The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, December 10, 1903, Image 8
THE PRE?
A
Mr. Roosevelt Makes f
datioas to
THE COUNTRY IS PROSPEROUS.
.
Suggestions Touching Upon Our
Public Policy?The Departments?
The Isthmian Canal and Treaty
With Panama?Other flatters.
Introduction.
To the Senate and House of Representatives:
The country is to be congratulated
on the amount of substantial achievement
which has marked the past year
both as regards our foreign and as regards
our domestic policy.
Corporatiors.
With a nation as with a man the
most important things are those of the
household, and therefore the country
Is especially to be congratulated on
what has been accomplished in the direction
of providing for the exercise 6f
supervision over the great corporations
and combinations of corporations en- I
gaged in interstate commerce. The
Congress has created the Department
of Commerce and Labor, including the
Bureau of Corporations, with for the
first time authority to secure proper
* publicity of such proceedings of these
great corporations as the public has
the right to know. It has provided for
the expediting of suits for the enforcement
of the Federal anti-trust law; and
by another law it has secured equal
trontmpnt to all nroducers in the trans- i
portation of their goods, thus taking a
long stride forward in making effective
, the work of the Interstate Commerce
Commission.
Department cf Commerce ars:J Labor.
The establishment cf the Department j
of Commerce and Labor, with ihe
Bureau of Corporations thereunder. :
marks a real advance in the direction
of doing all that is possible for the solution
of the questions vitally affecting j
capitalists and wage-workers. The act :
creating the Department was approved
on February 14. 1903, and two days
later the head of the Department was
nominated and confirmed by the Sea.
ate. Since then the work of organi nation
has been pushed as rapidly as the
initial appropriations permitted, and
with due regard to thoroughness and |
the broad purposes which the Department
is designed to serve. After the
transfer of the various bureaus and
branches to the Department at the beginning
of the current fiscal year, as
provided for in the act, the personnel
mmnrised 1.2S0 employees in Washing
ten and 8,836 in the country at large. |
Tbe scope of the Department's duty
and authority embraces the commercial ;
and industrial interests of the Natiou. ,
It is not designed to restrict or control
^ tho fullest liberty of legitimate busi- ;
(V ness action, but to secure exact and au
thentic information which will aid the j
^ Executive in enforcing existing laws,
and which will enable the Congress to !
enact additional legislation, if any i
should be found necessary, in order to
prevent the few from obtaining privileges
at the expense of diminished opY
portunities for the many.
Bureau of Corporations.
The preliminary work of the Bureau
of Corporations in the Department has
shown the wisdom of its creation, f
Publicity in corporate affairs will tend
to do away with ignorance, and will
afford facts upon which intelligent ac.
tion may be taken. Systematic, intelligent
investigation is already develop-1
ing facts the knowledge of which is essential
to a right understanding of the
needs and duties of tbe business world.
The corporation which Is honestly and
fairly organized, whose managers in
the conduct of Its business recognize
their obligation to deal squarely with
their stockholders, thei^ competitors,
and the public, has nothing to fear
from such supervision. The purpose
of this Bureau is not to embarrass or j
assail legitimate business, but to aid in
bringing about a better industrial con- 1
dition?a condition under which there 1
shall be obedience to law and recognition
of public obligation by all corpora- !
tions, great or small. The Department
of Commerce and Labor will be not .
only the clearing house for information
regarding the business transactions of'
the Nation but the executive arm of
the Government to aid in strengthening
our domestic and foreign markets,
in perfecting our transportation facilities,
in building up our merchant
marine, in preventing the entrance of
undesirable immigrants, in improving
commercial and industrial conditions,
and in bringing together on common
ground those necessary partners in industrial
progress?capital and labor.
Commerce between the nations is j
steadily growing in volume, and the ,
tendency of the times is toward closer
trade relations. Constant watchfulness
is needed to secure to Americans
the chance to participate to the best
advantage in foreign trade; and we
many confidently expect that the new !
Department will justify me expectation
of its creators by the exercise of this
watchfulness, as well as by the businesslike
administration of such laws [
relating to our internal affairs as are
intrusted to its care.
