Fort Mill times. (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, December 10, 1908, Image 1
THE FORT MILL TIMES
^ . ? . , - 4
J - VOL. XVfl. FORT MILL, S. C., THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1908. NO. 36.
, ?
It I1SIBEN
?: ?Mr,
Roosevelt Make!
Concerning IMeet
THE NATION PROSPEROUS I
1
S
Becomm'udallons Covering a YTidc t
F-ange of Subjects?Finances, Com- c
binaliona, Transportation,. Natural '
F.csourcta and Other Interesting {
Topics Brought to tha Attention of t
Cur Luumakiag E0C7.' t
i
The ncsragc of President Hrosevelt j
to the second session of the Sixtieth |
Cop gross tfrs rend in both houses. -
and M-ns in substance* as follows: j
To the Senate anil House of Reprcs- ^
cutativcs: t
riaanccs. ,
The financial standing of the notion t
at the present time is excellent, and c
the financial management of the na- i
t ton's interests by tho Government t
during the last seven years has shown s
the most satisfactory results. But c
our currency system is imperfect, and i
it is earnestly to he hoped that the e
Currency Commission will be able to t
propose- a thoroughly pood system r
which will do tiway with the existing c
defects. r
During the period .from July 1, i
1901, to September 30, 1908, there f
was an increase in the amount of k
money in circulation of $902,991,399. c
The inertase in the per capita during i
this period was $7.00. Within this a
time there were several occasions c
when it was necessary for the Treas- r
ury Department to come to the relief , t
of the money market by purchases of li
redemptions of United States bonds; s
by increasing deposits in national a
banks; by stimulating additional is- c
sties of national bank notes, and bv e
facilititating importations from I
abroad of gold. Our imperfect cur- j
rency system has made these proceed- a
ings necpssary, and they were ctfee- f
tivo until the monetary disturbance p
in the fall of 1907 immensely incrcas- h
ed the difficulty of ordinary methods d
of relief. By the middle of Novem- t
ber the nvniliihlo i?ni~-~- - '
.. vt iviii^ um.uiuc 111 r
(ho Treasury had been reduced to np- 1,
fnoximately $">,000,000. Clearing: e
iouso nsmcrations throughout the
country had been obliged to resort to e
the expedient of issuing clearing b
house certificates, to be used as I
money. In this emergency it was determined
to invite subscriptions for
$.">0,000,000 Panama Cann* bonds, and \;
$100,000,000 3 per cent certificates of v
indebtedness authorized by the act of y
Juno 13, 1903. It was" proposed to re* c
deposit in the national banks the pro- p
reeds of these issues, and to permit n
their vise as a basis for additional cir- n
culating notes of national banks. The u
moral effect of this procedure was so p
p great that it was necessary to Issue a
only ^$24,631,030 of the Panama Canal J
tflbonds end $15,430,500 of the oertifi- t
cotes of indebtedness. g
During tho seven years and three o
months there has been a net surplus t
% of'nearly one hundred millions of re- r
ceipts over expenditures, a.reduction f
of the interest-bearing debt by ninety n
millions, in spite of the extraordinary c
expense of the Panama Canal, and a v
saving of ncaily nine millions on the e
annual interest charge. This is an n
exceedingly satisfactory showing, es- h
pecinlly in view of tho fact that dur- b
ing this period the Nation has never u
hesitated to undertake any expendi- li
tnrc that it regarded as necessary. w
There have been no new taxes and no s
increase of tnxes; on the contrary ti
some taxes have been taken off; there a
hpg been a reduction of taxation. v
Corporations. ?
As regards the great corporations d
engaged in Interstate business, and "
AanaAiAlIn *! - ?Sk 3 *
mi) tHiivoaca. i onu only P
repeat what I havo already again and ?
ctffl'u said in my mesargo to tho Cpu- ti
prpM. I believe that under the inter-? v
Atato clause cf the Constitution tho u
United States has complete and para* ?
ptcunt tight to control all agencies ot ?
