. Great corporations are necessary , and only men of great and singular mental power can manage such corporations suc cessfully , and such men must have great rewards. But these corporations should be managed with due regard to the In terest of the public as a whole. Where this can' be done tinder the present laws it must be done. Where these laws come short others should be enacted to supple ment them. JJnreau of Corporations. The Bureau of Corporations lists made careful preliminary investigation of many important corporations. It will make a special report on the beef industry. The policy of the bureau is to accomplish the purposes of its creation by co-opera tion , not antagonism ; by making con structive legislation , not destructive pros ecution , the immediate object of its in quiries ; by conservative investigation of law and fact , and by refusal to issue incomplete and hence necessarily HI accu rate reports. Its policy being thus one of open inquiry into , and not attack upon , business , the bv/eau has been able to gain not only tin * confidence , but. bet ter still , the co-operation of men engaged in legitimate business. Question of Kebntcs. Above all elseve must strive to keep the highways of commerce open to all on equal terms ; and to do this it is nec essary to put a complete stop to all re bates. Whether the shipper or the rail road is to blame makes no difference ; the rebate must be stopped , the abuses of the private car and private terminal- track and side-track systems must be slopped , and the legislation of the Fifty- eighth Congress which declares it to be unlawful for any person or corporation to offer , grant , give , solicit , accept or receive any rebate , concession or discrim ination in respect of the transportation of any property in interstate or foreign Commerce whereby such "ronorty shall by any device whatever be transported at a less rate than that named in the tariffs published by the carrier must be enforced. The City of Washington. In pursuing the set plan to make the city of Washington an example to other Amer ican municipalities several points should bo kept In mind by the legislators. The Con gress has the .same power of legislation for the District of Columbia which the State Legislatures have for the various States. The i.roblems incident to our highly com plex modern industrial civilization , with its manifold and perplexing tendencies both fur good and for evil , arc far less sharply accentuated In the city of Washington than in most other cltied. For this very reason it is easier to deal with the various phases of these problems in Washington , and the District of Columbia government should be a model for the other municipal governments of the Nation , in all such mat ters as supervision of the housing of the poor , the creation of small parks in the distiicts inhabited by the poor , in laws affecting labor , in laws providing for the talcing care of the children , in truant laws , and in providing schools. That the Na tion's Capital should be made a model for other municipalities is an ideal which ap peals to all patriotic citizens everywhere. The Department of Agriculture. The Department of Agriculture has grown into an educational institution with a fac ulty of two thousand specialists making re search Into nil the sciences of production. Ihe Congress amn'opriatos. directly and indirectly , six millions of dollars annually to carry on this work. It readies every State and Territory in the Union and the islands of the sea lately come under our Hag. Co-operation is had with the State experiment stations , and with many other institutions and Individuals. The world is carefully searched for new varieties of grains , frnits , grasses , vegetables , trees , and shrubs , suitable to various localities in our country ; and marked benefit to our producers lias resulted. The activities of our age In lines of research have reached the tillers of the soil and inspired them with ambition to know more of the prin ciples that govern the forces of nature with which they have to deal. Nearly half of the people of this country devote their en ergies to growing things from the soli. Un til a recent date little has been done to prepare these millions for their life work. In most lines of human activity colleg- trained men are the leaders. The farmer had no opportunity for special training un til the Congress made provision for It forty years ago. During these years progress has been made and leathers have been pre pared. Over live thousand students are In attendance at our State Agricultural Colleges. The Department of Agriculture has ghen facilities for post-graduate work to live hundred young men during the last seven years , preparing them for advanced lines of work In the Department and in the State institutions. The facts concern ing meteorology and its relations to plant and animal life are being systematically inquired into. The seasons of the cyclones of the Caribbean Sea and their paths are being forecasted with increasing accuracy. The cold winds that come from the