Capital and Labor.
A The consistent policy of the National |
Government, so far as it has the power '
is to hold in check the unscrupulous \
man, whether employer or employee;
but to refuse to weaken individual ini- :
tiative or to hamper or cramp the in- !
?dustrial development of the country.
We recognize that this is an era of federation
and combination, in which
great capitalistic corporations and labor
unions have become factors of tremendous
importance in all industrial
centers. Hearty recognition is given the >
far-reaching, benchcent work whicn |
has been accomplished through both 1
corporations and unions, and the line i
as between different corporations.asb?- !
tween unions, is drawn as it is between :
different individuals; that is, it is
drawn oa conduct, the effort being to
treat both organized capital and or- j
IT'S MESSAGE]
lis Annual RecommenCongress.
*
garized labor alike; asking nothing
save that the interest of each shail he
brought into harmony with the interest j
of the general public, and that the conduct
of each shall conform to the fundamental
rules of obedience to law, of
individual freedom, and of justice and
fair dealing towards all. Whenever
either eomoration. labor union or in
dividual disregards the law or acts in a
spirit of arbitiary and tyrannous interference
with the rights of others,
whether corporations or individuals,
then where the Federal Government
has jurisdiction, it will see to it that
the misconduct is stopped, paying not
the slightest heed to the position or
power of the corporation, the union or
the individual, hut only to one vital i
fact?that is, the question whether or
not the conduct cf the individual or |
aggregate of individuals is in accord- j
ance with the law of the land. Eveiy
man must be guaranteed his liberty
and his right to do as he likes with his
property or his labor, so long as he
does not infringe the rights of others.
No man is above the law and no man
is below it; nor do we ask any man's
permission when we require him to
obey it. Obedience to the law is demanded
as a right; not asked as a favor.
We have cause as a nation to be
thankful for the steps that have been
so successfully taken to put these principles
into effect. The progress has
been by evolution, not by revolution.
Nothing radical has been done; the ac
uuu xitus utrtru uuiu muuvian ?.uvi ?^ w..
lute. Therefore the work will stand.
There shall be no backward step.
Receipts and Expenditures.
From all sources, exclusive of tLe
posial service, the receipts of the Government
for the last fiscal year aggregated
$560,390,674. The expenditures
for the fiscal year being $54,297,067.
The indications are that the surplus
for the present fiscal year will be veiy
small, if indeed there be any surplus.
From July to November the receipts
from customs were, approximately,
nine million dollars less than the receipts
from the same source for a coiresponding
portion of last year. Should
this decrease continue at he same ratio
throughout the fiscal year, the surplus
would be reduced by, approximately,
thirty million dollars. Should the
revenue from customs suffer much
further decrease during the fiscal year,
the surplus would vanish. A large surplus
is certainly undesirable. Two
years ago the war taxes were taken off
with the express intention of equaliz
ing the government receipts and expenditures,
and though the first year
thereafter still showed a surplus, it
now seems likely that a substantial
equality of revenue and expenditure
will be attained. Such being the case
it is of great moment both to exercise
care and economy in appropriations,
and to scan sharply any change in our
fiscal revenue system which may reduce
our income. The need of strict
economy in our expenditures is emphasized
by the fact that we can not
afford to be parsimonious in providing
for what is essential to our national
well-being. Careful economy wherever
possible will alone prevent our income
from falling below the point required
in order to meet our genuine needs.
Needs of Financial Situation.
The integrity of our currency is beyond
question, and under present con.
ditions it would be unwise and unnecessary
to attempt a reconstruction of
our entire monetary system. The same
liberty should be granted the Secretary
of the Treasury to deposit customs receipts
as is granted him in the deposit
of receipts from other sources. In my
Message of December 2, 1902, I called
attention to certain needs of the financial
situation, and I again ask the consideration
of the Congress for these i
quesitons.
Merchant Marine.