intercalate rrtnmerro ,and I believe b
that the Nat'onal Government nlone v
can exercise this right with wisdom e
and effectiveness so as both to secure ii
justice from, and to do justice to, the r
great corporations which are the most ii
important factors in modern business. t(
I believe that it is worst than folly u
to attompt to prohibit all eombina- b
tiens as is done by the Sherman anti- o
trust law, because such a law ran be b
enforced only imperfectly and un- fi
equally, and its enforcement works a
almost as much hardship as good. I si
strongly advocate that instead of an t<
unwise effort to prohibit all eombina- a
tions, there shall he substituted a law si
which shall expressly permit eombina- 11
tions which are in the interest of the t<
public, hut shall at the same time if
Five to feme agency of the National tl
novermnrnt full power of control and tl
supervision over thorn. One of the ii
chief features of this control should b
be securing entire publicity in all ti
matters which the public has a right r<
to know, and furthermore, the power, tl
not by judicial but by executive It
aetion, to prevent or put a stop to vc
every form of improper favoritism or ei
other wrongdoing. b
Tk? railways of tho country should V
bo put completely under the Inter- ci
state Commerce Commission and re- si
roovgd from the domain of tho anti- u
lew. The power of the Commis- b
4bn should bo made throughgoing, so p
lUr.t it coniJU exercise complete super- fl
I WPP and control over the issuo of|n
rs issuer
> Recommendations
Jed Legislation
securities ns well as over the raising
ind lowering of rates. As regards
ates, at least, this power should bo
summary. The power to investigate
lie financial operations and accounts
>f the railways has been one of the
cost valuablo fpntnreo in rnnoBt
** ivvvui.
aticn. Power to make combinations
ind traffic agreements should be explicitly
conferred upon the railroads,
he permission of the Commission belt?
first gained and the combination
>r agreement being published in all
ts details. In the interest of the pubic
the representatives of the public
should have complete power to see
hnt the railroads do their duty by
lie public, and as a matter of course
his power should also be exercised so
is to see that no injustice is done to
he railroads. The share-holders, the
mployees and the shippers all have
nterests that must be guarded. It is
o the interest of all of them that no
windling stock speculation should be
illowed, and that there should be no
mproper issuance of securities. The
raiding intelligences necessary for
he successful building and successful
nanagemcnt of railroads should reeive
ample remuneration; but no
nan should be allowed to make money
n connection with railroads out of
raudulent over-capitalizations and
rindrcd stock-gambling performnncs;
there must be no defrauding of
nvestors, oppression of the farmers
nd business men who ship freight, or
allous disregard of the rights and
lecds of the employees. In addition
o this the interests of the shareloldors,
of the employees, and of the
hippers should all he guarded as
igainst one another. To give any one
if them undue and improper considration
is to do injustice to the others,
tates must be made as low as is com
tatible with giving proper returns to
11 the employees of the railroad,
iom the highest to the lowest, nnd
roper returns to the shareholders;
ut they must not, for instance, be reluced
in sucli fashion as to necessiate
a cut in the wages of the employes
or the abolition of the proper and
egitimate protits of honest sharehold.
rs.
Telegraph and telephone companies
ngaged in interstate business should
ie put under the jurisdiction of the
nterstate Commerce Commission.
Labor.
There are many matters affecting
abor and the status of tho wagerorker
to which I should like to draw
our attention, but an exhaustive disussion
of the problem in all its aspects
is not now necessary. This adninistration
is peering its end; and,
norcover, under our form of govern,
aent tho splutipu of the problem de.endg
upon the action cf the States
n much as upon the action of tho
Nation. Nevertheless, thcro are reraiu
considerations which I wish to
ct before you, booause I hope that
ur people will more and more keep
hcrt in mind. A blind and ignorant
csistance to every' effort for tho reorm
of abuses and for the readjustacnt
of society to modern industrial
onditions represents not true conser
uusm nui an incitement to the wildst
radicalism; for wine radicalism
nd wise conservatism go hand in
and, one bent on progress, the other
cnt on seeing that no change is made
nlcss in the right direction. I beeve
in a steady effort, or perhaps it
rould bo more accurate to say in
teady efforts in many different direcr
ions, to bring about u condition of
ffairs under which the men who work
dth hand or brain, the laborers, the
uperintendents, the men wlip prouoe
for tho murket and the men
hp flnd a markot toy the articles
reduced, shall own a far greater
hare then at present of tho wealth
hey produce, and be enabled to inest
it in the tools and instruments by
'hiuh all work it carried on. As far
a possible I hope to too a frank vcegnition
of the advantages cpnfayrcd
y machincrv, organisation, and dU
ision of labor, accompanied by an 11
ffort to bring about a larger sharo [
i the ownership by wage-workers of 1
nilwny, mill, and factory. In farmig,
this timply means that we wish i
d see the farmer own his own lnnd; i
re do not wish to see the farms so <
irge that they become the property 1
f absentee landlords who farm them
y tenants, nor vet so small that the
armer becomes like a European peas- 1
nt. Again, the depositors in our <
aving banks now number over one- 1
;nth of our entire population. Thesn i
re nil capitalists, who through the
livings hanks loan their money to <
tie workers?that is, in many eases I
> themselves?to carry on their var>us
industries. The more wo increase
ticir number, the more we introduce
ie principles of cooperation into our i
ldustry. Every increase in the nunipr
of small stockholders in corpora-,
ons is a good thing, for the same '<
masons; and where the employees arc
le stockholders the result is particu- 1
irly good. Very much of this move- 1
lent must he outside of anvthir.g that
in be accomplished by legislation; ut
legislation can do a good deal. 1
ostal savings honks will make it 1
any for the poorest to keep their
ivings in absolute safety. Tho reflation
of the national highways must '
o such that they shall servo all poo- '
le with equal justice. Corporate
nances must be supervised so as to '
ioke it far safer than at present for '
the man of small means to invest liis
money in stocks. There must be prohibition
of child labor, diminution of
woman labor, shortening of hours of
all mechanical labor; stock watering
should be prohibited, and stock gambling
so far as is possible discouraged.
