OCR Text |
Show M Executive Begins It With Prosperity as a Topic. I 3EALS WITH SUBJECT OF TRUSTS Vi Ftwor of National Rather than 8tate Regulation Would Not " Do Away With Them, but Would Eliminate the Evil in Them. In hta message to Congress Presl- sent Roosovolt lias this to say; ,THE TEXT OF THE MESSAGE. JWViU1 conUn"e ' " Peilod of un- H bounded prosperity. This properUy H U not the creature ot law. but i.., loubtedly tho laws undel 'which w0 H Jrork have been Instiumentni 11 ere? m W the conditions which made i H joislble. and by unwise legislation r,0Uld b?neasy. c,.louBl to destroy It more will undoubtedly bo periods of lepNMlon. The wave will recede; bu H lie tide will advance. This nation Is Seated on a continent Hanked by two treat oceans. It is composed ot mon he descendants ot pioneers. Or. in Ii lense. pioneers themselves; of men vinnowed out from' uinong the nations f the old world by the eneigy, bold- less, and love of adventure found In Iheir own eager hearts, Such a nation 10 placed, will surely wrest success" !rom fortune. ui.-ess A a people we have played a large .part In the world, and we are bent upon making our future even larger1 than the- past. In particular, the .events of the last four years have dell- I nttely decided that, for wou or for K weal, our place must be great among I the nations. We may either fall greatly or succeed greatly; but we can not .avoid the endeavor from which either .great failure or great success must come, liven if we would, wa can not play a small part. If wo should try I all that would follow would be that we fchould play a largo part Ignobly and e7hamefully. K. But our neODle. the sons nf h .. of the Civil war, the sons of tho men I who had iron In their blood, rejoice In tho present and face tho futuio high I of heart and resolute of will. Ours Is not the creed of tho weakling and the coward; ours Is the gospel of hope and of triumphant endeavor. We do M not shrink from tho struggle before us Thore are many probloms for us to mt face at tho outset of the twentieth H century gravo problems abroad nnd M still graver nt homo; but we know that we can solve them nnd solve them well, provided only tlint wo bring to H the solution the qualities of head nnd mt heart which were shown by tho men who, in the days of Washington, founded this government, and, In the days of Lincoln, preserved it. THE EVIDENCES OF WEALTH. v,1!0 count-y hus ever occupied a J higher plane of material well-being m than ours at the present moment. This J well-being is due to no sudden or ac-m ac-m cldontal causes, but to the play of the economic forces In this country J for over a century; to our laws, our M sustained and continuous policies- above all, to tho high Individual aver- age of our citizenship. Oreat fortunes I have been won by those who have 5," .5 VT Ie!J(1 ln thls Phenomenal in- dustrtal development, nnd most of these M fortunes have been won not by doing evil, but as an Incident to action which J has benefited the community as a J whole. Never before has material well- being been so widely diffused among our people. Great fortunes have been accumulated, nnd yet In the ng- gregate these fortunes are small In- deed when compared to the wealth of 1 the neonle as a whole Th i-.i .,-.. pie are better off than they have over been before. The Insurance compan- U."1 ..I"1'0'1 ar prnctlcnlly mutual -3nent "ocictles psppclnllv helpful to Witn ot moderate means represent nc- .sflfmulatlons of capital which are tnong tho largest in this country. There are more deposits In the sav- bigs banks, more owners of farms, more well-paid wage-workers in this eountry now than ever before In our history. Of course, when the condl- tlons have favored tho growth of so much that was good, they have also favored somewhat the growth of what was evil. It is eminently necessnry that we should endeavor to cut out this evil, but let us keep a due sense of proportion; let us not ln fixing our tare upon tho lesser evil forget the greater good. The evils are real and some of them nro mennclng. but they re the outgrowth, not of misery or decadence, but of prosperity of the progress of our glgnntlc Industrial development. de-velopment. This Industrial development develop-ment must not bo checked, but side by aide with It should go such progressive regulation s will diminish the evils. We should fall In our duty If we did not try to remedy the evils, but we hall succeed only if we proceed patiently, pa-tiently, with practical common sense as well as resolution, separating tho rood from the bad and holding on to the former while endeavoring to get rid of the latter. THE REGULATION OF TRUSTS. In my message to the present Con- pess at Us first session I discussed nt length the question of the regulation Of those bis cornoratlnns cnmmnnlv doing an Interstnto business, often with some tendency to monopoly, which are popularly known as trusts. The experience of the past year has emphasized In my opinion the desirability desira-bility of the steps I then proposed. A fundamental requisite of social efficiency effi-ciency Is a high standard of Individual nariy and excellence; but this Is In a. wise Inconsistent with power to p in combination for alms which can tt o well be achieved by the Indi-TMual Indi-TMual acting alone. A fundamental fcaat of civilization Is the Inviolability f property; but this Is In no wise Inconsistent In-consistent with tho right of socetey to regulate the