A majority of our people desire that
steps be taken In the Interest of
American shipping, so that we may
once more^resume our former position
In the ocean carrying trade. But hitherto
the differences of opinion as to the
proper methods of reaching this end
have been so wide that it has proved
impossible to secure the adoption of
any particular scheme. Having in
view these facts, I recommend that the
Congress direct the Secretary of the
Navy, the Postmaster-General, and the
Secretary of Commerce and Labor, associated
with such a representation
from the Senate and House of Repre
sentatives as the Congress In its wis.
dom may designate, to serve as a commission
for the purpose of investigating
and reporting to the Congress at Its
next session what legislation is dejir- I
able or necessary for the development
of the American merchant marine and j
American commerce, and incidentally j
of a national ocean mail service of J
adequate auxiliary naval cruisers and <
naval reserves. While such a measure j
is desirable in any event, it is especial- j
ly desirable at this time, in view cf
the fact that our present governmental
contract for ocean mail with the j
American Line will expire in 1905.
Immigration.
We can not have too much immigration
of the right kind, and we should I
have none at all of the wrong kind. '
The need is to devise some system by
which undesirable immigration shall
be kept out entirely, while desirable
immigrants are properly distrioutea
tbroughout the country.
Naturalization Frauds.
The special investigation of the sub- ;
ject of naturalization under the direc- j
tion of the Attorney-General, and the j
consequent prosecutions, reveal a con. ,
dition of affairs calling for the imme- !
diate attention of the Congress. For- ;
geries and perjuries of shameless and ,
flagrant character have been per- j
petrated, not only in the dense centers j
of population, but throughout the j
country; and it is established beyond ;
doubt that very many so-called citizens '
of the United States have no title
whatever to that right, and are asserting
and enjoying the benefits of. the
same through the grossest frauds. It
is never to be forgotten that citizenship
is. to quote the words recently used
by the Supreme Court of the United
1
States, an "inestimable heritage", I
whether it proceeds from birth within j
the country or is obtained by naturali- j
zation; and we poison the sources of !
our national character and strength at
the fountain, if the p iviiege is claimed j
and exercised without right, and by ]
means of fraud and corruption.
Public Land Frauds.
In my last annual Message, in connection
with the subject of the due
regulation of combinations of capital j
which are or may become injurious to ,
the public, I recommended a special ap- ;
propriation for the better enforcement j
of the antitrust law as it now stands, j
to be expended under the direction of j
the Attorney-General. Accordingly
(by the legislative, executive, and judicial
appropriation act of February 25,
1903, 32 Stat., 854, 904), the Congress
appropriated, for the purpose of enforcing
the various Federal trust and
interestate-rommerce laws, the sum of
five hundred thousand dollars, to be expended
under the direction of the Attorney-General
in the employment of
special counsel and agents in the Department
of Justice to conduct proceedings
and prosecutions under said laws
in the courts of the United States. I
now recommend, as a matter of the utmost
importance and urgency, the extension
of the purposes of thi3 appropriation,
so that it may be available, |
under the direction of the AttorneyGeneral,
and until used, for the due
enforcement of the laws of the United
States in general and especially of the
civil and criminal laws relating to public
lands and the laws relating to postal
crimes and offenses and the subject of
naturalization. Recent investigations
have shown a deplorable state of af!
fairs in these three matters of vital
concern. By various frauds and by forgeries
and perjuries, thousands of
acres of the public domain, embracing
lands of different character and extending
through various sections of the
country, have been dishonestly acquir-,
| ed. It is hardly necessary to urge tne
importance of recovering these dishonest
acquisitions, stolen from the people
and of promptly and duly punishing
I the offenders. I speak in another part
of this Message of the widespread
! crimes by which the sacred right cf
citizenship is falsely asserted and that
"inestimable heritage" perverted to
base ends. By similar means?that is,
through frauds. forgeries, and perjuries.
and by shameless briberies?the
1 laws relating to the proper conduct of
j the public service in general and to the
; due administration of the Post-Office
Department have been notoriously vioi
lated. and many indictments have been
: found, and the consequent prosecutions
are in course of hearing or oa the eve
thereof. For the reasons thus indicated, j
! and so that the Government may he
| prepared to enforce promptly and with
| the greatest effect the due penalties for
such violations of law, and to this end
may be furnished with sufficient instrumentalities
and competent legal assistance
for the investigations and trials
which will be necessary at many dif.
ferent points of the country, I urge upon
the Congress <lie necessity of roak
! ing the said appropriation available for
immediate use for all such purposes, to
be expended under the direction of the
Attorney-General.
