The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, December 15, 1904, Image 7
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5THE PRESIDE^
p Official Communication
Read in (
BIS SUGGESTIONS ON LEGISLATION ;
The Fresident Makes Strong Recom- ,
mentations Concerning Capital and 1
Labor. Poroian Affaire Armv and i
Navy, Commerce and Other Subjects ]
That Will Come 3efore Congress. i
* (
Follc.-wing is the substance of the an- i
Chal message of President Roosevelt. ;
read in both Houses of Congress:
To the Senate and House of Repre- ,
sHntatives:
Th* Nation continues to enjoy note- (
O! thy prosperity. Such prosperity is j}
of course primarily due to the high in- j,
dividual average of our citizenship. ;
trk^n together with our great natural , j
resources; but an important factor i
therein is tho working of our long- !'
continued governmental policies. The 1
people have emphatically expressed j
their approval of the principles under- !
lying these policies, and their desire !
that these principle* be kept substan- j
tially unchanged, although of course
applied in progressive spirit to meet j
changing conditions.
w/*w I IUN AVinl 1*0 1 tAIKMVAA
GANCE.
The enlargement of scope of the j
functions of the National Government;
required by our development as a na- 1
tion involves, of course, increase of .
r*?-expense; and the period of prosperity ;
thiough which the country is passing i
justifies expenditures for permanent ;
iraprovementments far greater than
would be wise in hard times. Battle |
ships and forts, public buildings, and ,
improved waterways are investments ;
which should be made when we have .
the money; but abundant revenues and j
a large surplus always invite extrava- j
gance, and constant care should be
taken to guard against unnecessary in- :
crease of the ordinary expenses of gov- j
eminent The cost of doing Government'
business should be regulated with the j
same rigid scrutiny as the cost of;
doing a private business.
CAPITAL AND LABOR.
In the vast ana complicated mechan- ;
isoi of our modern civilized life the j
dominant note is the note of industrial- |
ism; and the relations of capital and ;
labor, and especially of organized capif
tal aDd organized labor, to each other
^ and to the public at large come second
& in importance on y to the intimate j
questions of family life. Our peculiar j
form of government, with, its sharp
division of authority between the Xa- j
tion and the several States, has been
011 the whole far more advantageous to
our development than a more strongly i
centralized government. But it is un- '
doubtedly responsible for much of the .
difficulty of meeting'with' adequate
k~ (>idiunun ii;c ucvi piuy.uuis piwcuicu .
by the total change in industrial condi- i
tions en this continent during the last
half century. In actual practice it has
proved exceedingly difficult, and in
many cases impossble, to get unanimity
of wise action among the various States (
cn these subjects. Fioni the very nature
at the case this is especially true of the
laws affecting the employment of capital
in huge masses
With regard to labor the problem is
no less Important, but it is simpler. ;
As long as the States retain the primary
contiol of the police power the
circumstauces must be altogether extremfc
which require interference by
tho^deral authorities, whether iu the
"^""STay of safeguarding the rights of j
labor or in the way of seeing that
wrong is not done by unruly persons !
who shield themselves behind the name j
of labor. If there is resistance to the ,
Federal courts, interference with the
I mails, or interstate commerce, or molestation.of
Federal property, or if the
v State authorities ,n some crisis which
they are unable to face call for help,
then the Federal Government may in- j
t erf ere; but though such interference j
may be caused by a condition of tilings
arising out of trouble connected with
seine question of labor, the interference
itself simply takes the form of
restoring order without regard to the
questions which have caused the breach
_ M a U n
OI pruer?lor iu jvcrjj wmcr 15 a. pi i- 1
iut<7 duty and in a time of disorder I
and violence all other questions sink
into abeyance until order has been
restored. In he District of Columbia
and in the Te.ritories the Federal law
covers the entire field of government:
but the labor question is only acute in
popular centers of commerce, manufactures.
or mining. Nevertheless, both in
the enactment ar<; rn the enforcement
of law the Federal Government within
its restricted sphere should set an example
to the State governments, especially
in a matter so vital as this
effecting labor. I believe that under
modern industrial conditions it is often
necessary, and even where not necessary
it Is yet olten wise, that there
should be organ.zatioa of labor in
"order better to secure the rights of the
individual wage-worker. All encouragement
should be given to any such organization.
so long as it is conducted
v.itb a due and decent regard for the
lights of ethers. There are in this country
some labor uuions which have habitually,
and other labor unions which
have often, been among the most effective
agents in working for gooj citi?'