There should bo a progressive inheritance
tax on large fortunes. Industrial
education should be encouraged.
As far as possible wo should lighten
the burden of toxotion on the small
man. We should put a premium upon
thrift, hard work, and business energy;
but these qualities cease to bo the
maiu factors in accumulating a fortune
long before that fortune reaches
a point where it would be seriously
affected by any inheritance tax such
as I propose. It is eminently right
that the Nation should fix the terms
upon which the great fortunes are inherited.
They rarely do good and
they often do haim to those who inherit
them in their entirety.
The above is the merest sketch,
hardly even a sketch in outline, of
the reforms for which we should
work. Hut there is one matter with
which the Congress should deal at this
session. Tlicie should no longer be
anv paltering with the question of
taking care of the wage-workers who,
under our present industrial system,
become killed, crippled, or worn out
as part of the regular incidents of a
given business. The majority of wageworkers
must have their rights se
cured for them by State action; but
the National Government should log-1
islate in thoroughgoing and far-reaching
fashion not only for all employees
of the National Government, but for
all persons engaged in interest ate
commerce. The object sought for
cuold he achieved to a measurable degree.
as far as those killed or crippled
are concerned, bv proper employers'
liability laws. As far as concerns
those who have been worn out. 1 call
your attention to the fact that definite
steps toward provding old-age pensions
have been taken in many of our
private industries. These may be indefinitely
extended through voluntary
association and contributory schemes,
or through the agency of savings
banks, as under the recent Massachusetts
plan. To strengthen these practical
measures should be our immediate
duty; it is not at present necessary
to consider I ho larger and more
general governmental schemes that
most European governments have
found themselves obliged to adopt. \
1 renew my recommendation made
in a previous message that half-holidays
be granted during summer to all
wage-workers in Government employ.
1 also renew my recommendation
that the principle of the eight-hour
day should as rapidly and as far as
practicable be extended to the entire
work being carried oi; by the Government
; the present law should he
amended to embrace contracts on
those public works which the present
wording of the act seems tc exclude.
The Courts.
I most earnestly urge upon the Congress
the duty of increasing the totally
inadequate salaries now given
to our Judges. On tho whole there is
no body of public servants who do as
valuable woik, nor whose moneyed t'Cr
ward is so inadequate compared to
their work. Beginning with the Supreme
Court the Judges should have
their salaries doubhd. It is not befitting
the dignity of the Nation that
its most honored public servants
should be paid sums so smull compared
to what they would earn in private
life that the performance of public
service by them implies an exceedingly
heavy pecuniary sacrifice.
It is earnestly to he desired that
some method should he devised for
doing away with the long delays
which now obtain in the administration
of justice, and which operate
with peculiar severity against persons
of small means, and favor only the
very criminals whom it is most desirable
to punish. These long delays
in the final decisions of oases make in
the aggregate n owing evil; and a
remedy should be devised. Much of
this intolerable delay is due to improper
regard paid to technicalities
which are a mere hindrance to justice.