Need For Treaties Making Bribery Extraditable.
%
Steps have been taken by the State
Department looking to the making of
bribery an extraditable offense with
foreign powers. The need of more ef- J
fective treaties covering this crime is
manifest. The exposures and prosecutions
of official corruption In St.
Louis, Mo., and other cities and States |
j have resulted in a number of givers
and takers of bribes becoming fugl- !
tives in foreign lands. Bribery has not
been included in extradition treaties
heretofore, as the necessity for it has
not arisen. While there may have been
as much official corruption in former
*1 ? *v?nrn rlcvolnnorl
years, mere uaa uccu uui^
and brought to light in the immediate
past than in the preceding century of
our country's history. It should be the
policy of the United States to leave no
place on earth where a corrupt man
fleeing from this country can rest in
peace. There is no reason why bribery
should not be included in all treaties
as extraditable.
Alaskan Boundary.
The Alaskan boundry dispute has
been one of long standing. The President
congratulates the country on its
amicable settlement, and Incidentally
i remarks upon the great development of
this valuable area of our possessions.
The President calls attention at
length to the settlement of claims
against Venezuela held by Great
Britain, Germany and Italy, and remarks
upon the important part played
by our government in the Just settlement
of the same. He remarks upon
the growing sentiment of the nations
favoring peaceable settlements in such
cases.
International Arbitration.
Last year the Interparliamentary
Union for International Arbitration
met at Vienna, six nunarea menmers
of the different legislatures of civilized
countries attending. It was provided
that the next meeting should be in
1904 at St. Louis, subject to our Congress
extending an invitation. Like the
Hague Tribunal, this Interparliamentary
Union is one of the forces tending
towards peace among the nations of
the earth, and it is entitled to our support.
I trust the invitation can be extended.
Relations With Turkey.
Early in July, having received Intelligence,
which happily turned out to
be erroneous, of the assassination of |
our vice-consul at Beirut, I dispatched j
a small squadron to that port for such ,
service as might be found necessary ,
on arrival. Although the attempt on I
the life of oui vice-consul had not been j
successful, yet the outrage was symp- |
tomatic or a srare or excnemeni ann i
d'sordei which demand immediate at- j
tention. The arrival of the vessels had
the happiest result. A feeling of security
at once took the place of the former
alarm and disquiet; our officers
were cordially welcomed by the consular
body and the leading merchants,
and ordinary business resumed its ac- j
tivity. The Government of the Sultan I
gave a considerate hearing to the representations
of our minister; the official
who was regarded as responsible
for the disturbed condition of affairs
was removed. Our relations with the
Turkish Government remain friendly;
our claims founded on inequitable
treatment of some of our schools and
missions appear to be in process of
amicable adjustment.
Relations With China.
The signing of a new commercial
a
treaty with China, which took place at \
Shanghai on the Sth of October, is a ]
cause for satisfaction. This act, the j
result of long discussion and negotia- c
tion, places our commercial relations i
with the great Oriental Empire on a j
more satisfactory footing than they s
have ever heretofore enjoyed. It pro- <
vides not only for the ordinary rights 1
and privileges of diplomatic and con- i
snlar offirprs. hut also for an imnor- i t
tant extension of our commerce by increased
facility of access to Chinese
ports, anil for the relief of trade by the j
removal of some of the obstacles which (
have embarrassed it in the past.