north are anticipated and their times and in tensity told to farmers , gardeners , and fruiterers in all southern localities. We sell two hundred and fifty million dollars' worth of animals and animal products to foreign countries every year , In addition to supplying our own people more cheaply and abundantly than any other nation is able to provide for its people. The Department of Agriculture , bv careful inspection of meats , guards t'nc neaith of our people and gives clean bills of health to deserving ex ports ; it is prepared to deal promptly with imported diseases of animals , and maintain the excellence of our flocks and herds in this respect. Strenuous efforts are being made to import from foreign countries such grains as are suitable to our varying lo calities. Seven years ago we bought three- fourths of our rice ; we helped the rice ; .rowers on the Gulf coast and they now supply home demand and export to the islands of the Caribbean Sea and to other rice-gi owing countries. Wheat and other grains have been imported from light-rain fall countries to our lands in the West and Southwest that have not grown crops be cause of light precipitation , resulting in an extensive addition to our cropping area and our home-making territory that can not be irrigated. Ten million bushels of first-class macaroni wheat were grown from these experimental importations last year. Fruits suitable to our soils and climates are being imported from all the eountries'of the Old World. The soils of the country are get ting attention from the fanner's stanll- point , and interesting results are following. The reclamation of alkali lauds is progress- Ing , to give object lessons to our people in methods by which worthless lands may be made productive. The Insect friends and enemies of the farmer are getting at tention. Careful preliminary work Is being done towards producing our own silk. The crop-reporting system of the Department of Agriculture is being brought closer to ac curacy every year. Irrigation of Arid Lands. During the two and a half years that have elapsed since the passage of the re clamation act rapid progress has been made in the surveys and examinations of the op portunities for reclamation In the thirteen Stater and three Territories of the arid West , Construction has already been be gun on the largest and most important of the irrigation works , an'd plans are being completed for works which will utilize the funds now available. The larger problems have been solved and It now remains to execute with care , economy , and thorough ness the work which has been laid out. Each project Is taken up on the ground by competent men and viewed from the stand point of the creation of prosperous homes , and of promptly refunding to the Treasury the cost of construction. Our Forest Reserves. It Is the cardinal principle of the for est-reserve policy of this Administration that the reserves are for use. Whatever interferes with * the use of their resources Is to be avoided by every possible means. But these resources must be used In such a way as to make them permanent. The forest policy of the government Is just now a subject of vivid public Interest through out the West and to the people of the United States in general. The forest re serves themselves are of extreme value to the present as well as to the future welfare PRESIDENT THEODORE ROOSEVELT. of all the western public-land States. They powerfully affect the use and disposal of the public lands. They eren' special im- por auce because they preserve the water supply and the supply of timber for do mestic purnoses. and so wromote settlement under the reclamation act. Indeed , they are ossentlnl to the welfare of every one of the great Interests of the West. In connection with the work of the forest reserves I desire again to urge upon the Congress the Importance of authorizing the President to set aside certain portions of these reserves or other public lands as game refuges for the preservation of the bison , the wapiti , and other large beasts once so abundant in our woods and mountains and on our great plains , and now tending toward extinction. Pensions. The veterans of the Civil War have a claim upon the Nation such as no other body of our citizens possess. The Pension Bureau has never In its history been man aged in a more satisfactory manner than is now the case. Progress of the Indians. The progress of the Indians toward civil ization , though not rapid , Is perhaps all that could be hoped for iu view of the cir cumstances. Within the past year many tribes have shown , in a degree greater than ever before , an appreciation of the neces sity of work. This changed attitude is in part due to the pulley recently pursued of reducing the amount of subsistence to the Indians , and thus forcing them , through sheer necessity , to work for a livelihood. The policy , though severe , is a Useful one , but it is to be exercised only with judg ment and with a full understanding of the conditions which exist in each community for which It is Intended. The Postal Service. In the rostofflce Department the service has Increased in cllicieiicy , and conditions as to revenue and expenditure continue sat isfactory. The increase of revenue during the year was $9,338,181.10 , or 0.9 per cent , the total receipts amounting to $ M3,3S'J , 24.