?r-V t >. unllftinir thrt eATl i t inn
xr iisiuip aau ivi uu^ ?.uv w?.??v.v? t
of these whose welfare should be clos est
to our hearts 3ut when amy labor
union seeks improper ends, or seeks to
achieve proper ends by improper
Kie3nc, all good citizens and more es-;
futrtally all honorable public servants j
must oppose the wrondoing as resolute- :
Jy as they would oppose the wrongdoing
o! any great corporation. Of
course any violence, brutality, or corruption.
should not for one moment be
tolerated. Wage-workers have an entire
right to organize and by all peaceful
and honorable means to endeavor '
to persuade their fellows to join with
them in organizations. They have a le?
gal right, which according to circumstances.
inay or may not be a moral
xigbt, to refuse to work in company
with men who decline to join their
tuxaxcgalions. They uata under no cir
\
IT'S MESSAGE;
From The President is
Congress
umstances the right to commit vioenee
upon those, whether capitalists
r wage-workers, who refuse to support
heir organizations, or who side with
hose with whom they are at odd?; tor (
nob rule is intolerable in any form.
EMPLOYERS' LIABILITY LAW.
The wage-workers are peculiarly entitled
to the protection and the enoourigeiuent
of the law. From the very nature
of their occupation railroad men.
ior instance, are liable to be maimed in
ioing the legitimate work of their profession.
unless the railroad companies
ire required by law to make ample
provision for their safety. The Administration
has been zealous in enforcing
the existing law for this purpose. That
law should be amended and strengthened.
Wherever the National Government
has power there should be a
stringent employer's liability law.
which should apply to the Government
itself where the Government is an employer
of labor.
PREVENTION OF RAILROAD ACCIDENTS.
The ever-increasing casualty list
upon our railroads is a matter of grave
public concern, and urgently calls for
action by the Congress. In the matter
of speed and comfort of railway travel
our railroads give at least as good service
as those of any other nation, and
there is no reason why this service
should not also be as sate as human ingenuity
can make it. Many of our leading
roads have been foremost in the
adoption of the most approved safeguards
for the protection of travelers
and employees, yet the list of clearly
avoidable accidents continues unduly
large. The passage of a law requiring
the adoptiou of a blocksignal system
has been proposed to the Congress. I
earnestly concur in that recommendation.
and would also point out to the
Congress the urgent need of legislation
in the interest of the public satety lim-v
iting the hours of labor for railroad
employees in train service upon railroads
enzaeed in interstate commerce,
and providing that only trained and
experienced persons be employed in positions
of responsibility connected with
the operation of traius. Of course nothing
can ever prevent accidents caused
by human weakness or misconduct;
and there should be drastic punishment
for any raliroaod employee,
whether officer or man. who by issuance
of wrong orders or by disobedience
of orders causes disaster. The
law of 1901. requiring interstate railroads
to make monthly reports of all
accidents to pasengers and employees
cn duty, should also be amended so as
to empower the Government to make a
I-ersonal investigation, through proper
officers, of all accidents involving loss
of life which seem to require investigation.
with a reqpirement that the result
of such investigation be made
public.
UNIONS OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.