I call your attention to the reduced
cost in maintaining the consular service
for the fiscal year ending June 30,
1903, as shown in the annual report of f
the Auditor for the State and other \
Departments, as compared with the 1
year previous. For the year under con- J
sideration the excess of expenditures
over receipts on account of the con- j
sular service amounted to $26,125.12, ]
as against $96,972.50 for the year ending
June 30, 1902, and $147,040.16 ;
for the year ending June 30, 1901. This '
j is the best showing in this respect, for '
i the consular service for the past four- '
teen years, and the reduction in the '
cost of the service to the Government i \
has been made in spite of the fact that
the expenditures for the year in ques- \ 1
I tion were more than $20,000 greater j
than for the previous year.
Rural Free Delivery. j :
The rural free-delivery service has i
been steadily extended. The attention i
of the Congress is asked to the ques- i
tion of the compensation of the letter j
carriers and clerks engaged in the pos- i
[ tal service, especially on tne new rurai i
j free-delivery routes. More routes have <
been installed since the first of July i
last than in any like period in the De- <
partment. While a due regard to ccon- <
omy must be kept in mind in the es- .
tablishment of new routes, yet the ex- ]
tension of the rural free-delivery sys- <
tcm must be continued, for reasons of <
sound public policy. No governmental j
movement of recent years has resulted i
in greater immediate benefit to the 1
people of the country districts. Rural i
j free delivery, taken in connection with *
| the telephone, the bicycle, and the trol- <
i ley, accomplishes much toward lessen- <
| ing the isolation of farm life and mak- <
j ing it brighter and more attractive. j
Louisiana Purchase Exposition.
I trust that the Congress will con- ;
tinue to favor in all proper ways the '
Louisiana Purchase Exposition. This 1
Exposition commemorates the Louis!- J
ana purrhase, which was the first great i
j step in the expansion which made us a ]
; continental nation. The expedition of
! Lewis and Clark across the continent !
j followed thereon, and marked the fcej
ginning of the process of exploration
! and colonization which thrust our na- 1
tional boundaries to the Pacific. The :
acquisition of the Oregon country, in- ;
eluding the present States of Oregon
and Washington, was a fact of im- ;
mense importance in our hlston'', first
giving us our place on the Pacific sea- 1
board, and making ready the way for
our ascendency in the commerce of the
greatest of the oceans. The centennial
of our establishment upon the western (
coast by the expedition of Lewis and <
Clark is to be celebrated at Portland,
Oregon, by an exposition in the summer
of 1905, and this event should re- (
ceive recognition and support from
the National Government. j
Foreign Possessions.
It is urged that we do all we can to i
help Hawaii by constructing light- I
houses and helping to build up the
commercial interests of the islands. i
Of our insular possessions the Philip- <
pines and Porto Rico it is gratifying | i
to say that their steady progress has j 1
j been such as to make it unnecessary to i
spend much time in discussing them. I
Yet the Congress should ever keep in !
mind that a peculiar obligation rests J
upon us to further in every way the
welfare of these communities. The
Philippines should be knit closer to us
by tariff arrangements? It would, of
course, be impossible suddenly to raise
the people of the islands to the high
pitch of industrial prosperity and of
governmental efficiency to which they
will in the end by degrees attain; and
the caution and moderation shown in
developing them have been among the
main reasons why this development
has hitherto gone on so smoothly.
Scrupulous care has been taken in the
choice of governmental agents, and
the entire elimination of partisan polltics
from the public service. The condition
of the islanders is in materal
things far better than ever before, while
their governmental, Intellectual, and
moral advances has kept pace with
their material advance. No one people
ever benefitted another people more
than we have beneflfltted the Filipinos
by taking possession o fthe islands.
Public Land Laws.
The cash receipts of the General
Land Office for the last fiscal year were J
$11,024,743.65, an Increase of $4,762,- j
S16.47 over the preceding year. Of this :
sum, approximately, $8,461,493 will go
to the credit of the fund for the reclamation
of arid land, making the
total of this fund, up to the 30th of l
June, 1903, approximately, $16,191,836. ]
A gratifying disposition has been t
evinced by those having unlawful in- ]
closures of public land to remove their ]
fences. Nearly two million acres so in- t
closed have been thrown open on de- ^
mand. In but comparatively few cases (
has it been necessary to go into court f
to accomplish this purpose. This work {
will be vigorously prosecuted until all f
unlawful inclosures have been re- \
moved. j
Our public land laws need revision
sadly. A great deal of fraud has crept j
into their administration, and scandals
are common. It is urged that they be ,
thoroughly revised. ,
v/'juon weevil.