In some noted recent cases this overregard
for technicalities has resulted
in a striking denial of justice, and
flagrant wrong to the body politic,
forests,
If there ia any one dutv which move
than another we owe it to our children
nnd our children's children to perfoim
at onee, it is to nave the forests
of this country, for they constitute
the first and most important clement
in the conservation of the natural resources
of our country. There are of ourse
two kinds of natural resources.
One is the kind which can onlv be
used as pnrt of a process of exhaustion;
this is true of mines, natural
nil and pas wells, and the like. The
i).her. and of course ultimately by far
I he most important, includes the re-ourees
which can he improved in the
process of wise use; the soil, the rivers,
and the forests come under this
head. Any really civilized nation
wilt so use all of these three great
I'.atiio al assets that the nation will
have their benefit in the future. Just
r.s a farmer, after all his life making
!m living from his faim. will, if he
is an expert farmer, leave it on
asset of increased value to his son, so
we should leave our national domain
to our children, inereasd in value and
not worn out. There are small sections
of our own country, in the East
and in the West, in the Adirondacks,
the White Mountains, and the Appalachians,
and In the Hockv Mountain's,
where we can already see for ourselves
the dcuunpo in the shape of permanent
injury to the soil and the
river systems which comes from reckless
deforestation. It matters not
whether this deforestation is due to
the actual cutting of timber, to the
fires, (hat inevitably follow such reek- li
j less cutting of timber, or to reckless c
nnj uncontrolled grazing, especially p
by the great migratory bands of ii
sheep, the unchecked wanderings of t
which over tho country means de- r
struction of forests and disaster to p
the small home makers, the settlers s
of limited means. a
Inland Waterways. o
Action should bo begun forthwith, (
during the present session of the d
Congress, for the improvement of -inr ?
inland waterways?action which will a
result in giving us no: only navigable
but navigated rivers. We have
spent hundreds of millions of dollar e
upon these waterways, vet the traffic v
on nearly all of them is sftadilv de- t!
clining. This condition is the diiect il
result of the absence of any comnrc- b
hensive and far-seeing plan of water- r
way improvement. Obvious!v we can ii
not continue thus to expend the rev- r
cnuca ol tiic Uovernment without re-| S
turn. It it* poor business to spend 1<
money for inland navigation unless h
we get it. v
Denatured. Alcohol. \t
1 had occasion in mv message of
May 4. 1906, to urge the passage of p
sotne law putting alcohol, used in the h
arts, industries, and manufactures, C
upon the free list; that is, to provide s
for the withdrawal free of tax of t
alcohol which is to bo denatured for t
these purposes. The lair of Jur.c 7, c
1906. and its amendment of March 2. c
1907, accomplished what was desired a
in that respect, and the use of de- t
nnturcd alcohol, as intended, is mnk- t
ing a fair degree of progress and is p
entitled to further eucouragemcnt and ti
support from the Congress. v
Pure Food. a
The pure food legislation has al- q
ready worked a benefit difficult to e
overestimate. il
Indian Affairs. ii
It has boon my purpose from the t
beginning of my administration to c
take the Indian Service .w.mpletcly a
out of the atmosphere cf political
activity, and there has been steady
progress toward that end. The last t
remaining stronghold of politics in t
that service was the agency system, P
which had seen its best days and was ti
gradually fell'ng to pieces from nat- f
viral or purely evolutionary causes, v
but, like all such survivals, was de- r
caving slowly in its later stages. It r
seems clear that its extincition had a
better be made final now, so that the p
ground can be cleared for larger con- f
structivc work on behalf of the I.i- I
dians, preparatory to their induction f
into the full measures of responsible p
citizenship. On November 1 only n
eighteen agencies were left on the \\
roster, with two exceptions, where t!
some legal questions seemed to stand
I temporarily in the wnv. tViece
j In en changed to supcrintendencies. e
find their heads brought into the n
I classified civil service. I
Secret Service.