exercise of tho artificial powers which It confers upon the own-era own-era of property, under the name of corporate cor-porate franchises, ln such a way as to prevent tho misuse of these powers. Corporations, and especially combinations combi-nations of corporations, should be man-Otd man-Otd under public regulation. Experience Expe-rience has shown that under our system sys-tem of government the necessary supervision su-pervision oannot be obtained by state action. It must therefore bo achieved by national action. Our aim is not to do away with corporations; on the con-trary.th.eie con-trary.th.eie big aggregations are an Inevitable In-evitable development of modern Industrialism, Indus-trialism, and tho effort to destroy them would be futile unless accomplished accom-plished In wnys that would work the utmost mischief to the entire body politic. Wo can do nothing of good ln the ay of regulating nnd supervising theso corporations until we fix clearly Jn our minds that we are not attacking the corporations, but endeavoring to do away with nriy evil In them. We Me not hostile to them; we are merely determined thnt they shall be so hnn-diid hnn-diid as to subsoivo the public good. We draw the lino ngnlnst misconduct, i i K V ' ' W ? n r - - i I, J I onl he works in r?nffaocV Provided lines. We wu" P? "ml Kltlmato "hen he does we wl SW ? mnn Privet "fli'V" -MS trarmrnonesr-pora: hi.I!l.iCurblnff mi' regulating the com-bocomTn.0' com-bocomTn.0' ,Cnpltnl wl,lc" re orTnay rises w.m' '? R," " rent entcr- n bSnTinii 'm co of induction not to Sn2 won V,l,M,lac,0 1,lch "r cntry lirnnJi ." .lll lenders hip of the ln-.t?n ln-.t?n "Tal ",dutrlal world, not to fni ti, ,factore' nnd mines, of turn-aml turn-aml leavfnTH"'0;15" ld,c '" tlla strts k"t fo? J.h5.1 ,e tnTmor without a mnr-th mnr-th lmnnti,,e T"W- nltenco upon o ther uJ, Mc ?xnr,l' " on tho of whn? - f '"bl'orn defeupe alike th nli.iin BO"1 '""I 'lmt Is bad In fo ., n.B y1- thi- resolute ef-incnt ef-incnt 'i I ,?n ntte"'Pt nt better-tniHi' better-tniHi' i?nt ys. ''""'Inesa to the historic 'sVfc.i,,,1 WIre 'volution 1 the bure safeguard ngnlnst revolution. INTERSTATE COMMERCE, com. w re .,.nPrtnnt subject can th r.. ?'?, ,l,e ""BtesB than this of Ti?i.rcBll,u!,0 ot Interstate business, si nln.0".',0' r.an "ot ,lffor'l to sit m.R-e n ."'e rIen thnt un1er our pe-ho pe-ho n."5iB,e.?1 ot fvernment we hre neipiess in the presence of now condl-l.ons, condl-l.ons, and unable to grapple with them or to cut out whatever of evil has nrlsen in connection with them. 1. 1. Pow" of Congress to regulate interstate commerce is an absolute and unqualified grant, and without llmita-tions llmita-tions other than those presorlbed by the Constitution. The Congress has constitutional authority to make all lawb necessary and proper for executing execut-ing this power, and I am satisfied that tms power has not been exhausted by any legislation now on the statute books. It is evident therefore, that evils restrictive of commercial freedom free-dom anA .ntallinn M.ti..tHl .... tional commerce fall within the regulative reg-ulative power of Congross, and that a wise and reasonable low would be a necessary and proper exercise of congressional con-gressional authority to tho end that cueh'-evlls should be eradicated. I hellevo that monopolies, unjust dlrcrlmlnatlons, which prevent or cripple crip-ple competition, fraudulent overcapitalization, overcapi-talization, and other evils In trust organizations or-ganizations nnd practices which Injuriously In-juriously affect Interstate trade can lie prevented under the power ot Con-crers Con-crers to "regulate commerce with foreign for-eign nations nnd among' the soveral stntes" through regulations nnd requirements re-quirements operating directly, upon such commerce, the Instrumentalities thereof, and those engaged therein. I earnestly recommend this subject to the consideration of the Congress with a view to the passage of a law reasonable In Its provisions and effective ef-fective In Its operations, upon which the questions enn be flnnlly adjudicated adjudi-cated that now raise doubts ns to the necessity of constitutional amendment. If it prove impossible to accomplish the purposes above set forth by such n In", then, nssuredly, we should not shrink from amending tho constitution so as to recuio beyond peradventure the power sought. The Congress has not heretofore made any nvpropi lu1, on for the better bet-ter enforcement nf 'ie intl-trust law ns It now stands. V ry rnuch has been done by the depn tinm' 'f Justice In securing the enfore "t of this law, hut much move co-i' ' ! "lone If Con-giess Con-giess would make n special appropriation appropria-tion for this purpose, to be expended under the direction of the attorney general. TRUSTS AND TARIFF SEPARATE. One proposition advocated has been tho reduction of the tariff as a means of reaching tho evils of the trusts which fall within the category I have described. Not merely would this be wholy Ineffective, but the diversion of our efforts ln such a direction would mean the abandonment of nil Intelligent nttempt to do awny with these evlic. Many of the largest corporations, many of those which should certainly be Included In-cluded In nny proper scheme of regulation, regu-lation, would not ba nffected In tin slightest degree by a chnnire In the tariff, save as such change interfered with the general prosperity nf the country. The only relation nf the tariff tar-iff