The cotton-growing States have re- s
centiy been invaded by a weevil that
has done much damage and threatens
the entire cotton industry. I suggest to
the Congress the prompt enactuent of *
such remedial legislation as its Judg- .
ment may approve.
Patents to Foreigners. t
In granting patents to foreigners the s
proper course for this country to fol-* s
low is .to give the same advantages to t
foreigners here that the countries in j
which these foreigners dwell extend in J
return to our citizens; that is. to ex- j.
tend the benefits of our patent laws on -J
inventions and the like where in re- '
turn the articles would be patentable
in the foreign countries concerned? ,
where an American could get a corresponding
patent in such countries.
Indian Affairs. r
The Indian agents should not be de- n
pendent for their appointment or te^^^
-- ; 7
jre of office upon considerations of
partisan politics; the practice of appointing,
when possible, ex-army offl;ors
or bonded superintendents to the
vacancies that occur is working well.
\ttention is invited to the wide,A
mux. J... ...VI:>
ilutMu iiiuexacy uue lu xach. ux. puum;
schools in the Indian Territory.
Prompt heed should be paid to the
aeed of education for the children in
:his Territory.
Safety-Appliance Law.
In the matter of the safety-appliance
law much good has already been accomplished.
The law should be vlgorausly
enforced.
Pensions.
No other class of our citizens deserves
so well of the Nation as those
to whom the Nation owes its very being,
the veterans of the civil war. Special
attention is asked to the excellent
work of the Pension Bureau in expending
and disposing of pension claims.
During the fiscal year ending puly 1,
1903, the Bureau settled 251,982 claims,
an average of 825 claims for each working
day of the year. The number of settlement
since July 1, 1903, has been in
excess of last year's average, approaching
1,000 claims for each working day,
and it is believed that the work of the
Bureau will be current at the close of
the present fiscal year.
Civil Service Extension.
Daring the year ended June 30 last
23,506 persons were appointed through
competitive examinations under the
civil-service rules. This was 12,72 more
than during the preceding year, and 40
per cent of those who passed the examination.
This abnormal growth was
largely occasioned by the extension of
classification to the rural free-delivery
service and the appointment last year
Df over 9,000 rural carriers. A revision
of the civil-service rules took effect on
April 15 last, which has greatly improved
their operation. The completion
of the reform of the civil service is recognized
by good citizens everywhere as
a matter of the highest public importance,
and the success of the merit system
largely depends upon the effectiveness
of the rules and the machinery
provided for their enforcement. A
very gratifying spirit of friendly cooperation
exists in all the Departments
of the Government in the enforcement
and uniform observance of both the
letter and spirit of the civil-service act.
Executive orders of July 3,1902; March
26, 1903, and July 8, 1903, require that
appointments of all unclassified laborers,
both in the Departments at Washington
and in the field service, shall
be made with the assistance of the
United States Civil Service Commission,
under a system of registration to
test the relative fitness of applicants
for appointment or employment. This
system Is competitive, and is open to
all citizens of the United States quali
fled in respect to age, physical ability,
moral character, industry, and adaptability
for manual labor; except that
in case of veterans of the civil war the
element of age is omitted.
Board of Charities.
The report of the Board of Charities
for the District of Columbia is
submitted for the consideration of
Congress. It is a qualifying statement.
The Army.
The effect of the laws providing a
General Staff for the Army and for the
more effective use of the National
Guard has been excellent. Great improvement
has been made in the efficiency
of our Army in recent years.