1 The law enacted by the last session
i of Congress to provide that there n
I should be no detail from the Secret b
Service and no transference there- p
from seems to have been onlv in p
| I he interest of the criminal classes," is
both large and small, and as a mat- n
tcr of common interest should be re- c
pealed and the old system re-cnact- p
ed. ci
Corporations are neccs3arv instru- si
monts of modeTft business. They have i!
been permitted to become a menace n
largely because the govermental representatives
of the people have worked
slowly in providing adequate eon- si
trol over them. S
Control over the great corporations p
doing interstate business can be ef- p
fective only when such control is rr
vested in the executive department '
of the government. T
Postal Savings Banks as
I again renew my recommendation d.i
for postal savings banks, for depositing
savings with the security of the
fiovernment behind them. The object gi
is to encourage thrift and economv lc
in the wage-earner and person of w
moderate means. In fourteen Htates r.i
'the deposits in savings hanks as re- A
ported to tho Comptroller of the
Currency amount to $3,590,245,402, or m
98.4 per cent p? the entire deppsits. l't
while in the remaining 32 States there w
aro only $70,308,543, or 1.0 per cent L
showing conclusively that there arc ??
many localities in the United States bi
whore sufficient opportunity is not ?t
given to the people to deposit their a;
savings. The result is that mor.ey is ir
kept in hiding nnd unemployed. It f(
is believed that in the aggregate vast dl
sums of money would be brought in- in
to circulation through the instrumen- ti
tality of tho postal Ravings banks, it
While there are only 1,453 savings ui
banks reporting to the Comptroller In
there are more than 61,000 post-ofllces
40.000 of which are money order offices.
Postal savings hanks aro now te
in operation in practically all the If
great civilized countries with the ex- fts
eeption of the United States. T
Parcel Post. fi
In my last annual message I com- th
mended the Postmaster-General's recommendation
for an extension of the
parcel post on (lie rural routes. The ta
establishment of a local parcel post b(
on rural routes would he to the mu- b?
K..r .1.. a
nuut ui iu6 iarmer and the ti
country storekeeper, and it is de- in
sirahle that the routes, serving more 01
than 15,000,000 people, should be b(
utilized to the fullest practicable ex- pi
tent. An amendment was proposed b<
in the Senate at the last session, at
ths suggestion of the Postmaster}
General, providing that, for the pur- en
pose of ascertaining the practicability R
of establishing a special local parcel nt
poat system on tho rural routes
throughout tho United States. the gi
Postmaster General be authorized and it
directed to experiment and report to y<
the Congress the result of such ex- el
periment by establishing a special R
( local parcel post system on rural do- lu
i
very rentes in not to exceed fonr
ounticB in the United States for
ackagcs of fourth-class matter origlating
011 a rural route or at the disributing
pest cfTiee for delivery by
ural carriers. It would seem only
roper that such nn cxporimejit
bould be tried in order to demontrntp
the praeticability of the prop*
sition, cspec:nlly as the Postmasterleneiti
estimates that the revenue
erivert firm the cpeation of such a
ystem cn all the rural routes would
mount to raanv million dollars.
Education.
The share that the National Govrnment
should take in the brood
*ork of education has not received
he attention and the care it rightly
leserves. The immediate responsiility
for the support and improvelent'cf
our educational systems and
nstitutious rests and should always
est with the people of the severiil
itates acting through their state and
ocal governments, but the Nation
as an opportunity in education work
p*hich must not be lost and a duty
liich should no longer be neglected.
With the I'mitcd means hitherto
irovided, the Bureau of Education
as rendered efficient service, but the
'ongrcss has neglected to adequately
upply the bureau with means to meet
he educational growth of the counrv.
The appropriations for the genral
work of the bureau, out side ednatien
in Alaska, for the year 1909
rc but $87,500?an amount less than
bey were ten years ago, and some of
I!C J 111 | ?*'i lillll 111 III!* 1(1 UIl'Sl'
'nations arc loss than they wore
hirty years ago. It is nu inexcusable
raste of public money to npproprite
an amount which is so inadeuate
as to make it impossible proprly
to do the work authorized, and
t is unfair to the great educational
utercsts of 1 lie country to deprive
hem of tlie value of the results which
an bo obtained bv proper nppropritions.
Census.
I strongly urge that the request of
lie Director of the Census in connceion
with the decennial work so soon
a be begun, be complied with and
hat the appointments to the census
oree be placed under the civil serice
law, waiving the geographical
equiremcnts as requested hv the Dieotor
of the Census. The superviaers
nd enumerators should not be npointcd
under the civil service law,
or the reasons given by the Director,
commend to the Congress the eureul
consideration of the admirable rooit
of the Director of the Census,
r.d 1 trust that his recommedations
ri?i be adopted and immediate action
hereon taken.
* Soldiers' Home.
All Soldiers' Homes should be plucd
under the complete jurisdiction
nd control of the War Department,
ndependent Bureaus and Commissions.
Economy and sound business policy
pquire that *nl^*xisting independent
ureans and eTmtmlssions should be
laced under the <uridiction of aprrnrinfn
tU<* T.