to big corporations ns a whole Is that the tariff mnkes manuf.ictures profitable, and the tariff lomvly proposed pro-posed would be In effect simply to mnke manufactures unprofitable. To remove tho tariff as a punitive measure directed di-rected ngalnst trusts would Inevitably result in ruin to tho weaker competitors competi-tors who nro struggling ngalnst them. Our aim should be not by unwise tnrlff changes to give foreign products tho advantage over domestic products, but by proper regulation to glvo domestic competition a fair chtwco; nnd this end cannot bo reached by any tnrlff changes whtcli would nffect unfavorably unfavora-bly all domestic competitors, good nnd bad alike. The question of regulation of the trusts stands npnrt from the question of tnrlff revision. Stability of enonomlc policy must always al-ways bo the prime economic need of tills country. This stability should not be fosslllzntlon. Tho country has ncqulesccd In the wisdom of the protective pro-tective tariff principle. It Is exceedingly exceed-ingly undesirable that this system should bo destroyed or that there should bo violent and radical changes therein. Our past experience shows that grent prosperity In this country hns always come under a protective tariff; and that the country cannot prosper under fitful tariff changes nt short intervals. Moreover, If the tariff laws a a whole work well, and If bus!-nes bus!-nes has prospered under them and Is prospering, it Is better to endure for a time slight Inconveniences nnd Inequalities Inequal-ities In some schedules than to upset business by too quick nnd too radical changes. It Is most earnestly to be wished that we could treat the tariff from the standpoint solely of our business busi-ness needs. It Is. perhaps, too much to hope that partisanship may be entirely en-tirely excludod from consideration of tho subject, but at least It can be mnde secondary to tho business interests of the country that Is, to the Interests of our people ns a whole. Unquestionably Unquestion-ably theso business Interests will best bo served if together with fixity of principle ns regards the tariff wo com-blr com-blr a rystcm which will permit us fitun time to time to mnke the necessary neces-sary reappltcation of the principle to the shifting nntionnl needs. Wo must tnke scrupulous care that the reap-pllcatlon reap-pllcatlon shall be made In such a way that It will not amount to a dislocation of our system, tho mere threat of which (not to speak of the performance) would produce paralysis In tho business busi-ness energies of tho community. The first consideration In making these changes would, of course, be to preserve pre-serve the principle which underlies our whole tariff system that is, the prlncl- .... " -ipif'" 'i . . ".lowing a sunicleiit rnte of duty to more than cover the difference between ino labor cost here nnd abroad. Tho v.e'1-bclng of the wngo-worker, like tho Pi!. i'5e,.nB .ot tlle uller ot the soil, snould bo treated ns nn essential In shaping our whole economic policy. .iin"! muat nevcr ,)0 n,iv chnngo which "ill Jeopardize the stiuidnrd of com-a com-a ' . le "tnndnrd of wnges of tho American wage-worker. THE RECIPROCITY TREATIES. om?i?t .y '" wh,fh .the .'wulJustmcnt sought can be reached Is by reciprocity treaties. It Is greatly to be desired Th-v""' ""p8 y adopted. 71 ,can ,H ""'"l to widen our ?i. i ".'I'1 t0 B,vo n Bfenter Held for mo activities of our producers on tho one hand, nnd on the other hand to secure In practical shape the lowering or duties when they nro no longer needed need-ed ror protection among our own people, peo-ple, or when the minimum of damnge done mny be dlsregnrded for the snko of the maximum of good accomplished, ir It prove Impossible to ratify tho pending treaties, nnd If there seem to lu no warrant for the endeavor to execute exe-cute others, or to amend the pending treaties so thnt they enn he ratified, then the name end to serine reciprocityshould reciproc-ityshould bo met by direct leglsla- Whorevor the tailff conditions nro ruph thnt a needed chnnge can not with ni.vantago be ninrto by the nppllcntlon pf the reciprocity Idea, then It enn be made outright by a lowering of duties du-ties on a given product. If possible, Mich chnngo should be made onlv nfter the fullest consideration bv prnctlcnl eNperts, who should nppronch the subject sub-ject from a business standpoint, having hav-ing In view both the particular Interests Inter-ests nffected nnd the commorclnl well-being well-being ot the people ns n whole. Tho machinery for providing such careful Investigation enn lendlly be supplied. The executive department hns already nt Its disposal methods of collecting facts and figures; nnd If the Congress deslies additional consideration to that which will be given the subject by Us own committees, then a commission of business exports enn bo nppointed whose duty It should be to recommend action by the Congress nfter n deliberate deliber-ate nnd scientific exnnilnntlon of the various schedules ns they nre nfTected by the rhnnged nnd changing conditions. condi-tions. Tho unhurried nnd unblnscd report re-port of tills co)iimtslon. would show i". 