There is no objection to employees
of the Government forming or belonging
to unions; but the Government can
neither discriminate for nor discrimiuate
against nonunion men who are in
its employment, or who seek to be employed
under it. Moreover, it is a very
grave impropriety for Government employees
to band themselves together for
the purpose of extorting euipropei ly
l-'gh salaries from the Government. Especially
is this true of those within the
classified service. The letter carriers,
both municipal and rural, are as a
whole an excellent body of public sei
vaats. They should be amply paid. But
tiieir payment must be obtained by
arguing their claims fairly and honorably
before the Congress, and not by
banding together for the defeat of i
those Congressmen who refuse to give
piomises which they can not in conscience
give. The Administration has
already taken steps to prevent and
1 unish abuses of this* nature; but it
will be wise for the Congress to supplement
this action by legislation.
BUREAU OF LABOR.
Much can be done by the Government
in labor matters merely by giving publicity
to certain conditions. The Bureau
of Labor has done excellent work of
this kind in many different directions.
I shall shortly lay before you in a special
mesage the full report of the investigation
of the Bureau of Labor into
the Colorado mining strike, as this
is a a r.trike in which certain very evil
forces, which are more or less at work
everywhere under the conditions of
modern industrialism, became startl;nglv
prominent. It is greatly to be
wished that the Department of Commerce
and Labor, through the Labor
Bureau, should compile and arrange for
the Congress a list of the labor laws of
the various States, and should be given
the means to investigate and report to
the Congress upon the labor conditions
in the manufacturing and mining regions
throughout the country, both as
to wages, as to hours of labor, as to
the labor of women and children, and
er to the effect in the various labor
centers of immigration from abroad. In
this' investigation especial attention
should be paid to the conditions of
child labor and child-labor legislation
in the several States.
CORPORATIONS.
When we come to deal with great
corporations the need for the Government
to act directly is far greater than
/??ea <*\P loKnr luvnnc^ frroaf nor
IL IUC v.uoc vi ?uww?f vvvwmvv (9.vmb v?.
porations can become such only by engaging
in interstate commerce, and
interstete commerce is peculiarly the
field of the General Government. It is
an absurdity to expect to eliminate the
abuses iu great corporations by State
action. It is difficult to be patient with
an argument that smch matters
should be left to the States, because
more than one State pursues the policy
of creating on easy terms corporations
which are never operated within that
Slate at all, but in other States whose
laws they ignore. The National Government
alone can deal adequately with
these great corporations. To try to deal
with them in an intemperate, destructive.
or demagogic spirit would, in all
probability, mean that nothing whatever
would be accomplished, and, with
absolute certainty, that if anything
were accomplished it would be of a
j
harmful nature. The America* people
need to continue to show the very qualities
that they have shown?that is,
moderation, good sensr. the earnest desire
to avoid doing any damage, and
yet the quiet determination to proceed,
step by step, without halt and without
hurry, in elimnating or at least in minimizing
whatever of mischief or of evil
there is to interstate commerce in the
conduct of great corporations. They
are acting in no spirit of hostility to
wealth, either individual or corporate.
They ace not against the rich man anymore
than against the poor man. On
the contrary, they are friendly alike toward
rich man and toward poor man.
provided only that each acts in a spirit
of justice and decency toward his fellows.
Great corporations are necessary.
and only men of g'-eat and singular
mental power can manage such
corporations successfully, and such
men must have great rewards. But
these corporations should be managed
with due regard to the interest of the
public as a whole. Where this can be
lioue under the present laws it must
be done. Where these lawns come short
others should be enacted to supplement
them.
Yet we must never forget the determining
factor in every kind of work,
of head or hand, must be the man's
own good sense, courage, and kindliness.
More important than any legislation
is the gradual growth of a feeling
of responsibility and forbearance
pmong capitalists and wage-workers
alike; a feeling of respect on the part
of each man for the rights of others;
a feeling of broad community of interest,
not merely of capitalists among
themselves, aud of wage-workers alike;
a feeling of respect on the part of
each man for the rights of others; a
feeling of broad community of interest,
not merely of capitalists among themselves,
and of wage-workers among
themselves, but of capitalists and
wage-workers in their relations to each
ether, and of both in their relations tc
their fellows who with them make uf
the body politic. There are many captains
of industry, many labor leadens
who realize this.
BUREAU OF CORPORATIONS.