- i * ? ?- y *'
( unwise from evervVandpoint, and
psnits only fn Vilsefiief, lv have any
xecutive work done save by the
urely executhe bodica, under the
ontrcl of the President: and each
nth executive body should be under
ip immediate supervision of ft Cablet
Minister.
Statehood.'
I advocate the immediate ad.^iron
of New Mexico and Arizona ns
tntrs. This should be done at the
resent session of the Congress. The
eonle of the two Teiritories have
'nde it evident by their votes that
icy will rot tome in as one State,
he onlv alternative is to admit them
s two. and I trust tlint this will bo
one without delay.
Interstate Fisheries.
I call the attention of the Conress
to the importance of the prohm
of the fisheries in th interstate
aters. On the Great Lakes we are
ow. under the very wise treaty of
pril 11th, of this year, endeavoring
) coins to hii international a^reeicnt
for the preservation and satisictory
uao of the fisheries of these
aters can not otherwise be achieved,
nkc Erie, for example, has the richit
fresh water fisheries in the world;
nt it is now controlled bv the
stutra of two Nations, four fcutc*.
iid one Province, and in this Proviso
by different ordinance* in difuent
counties. All these political
Ivisicna work at cross purposes, and
i no case they achieve protection to
ic fisheries, on the one hand. an?l
isticc to the localities and individils
on the other. The case is simir
in Pnijet Sound.
Fisheries and Fur Seali.
The federal statute regulating inrstnte
traffic in gam" should be exuded
to include fish. New federal
?h hatcheries should he estbalished.
lie administration of the Alaskan
ir-seal service should be vested in
ic Bureau of' Fisheries.
Foreign Affairs.
This Nation's foreign policy is
isCfj on the theory that right must
> done between nations precisely as
stween individuals, and in our aeons
for the last ten years we have
i this matter proven our faith by
ir deeds. We have behaved and are
'having. towards other nations, as in
"ivnte life an honorable man would
'have towards liis fellows.
Latin-American Republics.
The commercial and material pro-ess
of the twenty Latin-American
cpublics is worthy of the careful
tention of the Conaross, No oilier
'ction of the world bra rhown a
enter proportionate development of
s foreipn trade during the last ten
'firs and none other has more special
aims on the interest of the United
tatcs. It offers today probably
r^er opportunities for the legiti
male extension cf our loromrrce than
any other group of tov:*r:rs. These j
countries will want our pioducis in
greatly increased quantities. ttttd we
shall correspondingly ncnl theirs. J
The International ITureaa of the American
Republics is doing a useful
work in making these nations *iH
their rc>curlces better known to us.
and in acquainting tjseri rot only k
with ? nw a pcopl? and with our
purposes towards them, but with ]
what we have to exchange for their
goods. It is an international institution
supported bv all the governments
of the two Americas.
Tar. am." Canal.
The work on the Panama Canal
is being done with a speed, cftb'icnev
and entire devotion to duty, which c
xrake it a mcdcl for nil work of the *
kind. No task of such magnitude hns f
over before been undertaken bv any c
nation; and no task of the k -i,i has 1
ever been better,performed. The men 1
on the Isthmus, from Colonel (Joe- 11
thals and his fellow commissioners *
through the entire 1st of employers 1
who are faithful!.- do:n<r f'ir r duty, t
have wen their right to the ungrudg- '
ine respect and latitude of the American
people.
Ocean Mail Iircs. 1
I again recommend the extension 1
of the ocean mail act of lSdl -m that I
satisfactory American ocean l'nrs to I
I South America. Asia the PlnTpines. C
and Australia may l>-? established, *
The erention of such ueamship linos e
should be the natural eorolle-v of the 1
voyage of the battle fleet. It should c
precede the opening of the Panama i
Canal. Even under favorable eon- i
ditions several years must elapse he- F
fore such lines can be put into opera- t
tion. Accordingly I urge that the e
Congress act promptly where fore- 1
sight already shows thnt action soon- t
or or later will be inevitable. t
The Army.