1 1 in iiii.i i-uiiiHii'fsnnl womu snow what changes should be mode ln the various schedules, nnd how fnr theso changes could go without qlso changing tho grent prosperity which this country Is now enjoying, or upsetting Its fixed economic policy. The eases In which the tnrlff can produce n monopoly nre so few ns to constitute nn Inconsiderable factor In Uio question; but of Course If In nny (T-e It be found thnt n given rnte of duty does promote n monopoly which weiks ill. n,0 protectionist would ob-iert ob-iert to such reduction of the duty as would equalize enninetltlnn. , In my judgment, the tariff on nnthra-citj nnthra-citj c6nl should bs removed, and anthracite an-thracite put nctunlly, where it now Is nominally, on the free list.. This woUld have no effect nt all save in crises; but In crises it might be of service to tho people. NO FINANCIAL RECONSTRUCTION. Interest lutes ure a potent factor In business activity, and in order that these rates may be equalized to meet the varying, 'needs of the seasons and ot widely separated communities, nnd to prevent tho lecurrence of financial stringencies which injuriously affect legitimate business, it Is necessary that theto should bo an element of elasticity In our monetary syutoiu. Banks are the natural servants of commerce, und upon them should bo placed, us fnr ns practicable, tho burden bur-den of furnishing and maintaining u circulation adequate to supply tho needs of our diversified industries and of our domestic nnd foreign commerce; and the Issue of this should be so regulated reg-ulated that a sufficient supply should be always available for tho business interests of the country. It would bo both unwise and unnecessary unnec-essary at this time to attempt to reconstruct recon-struct our financial system, which has been the growth of a century; but some additional legislation is, I think, desirable. desir-able. The mere outline of any plan sufficiently suf-ficiently comprehensive to meet these tequlrements would transgress the appropriate ap-propriate limits of this communication. communica-tion. It Is suggested, however, that all future legislation on tho subject should be with the view of encouraging the use of such Instrumentalities as will automatically supply every legitimate demand of productlvo Industries and of commerce, not only In tho amount, but In the character of circulation; and of making all kinds of money Interchangeable, Inter-changeable, nnd, at tho will of the holder, convertible Into the established gold stnndnrd. FAIR TREATMENT FOR LABOR. 'How to secure fair treatment alike for labor and for capital, how to hold in check the unscrupulous man, whether employer or employe, without weakening Individual Initiative, without with-out hampering und cramping the Industrial In-dustrial development of tho country, Is a problem fraught with great difficulties dif-ficulties nnd one which It Is of the highest Importance to solve on lines of sanity and far-sighted common sense ns well ns ot devotion to tho right. This is an era of federation and combination. Exnctly ns business men find they must often work through corporations, cor-porations, nnd as it is n constant tendency tend-ency of these corporations to grow larger, so It Is often necessary for laboring la-boring men to work ln federations, and these havo become lmnortunt factors of modern Industrial life. Both kinds of federation, capitalistic nnd labor, can do much good, and ns n necessary corollary they can both do evil. Opposition to each kind of organization should take tho form of opposition to whntevcr Is bad In tho conduct of any given corporation or union not of attneks upon corporation corpora-tion as such nor upon unions as such; for some of the most far-reaching beneficent work for our people has been accomplished through both corporations cor-porations nnd unions. Each must refrain re-frain from nrbltrary or tyrannous Interference In-terference with the rights of others. Organized capital and organized labor la-bor alike should remember that In the long run tha interest of each must be brought Into harmony with the Interest of the general public; and the conduct of each must conform to the fundamental funda-mental rules of obedience to the law, of Individual freedom, and of justice and fair dealing toward all. Each should remember that In addition to power It must strive after the realization realiza-tion of healthy, lofty, and generous ideals. Every employer, every wage-worker, must be guaranteed his liberty nnd his right to do as he likes with his property prop-erty or his labor so long as he does not Infringe upon tho rlchts of others. It Is of the highest Importance thnt employer and employe nllke should endeavor en-deavor to appreciate each tho viewpoint view-point of the other and the sure disaster dis-aster that will come upon both In tho long run If either grows to tako ns habitual an attitude of sour hostility nnd distrust toward tho other. Few people deserve better of the country than those representatives both of capltnl and labor and there nre many such who work continually to bring about a good understanding of , . , C ' " " " I ' i ' .......... - - nil, ue d to remember thnt ntiv kind of class animosity In the political world Is, It possible, even more wicked, even more destructive to nntionnl wel- i0 tJ.,Jul FP0""nl. rnce or religious animosity. Wo can get good government govern-ment only upon condition that wo keep true to the principles upon which this nation was founded, nnd Judge each man not ns a part of a class, but upon his Individual merits. All that we hae n right to ask of any mnn. rich or poor, whntevcr his creed, his occupation, his birthplace, or his residence, is thnt he shall net well nnd honornblv