- 34. The expenditures were $132. 02,110.70 , an Increase of about 9 per cent over the previous year , being thus $8,979,492.30 In excess of the current revenue. Included IB these expenditures was a total appropria tion of $12,930,037.35 for the continuation and extension of the rural free-delivery service , whlc.li was an Increase of $4,902.- 237.33 over the amount expended for this purpose ill the preceding fiscal year. Large as this expenditure lias been the beneficent results attained In extending the free dis tribution of mails to the residents of rural districts have justified the wisdom of the outlay. Statistics brought down to the 1st of October , 190 } , show that on that date there were 27.138 rural routes established , serving approximately 12.000.000 of people in rural districts remote from postofficcs , and that there were pending at that time 3,839 petitions for the establishment of new rural routes. Unquestionably some part of the general Increase in receipts is due to the increased postal facilities which the rural sen-ice has afforded. The revenues have also been aided greatly by amend ments In the classification of mall matter , and the curtailment of abuses of the sec ond-class mailing privilege. A National Quarantine Iavf. It Is desirable to enact a proper National quarantine law. It is most undesirable that a State should on Its own initiative enforce quarantine regulations which are In effect a restriction upon interstate and interna tional commerce. The question should prop erly be assumed by the government alone. The Currency Question. The attention of the Congress should be especially given to the currency question , and that the standing committees on the matter In the two Houses charged with the duty , take up the matter of our cur rency and see whether it Is not possible to secure an agreement in the business world for bettering the system ; the com mittees should consider the question of the retirement of the greenbacks and the prob lem of securing In our currency such elas ticity as Is consistent with safety. Every silver dollar should be made by law redeem able In gold at the option of the holder. Oriental Markets. The Importance of securing proper In formation and data with a view to the en largement of our trade with Asia is undi- minished. Our consular representatives in China have strongly urged a place for per manent display of American products In some prominent trade center of that em pire , under government control and man agement , as an effective merins of advanc ing our-export trade therein. I call the attention of the Congress to the desira bility of carrying out these suggestions. Immigration and Naturalization. In dealing with the questions of immi gration and naturalization It Is Indispensa ble to keep certain facts ever before the minds of those who share In enacting the laws. First and foremost , let us remem ber that the question of being a good Amer ican has nothing whatever to do with a man's birthplace any more than It has to do with his creed. In every generation from the time this government was found ed men of foreign birth have stood In the very foremost rank of good citizenship , and that not merely In one but In every f\eld of American activity. There Is no danger of having too many Immigrants of the right kind. But the citizenship of tals country shonld not be debased. It Is vital that we should keep high the standard of well-being among onr wage-workers , and therefore we shonld not admit' masses of men whose standards of Hying and whose perional customs and habits are such that they tend to lower the level of the Ameri can wage-worker ; and above all we should not admit any man of an unworthy type , any man concerning whom we can say that he will himself be a bad citizen , or that his children and grandchildren will detract from instead of adding to the sum of the good citizenship of the country. Similar ly we should take the greatest care about naturalization. Fraudulent naturalization , the naturalization of improper persons , is a curse to our government ; and it is the affair of every honest voter , wherever born , to sec that no fraudulent voting is allow ed , that no fraud In connection with nat- nralizatlon Is permitted. Not only are the laws relating to naturalization now defec tive , but those relating to citizenship of the United States ought also to be made the subject of scientific inquiry with a view to probable further legislation. The Territory of Alaska. Alaska , like all our Territorial acquisi tions , has proved resourceful beyond the expectations of those who made the pur chase. It has become the home of many hardy. Industrious , and thrifty American citizens. Towns of a permanent character have been built. The extent of its wealth in minerals , timber , fisheries