Such schools as those erected at Fort
Leavenworth and Fort Riley and the
institution of fall maneuver work accomplish
satisfactory results. The
good effect of these maneuvers upon
the National Guard Is marked, and
jmple appropriation should be made
to enable the guardsmen of the several
States to share !n the henent. me uov?rnment
should a3 soon as possible secure
suitable permanent camp sites for
military maneuvers in the various sections
of the country. The service thereby
rendered not only to the Regular
Army, but to the National Guard of
the several States, will be so great as
to repay many times over the rela- i
tively small expense. We should not I
rest satlfled with what has been done,
however. The only people who are
rontented with a system of promotion
by mere seniority are those who are
contented with the triumph of meJiocrity
over excellence. On the other
band a system which encouraged the
jxercise of social or political favoritsra
in promotions would be even
ivorse. But it would surely be easy to
levise a method of promotion from
rade to grade in which the opinion of
be higher officers of the service upon
ae canidates should be decisive upon i
onH nrnmiitlon of the I
,uc oiauuiU5 uuu !/.
Litter Just such a system now obtains
it West Point. The quality of each
tear's work determines the standing of
hat year's class, the man being dropted
or graduated into the next class in
he relative position which his miliary
superiors decide to be warranted
>y his merit.
The Navy.
Shortly after the enunciation of that
'amous principle of American foreign
policy now known as the "Monroe Doc;rine,"
President Monroe, in a special
Message to Congress on January 30,
[824, spoke as follows: "The Navy is
;he arm from which our Government
will always derive most aid in support
)f our 'rights. Every power engaged
in war will know the strength of
)ur naval power, the number of our
;hips of each class, their condition,
tnd the promptitude with which we
nay bring them into service, and will
ay due consideration to that argunent."
I hrartHv congratulate the Congress
tpon the steady progress in building
ip the American Navy. We can not aford
a let-up in this great work. To
:tand still means to go back.
Isthmian Canal.
By the act of June 28, 1902, the Cou- i
rress authorized the President to en- :
er into treaty with Colombia for the i
luilding of the canal across the i
sthmus of Panama; it being provided <
hat in the event of failure to secure t
uch treaty after the lapse of a rea- i
unable time, recourse should be had i
o building a canal through Nicaragua. <
t has not been necessary to consider 1
his alternative, as I am enabled to <
ay before the Senate a treaty provid- 1
tig for the building of the canal across i
he Isthmus of Fanama. This was the J
oute which commended itself to the <
eliberate judgment of the Congress, I
nd we can now acquire by treaty the '
ight to construct the canal over this ?
oute. TA>e question now, therefore, is <
ot by 1 Mcli route the Isthmian canal
question
L .
r
/ iW!?
ti,
been definitely and Irrevocably de?
elded. The question is simply whether
or not we shall have an Isthmta*
canal.
When the Congress directed that we
should take the Panama route under
treaty with Colombia, the essence at
the condition, of course, referred not
to the Government which' controlled
that route, but to the route itself; to
the territory apross which the route
lay, not to the name which lor tho
moment the territory bore on the map.
The purpose of the law was to ao?
thorize the President to make a treaty
with the power in actual control at
the Isthmus of Panama. This purpose'
has been fulfilled.
A number of paragraphs of the mef?
sage are devoted to a review of otf
efforts to secure treaty rights for thd
building of an Isthmian canal, and
many matters touching upon the suli?
ippt nrp Ht-prt
Repudiation of Treaty by.Colombia.
Last spring, under the act above ra
ferred to, a treaty concluded betwe?a
the representatives of the Republic of
Colombia and of our Government was
ratified by the Senate. This treaty waft
entered into at the urgent solicitation
of the people of Colombia and after ft
body of experts appointed by our Go^
ernment especially to go Into the ma-t
ter of the routes across the Isthmuft
had pronounced unanimously in favor
of the Panama route. In drawing up
this treaty e* ery concession was mate
to the people and to the Government
of Colombia. We were more than Juat
iu dealing with them. Our generosity
was such as to make it a serious queft^~^N
lion wbetiier we had not gone too far
in their interest at the expense of our
own; for in our scrupulous desire tft
pay all possible heed, not merely tft
the real but even to the fancied- rlghtft
of our weaker neighbor, who already
owed so much to our protection and
forbearance, we yielded In all posslblft 4
ways to her desires In drawing up thft
treaty. Nevertheless. the Government
of Colombia not merely repudiated th#
treaty, but repudiated It in such manp
ner as to make it evident by the tlmft
the Colombian Congress adjourned
that not the scantiest hope remained
of ever getting a satisfactory treaty
from them. The Government of Colon*
bia made the treaty, and yet when tho '
Colombian Congress was called to
ratify it the vote against ratification
was unanimous. It "does not appear
that the Government made any real
effort to secure ratification.