by his neighbor nnd by his country. We nre neither for the rich man ns such nor for the poor mnn ns such; we nre for the upright mnn, rich or poor. Ho far ns the constltu-tlonnl constltu-tlonnl powers of the nntionnl government govern-ment touch these mntters of general nnd vital moment to the nation, they should be exercised In conformity with the principles nbnvo set forth. ADOPTION OF CUBAN TREATY. I hope soon to submit to the Sennte ?, reciprocity trenty with Culm. On Mny 10 last tho United Stntes kept Its promise to the Island by formally vacating va-cating Cuban soil nnd turning Cuba over to those whom her own people. In chosen ns the first officials of the rew republic. Cuba lies nt our doors, nnd whatever nffeets her for good or for 111 affects us also. So much hnve our people felt this thnt In the I'intt umendmont we definitely took the ground thnt Cuba must hcrenfter have closer political ro. Inttons with un than with nny other power. Thus In a sense Cuba has become a part of our International political system. .This makes It necessary that in return she should be given some of the benefits of becoming part of our economio system.. It Is. from our own standpoint, a short-sighted and mischievous mis-chievous policy to fail to recognize this need. Moreover, It Is unworthy nf a mighty nnd generous nation. Itself the grcntest nnd most successful republic In history, his-tory, to refuse to stretcli out n helping hand to a young nnd weak sister republic re-public Just entering upon Its career of Independence. AVo should nlwnvs fenr-lessly fenr-lessly Insist upon our rights In the fnce ot the strong, nnd we should with un-gnidglng un-gnidglng hnnd do our genet ous duty bv the weak I urge the ndoptlon of icclproclty with Culm not only because It Is eminently for our own Interests to control the Cuban matket nnd by every mentis to foster our mipromncv In the tropical lands nnd wnters south of us, but nlso because we, of the glnnt republic of the north, should mnke nil our sister nations of the American continent con-tinent feel tint whenever they will permit It we desire to slxrvv ourselves disinterested', nnd effectively their friend. THE HAGUE TRIBUNAL. As civilization grows warfare bo-comes bo-comes less nnd less the normnl condition condi-tion of foreign relntlons. The Inst century cen-tury has seen a marked diminution of wars between civilised powers; wnrs with uncivilized powers nro largely mere mntters of International policy duty, essential for the welfare of the world. Wherever possible, arbitration or some sltnllnr method should be employed em-ployed In lieu or wnr to settle difficulties difficul-ties between civilized nation, nlthough ns vet tho world hns not progressed sufficiently to render It possible, or necessnrlly desirable, to Invoke arbitration arbi-tration In every case. Tho foi motion ot the International trlbunnl which sits nt The Ilngue Is nn event ot good omen from which grent eonoquences for the welfare of all mankind may flow. It Is far better, where possible, to Invoke slich a permanent tribunal than to creato special arbitrators for a given purpose. it Is a matter of sincere congratulation congratula-tion to our country that the United Stntes nnd Mexico should have been the first to use the good offices of The Ilngue Court. This was done last summer sum-mer with most satisfactory results In the ense of a clnlm nt Issue between us nnd our sister lepublle. It Is enrn-estly enrn-estly to bo hoped thnt this first case will servo as a precedent fnr others, ln which not only the United Stntes but foreign nations may take advantage advant-age of tho machinery nlready In exist-once exist-once nt Tho Hague. THE ISTHMIAN CANAL. The Congress has wisely provided that wo shall build at onco an isthmian cuiiul, if possible at Panama. The attorney-general reports that wo can undoubtedly acqulro good title from the French Panama canal company. Negotiations Ne-gotiations are now pending with Colombia Co-lombia to-secure her assent to our building the canal. This cunal will bo one of the greatest engineering feats of tho twentieth century; a greater engineering feat than lms yet been accomplished during tho history of mankind. The work should bo carried car-ried out as a continuing policy without with-out regard to chango of administration; administra-tion; and It should bo begun under circumstances cir-cumstances which will make It n matter mat-ter of pride for all administrations to continue the policy. The canal will be of great benefit to America, and of Importance to all the world. It will bo ot advantage to us Industrially and nlso ns Improving our military position. It will be of advantage ad-vantage to tho countries of tropical America. It Is earnestly to be hoped thnt all of these countries will do as some of them hnve already dono with signal success, and will Invite to their shores commerce and lmprovo their material conditions by recognizing that stnblllty and order nre the prerequisite.1) of successful development. No lnde- ui nui-ui-Btiiui uuvuiuinuciii. iiu inuc- pendent nation In America need havo the slightest fear of aggression from tho United Stntes. It behooves each one to maintain order within Its own borders and to discharge Its Just obligations obli-gations to foreigners. U icn this Is dono, they can rest assured that, be they Btrong or weak, they have nothing noth-ing to droad from outside interference. More and more the Increasing Interdependence