and agricul ture , while great. Is probably not compre hended yet in any just measure by our people. We do know , however , that from .1 very small beginning its products have grown until they are a steady and material contribution to the wealth of the nation. Owing to the immensity of Alaska and its location in the far north , it is a difiicnlt matter to provide many things essential to its growtli and to the happ'iess and com fort of its people by private enterprise alone. It should , therefore , receive rea sonable aid from the government. The government has already done excellent work for Alaska in laying cables and build ing telegraph lines. The Alaskan natives should be given the right to acquire , hold , and dispose of property upon the same conditions as given other inhabitants ; and the privilege of citizenship should be given to such as may be able to meet certain definite requirements. Our Foreign. Policy. In treating of our foreign policy and of the attitude that this great Nation should assume in the world at large , it is absolute ly necessary to consider the Army and the Navy , and the Congress , through which the thought of the Nation finds its expression , should keep ever vividly in mind the funda mental fact that It is impossible to treat our foreign policy , whether this policy takes shape in the effort to secure justice for others or Justice for ourselves , save as con ditioned upon the attitude we are willing to take toward our Army , and especially toward our Navy. It Is not merely unwise , it is contemptible , for a nation , ns for an individual , to use high-sounding language to proclaim its purposes , or to take positions which are ridiculous If unsupported by po tential force , and then to refuse to provide this force. If there is no intention of pro viding and of keeping the force necessary to back up a strong attitude , then it is far better not to assume such an attitude. The steady aim of this Nation , as of ail enlightened nations , should be to strive to bring ever nearer the day when there shall prevail throughout the world the peace of justice. There are .kinds of peace which are highly undesirable , which are in the long run as destructive as any war. Tyrants an/1 oppressors have many times made a wilderness and called it peace. Many times peoples who were slothful or timid or short sighted , who had been enervated by ease or by luxury , or misled by false teachings , have shrunk In unmanly fashion from do ing duty that was stern and that ne.eded self-sacrifice , and have sought to hide from their own minds their shortcomings , their Ignoble motives , by calling them love of peace. The peace of tyrannous terror , the peace of craven weakness , the peace of In justice , ail these should be shunned as we shun unrighteous war. The goal to set be fore us as a nation , the goal which should be set before all mankind , is the attain ment of the peace of Justice , of the peace which conies when each nation Is not mere ly safeguarded In its own rights , but scrup ulously recognizes and performs Its duty , toward others. Generally peace tells for righteousness ; but If there is conflict be tween the two. then our fealty is due first to the cause of righteousness. Unrighteous wars are common , and unrighteous peace is rare ; but both should be shunned. It Is our duty to remember that a nation has no more right to do injustice to another nation , strong or weak , than an Individual has to do injustice to another Individual ; that the same moral law applies In one case as In the other. But we must also remember that ft Is as much the duty of the Nation to guard Its own rights and Its own Inter ests as It is the duty of the individual so to do. Within the Nation the Individual has now delegated this right to the State , that is , to the representative of all the In dividuals , and It Is a maxim of the law that for every wrong there Is a remedv. But In International law we have not ad vanced by any means as far as we have advanced In municipal law. There is as yet no Judicial way of enforcing a right in international la\r. When one nation wrongs another or wrongs many others there Is tribunal before no which the wron-- doer can be brought. Either It la neces sary supinely to acquiesce In th" wron" , and thus put a premium upon brutailty and aggression , or else It I ? necessary for the aggrieved nation valiantly to stand un for Its rights. Until 80ms method Is de vised by which there shall be a degree of International control over offending nations It would be a wicked thing for the most civilized powers , for thore with most sense of international obligation * and witfc keen est and most generous appreciation of the difference between right and wrong. to dls- jirm. If the great civilized nations of the " "present dny should completely disarm , the result would mean an Immediately recrud escence of barbarism In one form or an other. Under any circumstances a sufficient armament would have to be kept up to serve the purposes of international police ; and until international cohesion and