The policy of the Bureau is to ac
ccmplish the purposes of its creatioc
by cooperation, not antagonism; bj
making constructive legislation, not destructive
prosecution, the immediate
object of its inquiries; by conservative
investigation of law and fact, and bj
refusal to issue incomplete and hence
recessarily inaccurate reports. Itf
policy being thus one of open inquiry
into, and not attack upon, business, th<
Bureau has been able to gain not onl:
the confidence, but, better still, the co
operation of meu engaged in legitimate
business.
The Bureau offers to the Congresi
the means of getting at the cost of pro
duction of our various great staples o
commerce.
Of necessity the careful investlga
tion of special corporations will affon
i the Commissioner knowledge of certali
business facts, the publication of whicl
might be an improper infringement o
private rights. The method of makini
public the results of these investiga
Cons affords, under the law. a mean:
for the protection of private rights
The Congress w ill have all facts ex
cept such as would give to another cor
poration information which would in
jure the legitimate business of a com
petitor and destroy the incentive fo
individual superiority and thrift.
The Bureau lias also made exl aus
live examinations into the legal con
dition under which corporate busines
is carried on in the various States
into all judicial decisions on the sub
joct: and into the various systems o
corporate taxation in use. I call specia
attention to the report of the chief o
the Bureau; and I earnestly ask tha
Congress carefully consider the rcpor
and recommendations of the Commis
sioncr on this subject.
AGRICULTURE.
The Department of Agriculture ha
grown into an educational iustitutioi
with a faculty of two thousand special
itts making research into all the scien
ces of production. The Congress appro
priates, directly, and indirectly, si:
millions of dollars annually to carry o:
this work. It reaches every State an<
Territory in the Union and the island:
o fthe sea lately come under our flag
Cooperation is had with the State ex
periment stations, and with many othe:
institutions and individuals. The worlc
is carefully searched for new varietiej
of grains, fruits, grasses, vegetables
trees, and shrubs, suitable to variou<
localities in our country: and markec
benefit to our producers has resulted.
The activities of our age in lines o>
irsearch have reached the tillers of th<
soil and inspired them with ambitioi
to know more of the principles thai
govern the forces of nature with whicl
they have to deal. Nearly half of the
people of this country devote their energies
to growing things from the soil
Uutil a recent date little has been done
to prepare these millions for their life
work. In most lines of human activitj
college-trained men are the leaders
The farmer had no opportunity fo:
special training until the Congress
made provision for it forty years ago
During these years progress has been
made and teachers have been prepared,
Over five thousand students are iu attendance
at our State agricultural colleges.
The Federal Government expends
ten millions of dollars annually toward
this education and for research in
Washington and in the several States
and Territories. The Department of Agriculture
has given facilities for postgraduate
work to five hundred young
men during the last seven years, preparing
them for advanced lines of work
iu the Department and in the State
institutions.
PENSIONS.
The veterans of the Civil War have
a claim upon the nation such Sj^uo
other body of our citizens possess.
The Pension Bureau has never in its
history been managed in a more satisfactory
manner than is now the
cose.
JAMESTOWN TRI-CENTENNIAL.
In 1907 there will be held at Hampton
Roads the tricentennial celebration
of the settlement at Jamestown.
Virginia, with which the history of
what has now become the United
States really begins. I commend this
to your favorable consideration. It is
an event of prime historic significance
in which all the people of the United
States should feel, and should show,
great and general .interest.
POSTAL SERVICE.
In the Postofllee Department the
service has increased in efficiency,
and conditions as to revenue and exii
I penditure continue satisfactory. The
j increase of revenue during the year
v/as $9,358,181.10, or 6.9 per cent, the
total receipts amounting to $143,382,624.34.
The expenditures wore $152.C62.116.70.
an increase of about 9 per
cent over the previous year, being
thus $8,979,492.36 in excess of the
; current revenue. Included in these
expenditures was a total appropriation
on' $12,956,637.35 for the continuation
; and extension of the rural free-deli vj
ery service, which was an increase
: of $4,902,237.35 over the amount expended
for this purpose in the pre:
ceding fiscal year. l>arge as this expenditure
has been the beneficent re,
suits attained in extending the free
j distribution of mails to the residents
of rural districts have justified the
; wisdom of the outlay. Statistics
ibrousht down to the 1st of October.