Interde-pendence nnd complexity of international interna-tional political nnd economic relations render It Incumbent on nil civilized and orderly powers to Insist on the proper policing of the world. WAR RECORD IN ORIENT. On July 4 last, on the one hundred and twenty-sixth anniversary of the declaration of our Independence, peace nnd amnesty were promulgated In tho Philippine Islands. Some trouble has since from time to time threatened with the Mohammedan Moras, but with the late Insurrectionary Filipinos tho war has entirely censed. Civil government gov-ernment has now been Introduced. Not only docs each Filipino enjoy such rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness an he hns never before known during the recorded history of the Islands, but the people taken as a whole now enjoy a mcasuro of self-government self-government greater thnn that granted to any other orientals by any foreign power and greater than that enjoyed by any other orientals under their own governments, save tho Japanese ulone. Wo have not gone too far In granting these rights of liberty and self-government; but wo havo certainly gone to the limit that In tho Interests of the Philippine people themselves It was wise or Just to go. To hurry matters, to go faster than we are now going, would entail calamity on the people of tho Islands, Nn policy over entered Into by tho American people has vindicated ""' ' '. '. .. .f-'"vi" " ' ' ''1'''f'",, 4 1 I ' 4 W the triumph of our laws and principles hns come sooner thnn v.e had any right tn expect Too much ptn Ise c , , no t e in the Philippines both In wurfme and from mi administrative stn di mint U preparing the way for civil govern" S5it!n2?il"?,,nr"t b0,on "' ?i. ... 1nutlm'1Itl, for the way In which irnf-.VOi,"".l,.,rd ,h0 VCila f "flf.gov-eminent "flf.gov-eminent In tho ground thus made ',' ;'''. The courage, the u. i- Illnchlng endurance, the high soldiery efficiency. and the general kln.l- leartedness nnd humanity of our troops have been strikingly manifested. uicre now remain only some fifteen thousand mops it. the Island. All told . n"e hum'rp, thousand havo beet rndivLiniS Pf.1,01". there have been a""onlgUU,lem,."9,n,1CeS f wBdB nfTli r",rrd ""der ferful difficulties ot climate and surroundings; and under ii utriLn of the terrible provocations Thi Irhf lhey con,t!nuf y 'ved from r.?TlI?i"' occnilonf' Imtancea of cruel retaliation occurred. Every effort has anr..?! nto Pr?,ve"t such cruelties, arid f nally these efforts have been com-P com-P etelv successful. Evory effort has also been made to detect and punish tno wrongdoers. n,Afinr,ii"'u '" tti "I'ownee for these lee, mS ?' f rc,"nls1 true that few In-wnr In-wnr i.?. i 1)ec" tl10 '""taneoa in which war has been waged by a civilized If ?B,Unst Mnl-Plvllficl or bar- mt. ..rcer .wl,cra ,l,erc l,ns l,c" m tm ro"B'lolng by the victors ns In the Philippine Islands. On the other mrt' i!H 'n"."11"1 of Jllllc,"t. Important. .!bienonc,,.ent. work w',l',', ' lecn done Is well-nigh Incalculable. THE NAVY AND ITS NEEDS. For the first time In our history nn-i?,i nn-i?,i ma"?,lver? n n Inrge scale nro bo- .,,., i V. .unde,r ,th0 Immedluto command com-mand of tho admiral of the navy. Constantly Con-stantly increasing attention Is being paid to the gunnery of tho navy, but It Is yet far from what It should be. LC-nrne!.tly urR0 tnnt u,e Increase asked ror by tho secietury of the navy In the impropriation for Improving the marksmanship bo granted. In battle il.'"1?! 8t tluit count are the shots mni hit. It Is necessary to provide nn.plo funds for practice with the great guns In tlmo or pence. Theso funds must provldo not only for tho purchnso of projectiles, hut for nllownuces for prizes to encourage the gun crows, nnd cepeclnlly the gun pointers, and for porfectlng nn Intelligent system under which nlono it Is possible to get good pi nut Ice. h rJleMe,.s,10U,tl bo " halt In tho work of building up the navy, providing ev-ery ev-ery year additional fighting craft. Wo nro a very rich country, vnst In oxtcnt of territory and great In population; a country, moreover, which has an army tfiminutive Indeed when compared with tltnt of any other first-class power. Wo have deliberately made our own certain cer-tain foreign policies which demand tho possession of a first-class navy. Ilia isthmian canal will greatly Increase In-crease the efficiency of our nnvy If tho navy Is of sufficient size: but If wo . m n" '""equate navy, then tho bill ding of the canal would bo merely hiving n hostage to any power of superior su-perior strength. The Monroo Doctrine Doc-trine should bo treated as tho cardlnnl f en tin e of American foreign policy; but It would bo worse thnn Idle to assert as-sert It unless we Intended to back It up. nnd It cin be bncked up only by n thoroughly good navy. A good navy Is not n provocative of wnr. It Is tho surest gunrnnty of penco. Each Individual unit of our nnvy should bo tho most cffieclcnt of Its kind ns regards both material nnd personnel per-sonnel thnt Is to be found In the world. I call your special attention to the need of providing for the manning of tho Bhlps. Scilous trouble threatens us If wo can not do better than wo nro now doing ns regards securing the s'i vices of a sufficient number of tho highest type of snllormen. of sea mechanics. me-chanics. The veteran seamen of our war ships arc of as high a typo ns can bo found In any navy which rides the waters of tho world; they