the sense of international duties and rights are far more advanced than at present , a na tion desirous both of securing respect for itself and of doing good to otheis must have a force adequate for the work which it feels Is allotted to It as Its part of the general world duty. A great free people owes it to itself and to nil mankind not to sink into helplessness before the powers of evil. Second Hague Conference. We are in every way endeavoring to help on. with coidlal good will , every movement which will tend to bring uInto more friendly relations with t.he rest of man kind. In pursuance of this policy I shall shortly lay before the Senate treaties of arbitration with all powrrs wlilch aie will ing to enter into these treaties with us. Furthermore , : it the request of the Inter parliamentary Union , an eminent body com posed of practical statesmen from all coun tries , I have asked the Towers to Join with this government in a second Hague con ference , at which it is hoped that the work already so happily begun at The Hague may be carried some steps further tovvaid com- Policy Toward Other Nations of West ern Hemisphere. It Is not true that the United States feels any land hunger or entertains any projects as regards the other nations of the West ern hemisphere save such as are for their welfare. All that this country desires id to see the neighboring countries stable , or derly , and prosperous. If a nation shows that It knows how to act with reasonable etiiciency and decency in social and political matters , if it keeps order and pays its ob ligations , it need fear no interferencefrom the United States. Chronic wrong-doing. or an impotence which results in a general loosening of the ties of civilized society , may in America , as elsewhere , ultimately require intervention by some civilized na tion. and in the Western hemisphere the adherence of the I nited Statt-s to the Monroe doctrine may force the United States , however reluctantly , in flagrant cases of such wrongdoing or impotence , to the exercise of an international police power. In asserting the Monroe doctrine , in tak ing such steps as we have taken In regard to Cuba , Venezuela and I'anama , and in endeavoring to circumscribe the theater of war in the Far East , and to secure the open door in China , we have acted in our own interest as well as In the interest of humanity at large. There are , however cases in which , while our own interests are. not greatly involved , strong appeal is made to our sympathies. Ordinarily it iz very much wiser and more useful for us to concern ourselves with striving for onr own moral and material betterment here at home than to concern ourselves with trying to better the condition of things in other nations. We have plenty cf sins of our own to war against , and under ordi nary circumstances we can do more for the general uplifting of humanity by striving with heart and soul to put a stop to civic corruption , to brutal lawlessness and vio lent race prejudices here ut home than by passing resolutions about wrongdoing else where. Nevertheless there are cecasional crimes committed on so vast a scale and of such peculiar horror as to make ns doubt whether it is not our manifest duty to endeavor at least to show our disap proval of the deed and our sympathy with those who have suffered by it. The cases must be extreme in which such a course is justifiable. The cases in which we conld interfere by force of arms ns we interfered to put a stop to intolerable conditions in Cuba are necessarily very few. It is in evitable that a people like ours , which in spite of certain very obvious shortcomings , nevertheless as a whole shows by Its con sistent practice its belief in the principles of civil and religious liberty and of orderly freedom , should desire eagerly to give ex pression to Its horror on an occasion like that of the massacre of the .Tews in Kishe- nef , or when it witnesses such systematic and long-extended cruelty and oppression as the cruelty and oppression of Which the Armenians have been the victims , and which have won for them the indignant pity of the civilized world. The Navy. The strong arm of the government In enforcing respect for its just rights in in ternational matters la the Navy of the Uniti'd States' . I most earnestly recom mend that there be no halt In the work of upbuilding the American Navy. We have undertaken to build the Isthmian Canal. We have undertaken to secure for our selves our just share in the trade of the Orient. We have undertaken to protect our citizens from Improper treatment in foreign lands. We continue steadily to In sist on the application of the Monroe doc trine to the Western hemisphere. Unless onr attitude in these and all similar mat ters Is to be a mere boastful sham we can not afford to abandon our naval program. Our voice is now potent for peace , and is so potent because we are not afraid of war. war.The war which now unfortunately rages in the far East has emphasized in striking fashion the new possibilities of naval war fare. The lessons taught are both