As regards the Ai mv I call at ten- t
tion to the fact that while our junior \
officers and cnl:sted men s'end very a
h<gh. the present svstn of promo- i
tion by sen'oritv results .n bringing f
into the higher grades many men of v
mediocre c pneitv who have hut a v
sljoit time to serve. No man should j
regard it as his vested right to ris^ c
to the highest rank in the Army any e
more than in ntiv other profess'on t
It j? a curious and by no means ered- v
itnble fact that there should be so I
often a failure on the part of the r
pubi c nn,i its representatives to nn- s
deist and the great need, firm the S
standpoint rf the service end the Nn- b
lien, of refusing to promote respectable.
eldejly incompetents. The a
I mgner places si.oulil bo given to t lie n
most deserving men without regard e
to seniority 5 at least seniority should n
be treated as onlv one consideration, e
In tlie stress of modem industritl 1
eompetition no business dim could v
sneered if these responsible for its
management were chosen simplv on 0
the ground that they were the oldest n
people in its emploiment; yet this is t
the course advocated ns regards the p
annv. and required by law for all ^
grades except those of general officer. C
As a matter of fact, all of the best o
offl< eis in the highest ranks of the Ji
army are those who have attained ^
tbeir present position whcllv or in jrf
part by a process of selection. u
The Navy. b
I approve the recommendations of d
the Orncrnl Eoard for the increase of h
the Navy, calling especial attention >
to the need of additional destroyers t,
and colliers, and above all. of the p
four battleships. It is desirable to ],
complete ns sbu as possible a squad- ij
ion of eight battleships of the best p
existing type. The North Dakota, fl
Delewnre. Florida ami TTfall wMl foim d
tire first cf tlrs squadron. Tin four j]
vessels pi0posed will form the second p
division. It will bo an improvement (j
en the first, the ships being of the
heavy, single caliber, all big gun f,
type. All the vessels should have the y
same tactical qualities, that is, speed b'
and turning circle, and ns near as fj
possible these tactical qualities j
should be tbc same as is in the four r4
vessejs befpre named now being d
built. ' ^
The Ap:oricap pcpple have cause
for profound gratification, both in|lf
view pi wie oxcruonr condition of the
fleet ns shown by this cruiso .and in w
view of the improvement the cruise j>t
has woiked in thi# already high condition.
I do not believe that there is
my other acrvieo in the world in p
which the average of character and
ffllcicuoy in the eni sled men is as ?)
high as is now the ease In our own. c<
I believe that the same statement can
be mode as to our cflleers, taken as a p
whole; but there must he n rcscrvai
011 mode in regard to those in the
highest ranks?as to which I have already
spoken?and in icenrd 10 those B
who have just entered t service;
because we do not now get lull benefit
firm our excellent naval school .
at Anuapcl's. It is absurd not to 11
graduate the midshipmen as ensigns; tl
to keep tlirm for two years in such tl
an anomalous position as at present p
the law requires is detrimental to
Ihera and to the service. In the academy
itself, every first classman
shdnld be required in turn to serve w
as petty officer and cfTi.er: !?';< ?h:l-loi
ity to discharge his duties as such
should he a prerequisite to his going n
into the linf, and his success in com- u
nanding should largely determine his iJ
standing at graduation. The Hoard
of Visitors should he appointed in
January, and each member should he
required to' give at least six days'
service, only frtm one to three days' Of
j to be performed during Juno week, y
wbi?h is tho least desirable time for n
the board to he nt Annapolis so fnv ,
rs benefiting the nnvv by their ob- h
serrations in concerned. g
THEODORE ROOSEVELT. c
The White IIousc, Tuesday, Dcoegi- g
bcr 3, 1003, t
J
LAWMAKERS MEET f
Second Session of the S'x ieth
Congress Begins lis Wcrlt.
SEVERALNtW MEMBERS SWORN
if the RcpiUtcca Leaders Retain
Frercnt Views Ifcerc Will Ee very
fcHtle Elrc Dene by tbo OonjreB!
Except Appropriate Money l\?i
Variotsc and Sundry Objects.
Washington, Special.?If Republish
lendcis retain their present views
he legislation of the session of Conors*
which began Monday will indude
yei-v lit(except the approirintion
bills. These bi-Ms will earry
,11 the aggregate r.l out $1,000,000,090,
ind tlu general opinion is that in the
ime that will be allowed, the two
:onses will find thov ran best serve
he country by giving proper nttcnion
to tli"se appropriations.