aro unsurpassed unsur-passed in dnrlng, In resolution, In rend-Iness, rend-Iness, In thorough knowledge of their profession. They deserve every consideration con-sideration that can be shown them. P'j: there nre not enough of them. It Is no moro possible to Improvise n crew thnn It Is possible to Improvise a war ship. To build the finest ship, with the deadliest bnttery. and to send It nllont with a raw crow, no matter how brave they were Individually, would be to Insuro nfsnster If a foe of nverngo cnpaolty were encountered. Neither shlp3 nor men can bo Improvised Impro-vised when wnr has begun. We need a thousand additional om-cets om-cets In order to propetly man the ships now provided for nnd under construction. construc-tion. Tho clnsses at tho naval school at Annapolis should bo greatly enlarged. en-larged. At tho same time that wo thus tnl' tho officers where wo need them, we should facilitate the retlrment of those at the bend of tho list whoso usefulness has become Impaired. Promotion Pro-motion must be fostered If tho service Is to be kept efficient. The lnmcntable scarcity of officers, nnd the large number of rocrulls nnd of unskilled men necessarily put aboard thn now vessels ns they havo been commissioned, com-missioned, hns thrown upon our oin-(crs, oin-(crs, nnd especially on the lieutenants nnd Junior grades, unusual labor nnd fatigue nnd hns gravely strained their powers of endurance. Nor Is there sign of any Immediate let-up in this strain. It must continue for some time longer, until more officers nro graduated grad-uated from Annapolis, and until tho re- iirllltn hnitnnm trnlnn1 nnA Ml.flir.il I. omits become trained nnd skillful ln tlelr duties. In these difficulties Incl-lent Incl-lent upon tho development of our wnr fl.f t the conduct of nil our officers hnn been credltablo to the service, nnd tho lieutenants and Junior grades In pnr-tlculnr pnr-tlculnr have dlsplnyed an ability nnd n steadfast cheerfulness which entitles tl'tm to tho ungrudging thanks of nil who realize the disheartening trials and fatigues to which they are of necessity neces-sity subjected. There Is not n cloud on the horizon hori-zon at present. There seems not the slightest chance of trouble with a foreign for-eign power. Wo most earnestly hope that this state of things may continue; ti.il the way to Insure Its contlnunnce Is to provide for a thoroughly efficient nnvy. Tho refusal to maintain such a naw would Invito trouble, nnd If trouble trou-ble came would Insure disaster. Fat-utus Fat-utus self-complacency or vanity, or shcrt-slghtedness In lefuslng to prepare pre-pare for danger. Is both foolish nnd wleked In such a nation as ours; nnd past experience hns shown that such fatuity In refusing to recognize or prepare- for any crisis In advance Is usually usual-ly succeeded by n mad panic of hysterical hys-terical fear once the crisis has actually arrived. RURAL ROUTE APPROPRIATIONS. Tho striking Increase In tho revenues of tho postoffice department shows clearly tho prosperity of our people nnd the Increasing activity of the business busi-ness of the country. Tho receipts of the postoffice department depart-ment for tho fiscal year ending June 30 last amounted to J121.S48,047.2C, an Increase In-crease ot $10, 21(1, 863. S7 over tho preceding pre-ceding year, tho largest Increase known In the history of tho postal service. The magnitude of this Increase will best appear from the fnct that tho entire en-tire postal recelpH for the yoar 1800 amounted to but S8,G18,067. ' -r"f-"'-" tn4 ufientui stags: it -- "''!M lms become u fixed policy. The result" - fM justified the Congress In tho large an- proptlmlons rnndo for Its establish- v Hl ment mid extension. The averagi . 'iVH yenrly Increase In postoffice receipts In -ft H the rural districts of the country l" f nbout 2 per cent. We nre now able l!'H by actual results, to show that wliero , .r- ..f'.r ",11VPry "erv,co IwC established to such nn extent as to enable lis to mnke comparisons tho sH yenrly Increase hns been upward of VJ per cent, M r,.llMrvP"',),r ' l"02- U-CG rural free delivery mutes ,nd been est.b- Ished nnd were In operation, cover- iH lug about nne-thlril or the terrltorr aH of tho United States available for ruraT tree delivery service. There nro now saH awaiting the action of tho department pet Ions nnd applications for the Is- tabllshment of ln.TIS nddltlonnl routes. Dils shows conclusively tho want which the establishment ot the service LaH has met and the need of further ex- LH tending It as tapldly ns possible. It 'is H Justified both by the financial lesulta nnd by tho pinctlenl benefits to our rural population; It brings the men aH who live on the soil Into close rein- 1 tlons with the nctlve business world; bH t keeps the former In dnlly touch with LH he ninrkets; It Is n potential oducn- , - bH tlnnnl force; It enhances the. vnluo or ' rnrm property, makes fnim lire fnr I plcnsnnter nnd less Isolated, and will sH do much to check tho undesirable cur- bH rent from country to city. M ,in ls ,to .V? 1,0.pccl t,mt tl10 Congress H will mnke liberal npproprlntlons for the bB continuance of the service already es- tabllshed and for Its further extension. 1 FOR IRRIGATION IN THE WEST. H Few subjects of more Importance H hava been taken up by tho Congress In recent years thnn tho Inauguration of the system of nntlonnlly-alded Irrl- M gatlon for the arid regions of the far west. A good beginning therein has M been made. Now thnt this policy of bH natlonnl Irrigation has been adopted bH the need of thorough and sclcntlllc for- ' est protection will grow more rapidly bB than ever throughout the public land . 