strategic and tactical , and are political as well as military. The experiences of the war have shown In com-lusive fashion that while sen-going and sea-keeping torpedo destrov- ers are indispensable , and fast lightly arm ed and armored cruisers very useful yet that the main reliance , the main standbv In any navy worthy the name must be the great battle ships , heavily armored and heavily gunned. There will always be a large field of usefulness for cruisers epp - clally of the more formidable type but most of all we need to continue building our fleet of battle ships , or ships so power fully armed that they can Inflict the maxi mum of damage npon our - opponents andso well protected that they can suffer n e- vere hammering in return without fatal impairment of their ability to ficht and maneuver. Ample means must "be pro vided for enabling the personnel of the Nav.v to be brought to the highest point of efficiency. Onr great fighting ships and torpedo boats must be ceaselessly trained and maneuvered tn squadrons. The Army. Within the last three years the United States has set an example in disarmament where disarmament was proper Bylaw our Army Is fixed at a maximum of one hundred thousand and a minimum of sixty thousand men When there was insurret- at the mtheirhillpp . nos we kePt tn * A"ny Pence came In the Phil ippines and now our Army lias been re duced to the minimum at which It is possi ble to keep It with due regard to its effi ciency. The guns now mounted require f m5" " ? sht tho"sa d men , If the coast fortifications are to be adequately manned. \ \ e need more officers ; there are not enough to perform the regular army work. It is very important that the officers of the Army should be accustomed to handle their men in masses , as It is also important that the National Guard of the several States shonld be accustomed to actual field man euvering , especially In connection with the regulars. For this reason we are to be congratulated upon the success of the field maneuvers at Manassss last fall , maneuvers In which a larger number of Regulars and National Guard took part than was ever before assembled together In time of peace No other civilized nation has , relatively to Its population , such a diminutive Annv as ours ; and while the Army Is so small we are not to be excused if we fall to keen it at a very high grade of proficiency. We should be able , in the event of some sud den emergency , to put into the field one first-class army corps , which should be , as a whole , nt least the equal of any body of troops of like number belonging to any "oth er nation. The Philippine Islands. In the Philippine Islands there has been during the past year a continuation of the steady progress which has obtained ever since our troops definitely cot the upper hand of the Insurgents. The Philippine II people at present are utterly Incapable of existing In independence nt nil or of hnild- Ing up a civilization of their own. I tlrmjy bHIeve that we can help ttiem to rla higher and higher In the sou Itof civilization and of capacity for self-government " n J I most earnestly hope that In tin * end"they will be able to stand , if not entirely alone , yet In some such relation to the United States as Cuba now stands. This end la not yet in sight. and It may be Indefinite ! ? postponed if our people are foolish enough to turn the attention of the Filipinos nway from the problems of achieving moral and material prosperity , of working for n sta ble , orderly , and just go\cniment. niul to ward foolish and dangerous Intrlgm-s for a complete independence for which they are as yet totally unfit. On the other hand , onr people must koep steadily before their minds the fact that the justification for our stay In the Philip pines must ultimately rest chletly upon tho good we are able to do in the Islands. I do not overlook the fact that In the develop ment of our interests in the PacIflV Ocean and along Its coasts , the Philippines hav played and will play mi Important part. and thj't our interests li.ivc iict-n served lu more than one way by the possession of the islands. P.ut onr chief reason for continuing to hold them must be that we ought In good faith to try to do otir share of the world's work , and this partlcn'ar piece of work has buen imposed iijn > n us by the re sults of the war with rm n. We anen deavoring to develop the natives thm - sc-lves so that they shall take an ever- increasing share In their own government , and MS far as is prudent we are already ad mitting their represent. ! thrs to a govern mental equality with our own. There are oinmi < sioners. judges , and governors In tho Islands who are Filipinos and who have ex actly the same share in the government of the islands as have their colleagues who are Americans , while In the lower ranks , of course , the great majority of the public servants are Filipinos. Within two years we shall be trying the experiment of an elective lower house in the Philippine Leg islature. It may l > e that the Filipinos will misuse this Legislature , and they certainly