The control, in the interest of tho
commerce and tramc of the wholo
civilized world, of the means of undisturbed
transit across the Isthmus
of Panama has become of transcendent
importance to the United 8tate%
We have repeatedly exercised this
control by intervening in the courso
of domestic dissension, and by protecting
the territory, from foreign in*
vasion. In 1853 Mr. Everett assured
the Peruvian minister that wo
should not hesitate to maintain tho ,
neutrality of the Isthmus in the can* ^
of war between Peru and Colombia*
In 1864 Colombia, which has alwajd
been vigilant to avail itself of its pri^
ileges conferred by the treaty, expressed
its expectation that in tho
event of war between Peru and Spain
~
nit; u iineu oiaies wuuiu wwi; uivv
effect the guaranty of neutrality*
There have been few administration*
of the State Department in which this
treaty has not, either by the one eld*
or the other been used as a basis at
more or less important demands. II
was said by Mr. Fish in 1871 that the
Department of State had reason to
believe that an attack upon Colom?
bian sovereignty on the Isthmus had,
on several occasions, been averted by
warning from this government. la
18C6, when Colombia was under the
menace of hostilities from Italy in the
Cerruti case, Mr. Bayard expressed
the serious concern that the United
States could not but feel, that a Euro*
pean power should resort to force
against a sister republic of this hemisphere,
as to the sovereign and uiv
interrupted use of a part Of whose
territory we are guarantors unaer
the solmen faith of a treaty.
In conclusion it is argued that this *
country would have been recreant ta
its solemn duty to have delayed lonp?
er in availing itself of the offered op?
portunity to secure rights and frsap
chises sufficient to guarantee Its lap
mediate entrance upon the important
work of canal construction.
Provisions of Treaty.
By the provisions of the treaty
the United States guarantees and will
fuintain the independence of the Republic
of Panama. There is granted
to the United States in perpetuity thp
use, occupation and control of a strip ,
ten miles wide and extending thre*
nautical miles into the sea at either
terminal, with all lands lying outsid*
of the zone necessary for the coa?
struction of the canal or for its auxiliary
works, and with the islands im
the Bay of Panama. The cities of Pan*
ama and Colon are not embraced la
the canal zone, but the United States
assumes their sanitation and, In caas
of need, the maintenance of order
within the granted limits all thn
rights, power, and authority which
it would possess were it the sovereign
of the territory to the exclusion
of the exercise of sovereign rights bt
the Republic. All railway and canal
property rights belonging to Panama and
needed for the canal pass to thn
United States, including any proper*
ty of the respective companies in thn
cities of Panama and Colon; thn
works, property, and personnel of thn
canal and railways are exempted
from taxation as well in the cities of
Paifama and Colon as in the' canal
zone and its dependencies. Free immigration
of the personnel and importation
of supplies for the construction
and operation of the canal are granted.
Provision is made for the use of V
miniary rorce ana tne ounaing or ror?
tifications by the United States for
the protection of the transit. In other
details, particularly as to the acquisition
of the interests of the New Pa*?"
3 ma Canal Company and the Pan&m*
Railway by the United States and th?
condemnation of private property for
the uses of the canal, the stipulations
if the Hay-Herran treaty are closely
'ollowed, while the compensation to
je given for these enlarged grants regains
the same, being ten millions
if dollars payable on exchange of raticatlons;
and, beginning nlno years
'rem that date, an annual payment of
1250,000 during the life of the convex %
:ion.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT-*
White House; Dec. 7, 1903.
. ^
v / ^ s ^ AP J1 JPs S2H0