1204. show that on that dace there
were 27,138 rural routes established,
serving approximately 12.000.000 of
people in rural districts remote from
postoflices, and that there were pending
at that time 3,859 petitions for the
establishment of new rural routes.
Unquestionably some part of the general
increase in receipts i3 due to the
increased postal facilities which the
rural service has afforded. The revenues
have also been aided greatly by
amendments in the classification of
mail matter, and the curtailment of
abuses of the second-class mailing
: privilege. The average increase in
the volume of mail matter for the
period beginning with 1902 and ending
June. 1905 (that portion for 1905
being estimated), is 40.47 per cent.
, as compared with 2*46 per cent for
the period immediately preceding,
! and 15.92 for the foor-year period imi
mediately preceding that.
EXTRAVAGANCE IN PRINTING.
I I call your attention to the great
[ extravagance in printing and binding
1 Government publications, and especi1
nllv to the fact that altogether too
( many of these publications are printed.
There is a constant tendency to
increase their number and their vol'
ume. It is an understatement to say
that no appreciable harm would be
caused by. and substantial benefit
would accure from, decreasing the
1 amount of printing now done by at
r least one-half. Probably the great
" majority of the Government reports
' and the like now printed arc never
! read at all, and furthermore the print*
r ing of much of the material contained
5 in many of the remaining ones serves
] no useful purpose whatever.
? CURRENCY.
r The attention of Congress should be
- especially given to the currency ques?
tion, and that the standing committees
on the matter in the two Houses
i charged with the duty, take up the
- | matter of our currency and see whethf
er it is not possible to secure an
1 agreement in the business world for
- bettering the system; the committees
1! should consider the question of the
i retirement of the greenbacks and me
i problem of securing in our currency
f such elasticity as is consistent with
I safety. Every silver dollar should be
- made by law redeemable in gold at
s the option of the holder.
' | MERCHANT MARINE.
[ | I especially commend to your at.
' tention the encouragement of our mer_
; chant marine by appropriate legisla~r
I tion,
ORIENTAL MARKETS.
The growing importance of the Ori"
ent as a field for American exports
. ; drew from my predecessor. President
i McKinley, an urgent request for its
, special consideration by the Con,
' gi"ess. In his message of 1S9S hr
j stated:
t "In this relation, as showing the
t peculiar volume and value of our trade
_ with China and the peculiarly favora
ble conditions which exist for their
expansion in the normal course of
^ trade. I refe rto the communication
j ^dressed to the Speaker of the
. | House of Representatives by rhe Sec.
I retary of the Treasury ?u the 11th of
. last Juue. with its accompanying .'C^ter
t of the Secretary of State, recommend
j j ing an appropriation for a commission
j j to study the industrial and commerI
/vol />nnditinn< in fhp fthinpso Emnlre
! and to report as to the opportunities
i for and the obstacles to the enlarger
ment of markets in China for the raw
1 ; products and manufactures of the
} | United States. Action was not taken
' thereon during the last session. I
j! cordially urge that the recommendaj
| tion receive at your bands the con,
sideration which its importance and
t I timeliness merit."
? I PROTECTION OF ELECTIONS.
1 i The power of the government to
c J protect the integrity of the elections
1 of its own officials is inherent and has
1 i been recognized and affirmed by re"
peated declarations of the Supreme
j Court. There is no enemy of free
: government more dangerous and none
; ' so insidious as the corruptiou of the
i electorate. No one defends or excuses
; | corruption, and it would seem to fol
! !o?v that none would oppose vigorous
'' measures to eradicate it. I recom
mend the enactment of a law directed
1 against bribery and corruption in Fed
eral elections. The details of such a
law may be safely left to the wise
" discretion of the Congress, but it
| should go as far as under the Constitution
it is possible to go, and
1 should include severe penalties
1 against him who gives or receives
a bribe intended to influence bis act
or opinion as an elector; and provissions
for the publication not only of
the avnonHilnrea for nrvminarions and
elections of all candidates, but also of
all contributions received and expenditures
made by political committees.