will misuse it if they are misled by foolish. persons here at home Into starting an agi tation for their own independence or Into any factious or Improper action. But if they act with wisdom anil self-restraint , If thev show that they are capable of electing- a legislature which In its turn Is capable of taking n sane and efficient part In the actual work of government , they can rest assured that a full and increasing meas ure of recognition will be given them. Above all they should remember that their prime needs arc moral and Industrial , not political. It is a good thing to try the ex periment of giving them a legislature ; but it is a far better thing to give them schools , good roads , railroads whieh will cnnblo them to get their products to market , hon est courts , an honest and efficient constabu lary , and all that tends to produce order. peace , fair dealing as between man ana man. and habitsof Intelligent industry and thrift. Meanwhile our own people should remem ber that there is need for the highest stand ard of conduct among the Amt-rlcans sent to the Philippine Islands , not only among the public servants but among the private individuals who go to them. It Id because * I feel this so deeply that In the adminis tration of these islands I have positively refused to permit any discrimination what soever for political reasons and have In sisted that in chousing the public servants consideration shonld be paid solely to the worth of the men chosen and to the needs of the islands. There is no higher body of men In our public service than we have In the Philippine Islands under Governor Wright and his associates. So far as pos sible these men should be given a free hand , and their suggestions should receive the hearty backing both of the Executive and of the Congress. Hvery measure taken concerning the Isl ands should be taken primarily with a \icw to their advantage. We should cer tainly give them lower tariff rates on their exports to the United States ; If this Is not done it will be a wrong to extend oar ship ping laws to them. I earnestly hope for the Immediate enactment into law of the le-'isiatlon now pending to encourage Amer ican capital to seek Investment In the Isl ands In railroads. In factories. In planta tions. and in lumbering and mining. Minor Slessajre 31 ention. Our consular system needs improvement. Alaska should have u delegate in the Congress. | There should be a comprehensive revi sion of the naturalization laws. I recommend the enactment of a law di rected against bribery ami corruption- Federal elections. There is no enemy of free government more dangerous and none so insidious aa the corruption of the electorate. I especially commend tw your Immedlata attention the encouragement of our mer chant marine by appropriate legislation. The cost of doing government business should be regulated with the same rigid scrutiny us the cost of doing a privata business. The prime duty of the man Is to work , to be the bread winner ; the prime duty ol the woman IB to be the mother , the house The harbor of Honolulu should be dredged. The Marine Hospital Service should be empowered to study leprosy In the islands. The Canyon of the Colorado should be made a national park ; and the national- park system should include the Yosemlte and as many ns possible of the groves ot giant trees in California. I call attention to thp great extrava gance In printing and binding government publications , and especially to the fact that altogether too many of these publica tions are printed. There Is no objection to employes of the government forming or belonging to unions * but the government can neither discrimi nate for nor discriminate against nonunion men who are in its employment , or who sock to be employed under It. No subject is better worthy the atten tion of the Congress than that portion of the report of the Attorney General deal ing with the long delays and the great ob struction to justice experienced in the cases of Beavers , Green and Gaynor , and Benson. If a race does not have plenty of chil dren. or if the children do not grow up or if when they grow up they are un healthy in body and stunted or vicious In mind , then that race is decadent , and no heaping up of wealth , no splendor of momentary material prosperity , can avail in any degree a ? offsets. Tact. The lovely girl hesitated. "Tell me , Mr. Throgson , " she said "am I tha first girl you ever loved ? " ' I'll be honest with you , Miss Eu nice , " replied the young man. "You are not. But you are farand away the most beautiful. " The reatvas easy. Chicago Trib une. A Katural Inference. "How loaij have you been the hus band of th * defendant ? " "Twenty-four j-ears. " "Eh ! She's just testified that her age is but 2S. How do you explala this ? " "We-we married young , your hon or. " Cleveland Plain Dealer. Flatterinc. Cholly So Miss Tartun said a good word about me , did she ? Archie Yes ; she said that when on got better acquainted with you on * found you were not half as big a fool as you appeared to be. Chicago-TrJfr- . un .