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 .