( ALASKA.
1 The message makes a number of
suggestions on Alaska. the treatment
of the natives and other matters
affecting the welfare of the territory,
i It is also recommended that Alaska
j be given a delegate in Congress.
THE INDIANS.
It is recommended that better treatment
be accorded these wards of the
nation, and that every encouragement
possible be extended them to oecome
more industrious and self-supporting.
CONSULAR SERVICE.'
It is recommended that the consular
service be raised to the highest degree
of efficiency by selecting men who are
familiar with trade conditions and
who know something of the language
| of the country to which they are aei
credited.
I
/ ?
mm*
CITY OF WASHINGTON, |l
The President recommends that the -J
eity be thoroughly cleaned up, so that
it be made in fact a perfect American
city, free from contagioii3 and ,
evil influences. *3
THE ARMY.
Within the last three years the ;
United States has set an example in :
disarmament where disarmament was
proper. By law our Army is ftxed at r?
a maximum of one hundred thousand
! and a minimum of sixty thousand men.
When there was insurrection in the
Philippines we kept the army at the
maximum. Peace came in the Philippines.
and now our Army has been reduced
to the minimum at which it is
Txvxsihtc trt keen it with due regard to
! its efficiency. The guns now mounted
require twenty-eight thousand men. if
the coast fortifications are to be adequately
manned. Relatively to the
Nation, it is not now so large as the
police force of New York or Chicago
relatively to the population of either
ciey. We need more officers; there are
not enough to perform, the regular
anny work. It is very important that
the officers of the Army should be accustomed
to handle their raenVn o
masses, as it is also important that tft^ ti
National Guard of the several States if
should be accustomed to actual field r
maneuvering, especially in connection It
with the regulars. For this reason we i
are to be congratulated upon the sue- A
cess of the field maneuvers at Manas- b
sas last fall, maneuvers in which a ><
larger number of Regulars and Ntt- u
tional Guard took part than was ever I
before assembled together In time of p
peace. No other civihted nation has, >1
relatively to its population, such a 1
diminutive Army as ours; and while ti
the army is so small we are not to be li
excused if we fail to keep it at a very d
high grade of proficiency. It must be a
incessantly practiced; the standard for 1
the enlisted men should be kept very li
high, while at the same time the ser- u
vice should be made as attractive as 11|
possible; and the standard for the offi- 11
cers should be kept even higher? k
which, as regards the upper ranks, <
can best be done by introducing some J
system of selection and rejection into >
the promotions. We shall be able, in i
the event of some sudden emergency, *
to put into the field one first-class *
army corps, which should be. as a [
(MWaIA Oi lane# tKo nmial fV 9T1V 1
of troops of like number belonging to a
any other nation. ;]
Great progress has been made la ?
protecting our coasts by adequate J
fortifications with sufficient guns. We
should, however, pay much more heed 1
than at present to the development of >
an extensive system of floating mines 1
for use in all our more important bar- ?
bors. These mines have been proved to '
be a most formidable safeguard against *
hostile fleets. 1
THE NAVY.
The strong arm of the Government i
in enforcing respect for its just rights "
in international matters is the Navy I
of the I'nited States. ^ most earnest- :
ly recommend that there be no halt in j>
the work of upbuilding the American | '
Navy. There is no more patriotic duty i i
before us as a people than to keep the J '
Navy adequate to the needs of this ; j
country's position. We have undertak- j'
en to build the Isthmian Canal. We ;!
have undertaken to secure for our- i
selves our just share in the trade of
the Orient. We have undertaken to ;
protect our c'tizens from improper i
treatment in foreign lands. We con- :
tinue steadily to insist on the applica- i
tion of the >K>nroe JXvwiiw to xnejl
Western Jv-mispflere. Vnless our atU- j
tude in these and all similar matters
is to be a mere boastful sham we can j
not afford to abandon our naval pro- [
gramme. Our voice i3 now potent for
peace, and it is so potent because we
| are not afraid of war. But our protestations
upon behalf of peace would
neither receive nor deserve the slightest
attention if we were impotent to
| I make them good.
| HOWAII AND PORTO RICO.