1 bH Hates. I fH So far as they nre avallnblo for ag- ' bH rlculture, nnd to whatever extent they bH tnav be reclnlineil ittwii .i,n ., bbI may no reclaimed under the natlonnl ' bH rrlgatlon law, tho remaining publlo bB nnds should bo held rigidly for tho H homo builder, the settlor who lives im his land, and for no ono else. In bH their nctual uso tho desert-land law pfl tho timber and stone law, and. ,tho H commutation clause of the homestead H aw havo been so perverted from tho Intention with which they wero enacted bH is to permit the acquisition of largo arena of tho public domain .fpr other than actual settlors and the consequent H prevention of settlement. Moreover. H ho approaching exhnustlon of tho pub- He ranges has of lato led to much dls- ' H cusslon ns to tho best manner of usfnir ' H theso public lands In tho west which H nro sultnble chlelly or only for ctaz- H lug. The sound nnd sternly devolop- merit of the west depends upon the H building up of homes therein. Much of H our prosperity ns n, nation has been due to tho operation of tho home- H stead law. On the other hnnd. we should recognize the fnct thnt ln th H grazing region the mnn who corres- ponds to tho homesteader may be un- H able to settle permanently If only al- H lowed to use tho Kiune amount of pas- H turo land that his brother, the home- stender. Is allowed to use of arable H lnnd. Ono hundred and sixty ncres of H fairly rich and well-watered soil, or a H much smnller nmount of Irrigated H lnnd, mny keep a family In plenty. whereas no ono could get a living from ono hundred nnd sixty ncres of dry pasture lnnd capable of supporting at H the outsldo only one bend of cnttle to H every ten ncres. In tho past great H tracts of tho public domnln havo been fenced In by persons having no title H thereto. In direct dcflnnco of the law H forbidding the maintenance or con- 1 H structlon of any nuch unlawful Inclos- ure of public lnnd. For various rea- 1 sons there has been little Interference i with such lnclosures In the past, but f 2 H ample notice hns now been given the " H trespassers, and all tha resources at i ) the command of the government will -H hereafter be used to put n stop to such H trespassing. THE CARE OF INDIANS. I In dealing with iVf, Indian our aim I should be their ultimate absorption In- to tho body of our people. But In many casos this absorption must and should H be vory slow. In portions of the Ind- Ian Territory tho mixture of blood has gone on at tho samo time with prog- resn ln wealth and education, ao that H there nro plenty of men with varylni degrees of purity of Indian blood who aro absolutely Indistinguishable ln H point of social, political, and economio H ability from their white assoclntes. there aro other tribes which have o H yet made no perceptible advance to- H ward such equality. To try to force such tribes too faBt Is to prevent their going forward at all. ' i Moreover, tho tribes live under wide- I ly dlfforont conditions. Whero a tribe , has made considerable advance and e H lives on fertile farming soil It Is possl- ble to allot the members lands In sev- H ernlty much as ls the case with white H settlers. There are other tribes where H such a course Is not desirable. On the ' nrld prairie lands tho effort should be to Induce tho Indians to leod pastoral H rather than agricultural lives, and to permit them to settle In vlllnges rnthei than to force them Into Isolation. The Inrgo Indian schools situated re- H mote from any Indian reservation do special and peculiar work ot groat Importance. Im-portance. But. excellent though theet nre, an Immense amount of additional work must be done on the reservation! themselves nmong the pld, and above nil among the young, Indlnns. The first nnd most Importnnt stee toward the absorption of tho Indian ! to teach him to earn his living; yet II Is not necessarily to he assumed thai r ' In each community all Indians must become either tillers of the soil ot stock raisers. Their Industries may properly bo diversified, and those who show special desire or adaptability foi Industrial or even commercial par-pults par-pults should be encouraged so far aa practicable to follow out ench his own bent. Every effort should bo made to develop de-velop the Indian along the lines ol nntural aptitude, and to encourage the existing natlvo Industries peculiar to certain tribes, such ns the various kinds of basket weaving, canoe building, build-ing, smith work, and blanket work. Above nil, the Indlnn boys nnd glrle should be given confident command ot colloquial English, nnd should ordl-nnrlly ordl-nnrlly be prepnred fo a vigorous struggle with tho conditions under ' which their people live rather than for I Immedlnto nbsorptlou Into some more i highly developed rnmntunltv. ' Tho officials who repiosent the government gov-ernment ln dealing with the Indians ' work under hard rnudlllnns, nnd nlso under conditions which lender It easy to do wrong and verv difficult to detect wronjr. Consequently they should be amply paid on tha one hand, and on the oth:r hand a particularly high stand- nid of conduct should ba. demanded i it?, from them, nnd where misconduct enn A 1ft be proved the punishment should be ' J Am exemplary. , , m m 1 Mm r H -. C. .. . . ; J 'I. MB |