There will be n general effort to
it,1,1 the appropriations down to the
owest possible limit. It is gcncrallv
mderstcod that there will be n bill
'or the improvement of rivers and
larbors, to carry not less than $23.>00.000
or $30,000,000. Provision
mist be made this year for the conns
of 1P10, and this will require not
mc ^innnn aaa rm ??
wo ?ri"?vvu,wu. 1 urrr win ui*
ither exceptional demands, so that as
t lroks now Congress will do well
f it Succeeds in holding the appropriations
for the second session of
he Sixitieth Congress to the dimensions
of those of the iivst session,
rhe House committee en approprinions
already has begun its work on
ho snr.dr> bills.
The fact that the managers desire
o restrict legislation will not prcent
other numbers of the Senuto
ind House from exerting their efforts
n behalf of favorite nieasurcg. Tho
Irst effort in th s direction will bo
ncdo in the Senate by Mr. Fornker,
rlio will Knew h's attempt to hovo
>assed the bill outhorixiiig the relilislmom
of the negio sol Hers dlsharged
without loner c.i r.erouut of
he Brownsville riot. This mcasuro
rill be the special order for Peeemter
10th. Senator Uevrridge will
aake an < ITort to obtain enrlv eonidernth
n < 1' hie child labor bill, an I
lenator Cniler, of tlie postal savings
anlc bill.
It is quite certain that the recent
greement between the I'nited State*
ml Japan will receive oaile eonsidiratiou
in the Senate. Already u
mmber of Senators have privately
xpresscd disapproval of the fact
hat the compact was entered into
without consulting tho Senate.
Monday at 12 o'clock both lionises
f Congress convened for the begining
of the second session of the Sixieth
Congress. Practically no busies*
was transacted in cither house
londay. In the Senate ex-(ioveruor
'qiniuiiis. of Iowa, took the oath of
fflee as the successor of Senator Alison
,ns did Can ell S. P?pe, of Yerlont,
us the successor of Senator
Itewart, in the House the seven
leniber* who were elected in.Novcmer
to succeed member* who havw
ied or resigned, arc Henry A. Barnart,
Democrat, who succeed* the lata
Ir. Brick. Republican, from the thirfeutli
Indiana district; Albert Estoinal,
Democrat, who succeeds tho
ite Mr. Meyer from the first Louisma
district; Otto O. Foelker, Reublican.
successor to Mr. Dim well,
tepubliean. i:i the third New York
istrict; Frank E. Guernsey, Rcpubcnn.
successor to Mr. Powers,' Rcubliean.
fttm the fourth Maine disrict;
Ebcn M. Masters, Republican,
accessor to Mr. Parker, Republican,
roiii South Dakota at large; O. C.
uloy, Democrat, successor to his
Mother, A. A. Wiley, Democrat, from
jq, "Aeeoiid Alabama district, and
t>hn P. Swansay, Republican, suc;ftsor
to Mr. Littlefield, who resigned
ilring the last session firm the sec*
hd Maine district.
The two houses appointed commits
ie? each to notify the other IIo?u"i
ud the President that the two bodiet
ere organised cud prepared to g<t
irward with the business of the st?'
on. The Senate then adjourned fop
le day. out of respect to the
ry of Senator Allison, who died din/
iff the recti p. The llouae tormina'*
i its brcf cession with resolution
Jmmetr.orntive of the lives c",
[essrs, Parker, Wiley, Dunwell and
owers, who have died since adjournient
lost May.
rave Eniir.tcr ScaKcd to Dcnth ia
Hi". Cab.
Stafesboro, fia., Special.?Remainip
at Iii?4 post though rtangi ?
lrcatened. A. A. Rpppart). a sen of
in late well-known luinheiman, If.
L Reppanl, of Savannah, was slowl
alde<* to death when his engm *
lined over and pinned him in tl ?
reckatre. one mil* froiri Aaron. Of ,
n the SaVannah. An'/list a & Noif rn
Railway. Twenty passengers ; i
caboose tUnt with "the engine mafi
p the train had narrow c^aprs frcu
* -i 11 rv
4
Prominent Woman Suioidee. 1
Pristol, H. I., Special.?Mrs. En?
in, Kursrll C'be6c.brou<li, nsfed 9
tr.rs. wife rf Alfred H, < 'hruebrou? !,
wcll-Wrnwn vaeht drs'Hfier of ' i igrjafi
ity, committed filicide b.v fliootii f j
eric If lu the heed with a rcvolv< & ,;j
Ihe had been troubled with mclr i? |
holia nnd insomnia for some titrj, I
he tvos tho daughter of former Lie i- I
ennnt Governor Jouatban ftrwtt {
jiHH