'1 The Alaskan natives should be given
the J'Sht t0 acquire, hold, and dispose
01 property upon the sani^ conations
as give? Other Inhabitants; fifia
the privilege of cJf^onshlp should be
given to such as may o? able to meet
certain definite requlreriNjjW. In
Hawaii Congress should give the gor!
ernor power to remove all the officials
I appointed under him. The harbor of j
! Honolulu should be dredged. The Ma- ]
rine Hospital Service should be em- ,
| powered to study leprosy in the islands.
| I ask special consideration for the re- ,
! port and recommendations of the gov- j
: ernor of l\>rto Rico.
. THE PHILI PPINES.
In the Philippine Islands there has
been during the past year a continua- J
tion of the steady progress which has j
obtained ever since our troops definitely
got the upper band of the insurgents^ ;
Th? Philinnino nennle or. to sneak I I
. more accurately, the many tribes. and j 1
even races, sundered from one another
more or less sharply, who go to make .
up people of the Philippine Islands,
contain many elements of good, and
some elements which we have a right |
! to hope stand for progress. At present ' j
they are utterly incapable of existing
j in independence at all or of building 1
j up a civilization of their own. I firmly j <
; believe that we can help them to rise J ]
I higher and higher in the scale of clvill- t
I zation and of capacity for self-govern- j
i ment, and I most earnestly hope that 1
in the end they will be able to stand. ,
j If not entirely alone, yet in some such
relation to the United States as Cuba
I now stands. This end 13 not yet in .
sight, and it may be indefinitely postponed
if our people are foolish enough
to turn the attention of the Filipinos
away from the problem of acbieviug I
, moral and material prosperity, or work'
ing for a stable, orderly, and just govl
ernment, and toward foolish and dan- | ;
gerous intrigues for a complete indeI
pendence for which they are as yet
Every measure taken concerning the
; islands should be taken primarily with
a view to their advantage. We should
cretainly give them lower tariff rates i :
on their exports to the United States; 1
i if thi3 is not done it will be a wrong
I to extend our shipping laws to them,
i I earnestly hope for the immediate en- ? i
! actment into law of the legislation i
1 now pending to encourage American
| capital to seek investment in the Islands
in railroads, in factories, in planj
tatlons, and in lumbering and miaiag. ( ,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
The White House, Dec. 5, 130 L
' . L, . _
V w
. FIERY TRAGEDY
imily Murdered and Bodies WereDiifnari
tft DiiiMia*
UUillbU IU UtUIUID?
Xl'MtED IN THE BEAR! OF T8WN
marred Remains of Mr. B. B. Hughes,
Hi* Wife and Two Daughters Found
in the Smoking Ruins of Their Horn*
in the Center of Trenton, S. C*?
A Bullet Through the Man's Head
and the Skulls of the Women Crush>
ed?Robbery the Supposed Motive-*
Governor Hey ward Offers a Reward.
Augusta, Special.?A special to The
ircnicle from Edgefield says:
"The most hideous of all human bor>rs
occurred at Trenton Thursday
ght, equal in horror to the Stateaboro
lair, if the general accepted theory be
ue that the victims were first murired
before the house was fired. At '
o'clock this morning the residence of
r. B. B. Hughes, centrally located ia
e town, was discovered on firs. Neigh>rs
rushed to the scene, but the lire
id progressed so far that entrance to
ie house was impossible. At once ia- *
liry was made as to the. whereabouts ,
r the inmates, it being thought that
ley had made their escape in their
ight clothes. As soon as the fire had
ed down sufficiently, & fearful scene
iet the eyes of the beholders. There
iy the charred and almost unrealizable
bodies of the entire family, coasting
of Mr. Hughes, his wife, Eva,
ad two young daughters, Emmie,
ged 19. and Hattie, 14 years of age.
Ir. Hughes' body lay just below where
as situated the door leading from his
3om to the hall, with a bullet hole
3rough the upper part of his head. A
istol with one empty chamber lay
ear by. Part of his charred clothes
rere on his person, showing that he
as dressed at the time he met death,
tie body of his wife was oa the bed 1
prings, while those of the young ladies
ere similarly situated. The skulls at
bese three were crushed as if hit with
vi.,?t inotnimpnf Theie
u Rxe or Buuic utuui f v. uru?
odies when found occupied a most na- t
ural position, with nothing to indicate
struggle, showing that they had bees
truck and done to death, while asleep,
'he news spread like wildfire and sooa
he entire surrounding country was on
he scene.
"Under the direction of Soliciote
'hurmond, a coroner's jury was imtaneled,
but as yet no testimony ha*
>een taken, it ^>eing thought best to
.wait further developments. It was said
hree tracks were discovered ieadin#
rom the field up to the redr of the ^
louse. The county blood hounds were
ecured and put on the train, but thii
.Sort has availed nothing. The horroa
s veiled in mystery. Every external 1
ividence goes to show that the family
vere all killed before the house waa
ired. One theory Is the house was en.ered
for the purpose of robbery; thai
lpon.being discovered, the robbers ac*
. ompiished the murders and fired th?
louse. Excitement runs high, butjnothng
rash will be done. Upon the request
)f Solicitor Thurmond, Governor Heyward
has offered a reward for the opprehension
of th? guilty ^
Japs Prepared to Sp?nd the Winter
General Oku'3 Headquarters,
Fusan, By Cable.?Delayed in Trans
mission.)?In the villages near th?
actual Japanese line houses are be
ing repaired and built, scores of welli
- 4*
nro being dug, villages are oet ug w
nuded of trees;, aiul quantities of fua
are being prepared. Every indicatioc
points to the intention t<? rgmajn is
the preseilt Jine during fh5 winter*:
The cold weather J? pot affecting thi
Japanese, although the temperaton
has already fallen to a few degrew
below zero. There are few sick men
Bank Robbed.
Enid, Okla., Special.?The Farmer#
State Bank, of Lambert, has been rob
bed by three men, who dynamited the?
safe, obtaining $3,000 as their booty
While two robbers were inside, thi
third guarded them, holding thi
horses. The robbers escaped, making
for Hie Gloss mountains. A posse fc
ill. oursuit.
No More Assaults.
Tokio, By Cable.?In t/isabling tin
Russian fleet at Port Arthur, preclud
ing the possibility of its being ablt
-??? ^
to reeatoree me niusuu
flc (Baltic) squadron, the Japanesi
have accomplished the main object <*
the desperate assaults against the
fortress which they have been makinj
for the past three months. There b
now a strong probability that, whil? ^
continuing the siego they will avow,
losses of the magnitude already at
tending their efforts, and instead o
assaulting, will reiy on starving ot?
the garrison until it is finally cap
tured.
Reward Offered.
Macon. Ga., Special.?A roward o
$300 and expenacs has been offerei
for the capture of Maro 3. Potter, tfci
defaulting and fugitive, cashier of th?
bank at Davisboro, Ga., where he fc
alleged to be more than $20,000 shor
In his accounts. The reward is offerei
by the officials of the bank.
Potter is only 22 years o;a, weiga
200 pounds and lias light hair ant
blue eyes. He is very popular, am
his friends express surprise at hfc
action.
New Japanese Fortifications. '
Washington, Special.?Mr. Grlsoanj
the American minister tt Tokio.
cabled the State Department that | I
Fisher, the American vice consul^BHg
Nagasaki, reports that all ship^^^^l
nas been warned to keep 20
away from Pescadores, an
the west coast of Formosa. an jfl B
it is reported that fcrri" :..>:B B
being constructed at Seoul. B B
,.^fl I