THE MESSAGE
Washington, D.C. Th Presidents
message was read before both tho
Senate and the House:, following the
opening of Congress. It Is, In part,
as follows:
To the Senate and House of Repre
i sentatlvps:
The financial standing of the Na
tion at the present time is excellent,
and the financial management of the
Nation's Interests by the Government
during the lant seven years has shown
the most satisfactory results. But
our currency system Is Imperfect, and
It is earnestly to be hoped that the
Currency Commission will be able to
propose a thoroughly good system
which will do away with the existing
defects.
The President's Message then
tales that during the past seven years
and three months there has been a
net surplus of nearly one hundred
millions ofTecelpts over expenditures,
a reduction of tho Interest bearing
debt by ninety millions, In spite of
the extraordinary expense of the Pan
ama Canal, and a saving of nearly
nine minions on the nnnual Interest
charge. This Is an exceedingly satis
factory showing, especially In view of
the fact that during this period tho
Nation has never hesitated to under
take any expenditure that It regarded
as necessary. There hnvo been no
new taxes and no increases of taxes;
on the contrary some taxes have been
taken off: there has been a reduction
of taxation.
As regards the great corporations
engaged In Interstate business, and
especially the rallronds. I ran only
repent what I have alrendy again and
again said In my messages to the Con
gress. I helleve that under the Inter
state clause of the Constitution the
United Sfntes has complete and para
mount right to control all agencies of
Interstate commerce, and I believe
that the National Government alone
can exercise this right with wisdom
and effectiveness so as both to secure
justice from, and to do Justice to. the
great corporations which are the most
Important factors In modern business.
I believe that It is worse than folly
to attempt to prohibit all combina
tions as Is done by the Sherman anti
trust law, because such a law can be
enforced Only, Imperfectly and une
qunlly. and Its enforcement works al
most as much hardship as good. I
strongly advocate that Instead of an
unwise effort to prohibit all combina
tions, there shall be substituted a law
which shall expressly permit combin
ations which are In the interest of the
p'lblle. but shall at the same time
give to some agency of the National
Government full power of control and
supervision over them. One of the
chief features of this control should
1" securing entire publicity in nl!
matters which the public has a right
to know, and furthermore, the power,
not by Judicial but by executive ac
tion, to prevent or put a stop to every
form of Imnropor favoritism or other
wrongdoing.
The railways of the country should
be put completely under the Inter
state Commerce Commission and re
moved from the domain of the anti
trust law. The power of the Com
mission should be made thorough
going, so that It could exercise com
plete supervision and control over the
Issue of securities as well' as over the
raising and lowering of rates. As re
gards rates, at least, this power
should be summary. The power to
Investigate the financial operations
and accounts of the railways has been
one of the most valuable features In
recent legislation. Power to make
combinations and traffic agreements
should be explicitly conferred upon
the railroads, the permission of the
Commission being first gained and
the combination or agreement being
published In all Its details. In the
Interest of the nubile the representa
tives of the public should have com
plete power to see that tho railroads
do their duty by the public, and as a
matter of course this power should
also be exercised so as to see that no
Injustice Is done to the railroads. The
shareholders, the employes and the
shippers all have interests that must
be guarded. It is to the Interest of
all of them that no swindling stock
speculation should be allowed, nr.d
that there should be no Improoer
Issuance of securities. The guiding
intelligences necessary for the suc
cessful building and successful man
agement of railroads should receive
ample remuneration, but no man
should be allowed to make money In
connection with railroads out of frau
dulent over-capitalization and kin
dred stock gambling performances;
there must be no defrauding of in
vestors, oppression of the farmers
and business men wno ship freight,
or callous disregard of the rights and
needs of the employes. In addition
to tbla the Interests of the sharehold
ers, of the employes, and of the ship
pers should all be guarded as against
one another. To give any one of thjm
undue arid Improper consideration Is
to do injustice to the others. Rees
must be made as low as Is compatible
with giving proper returns to all the
employes of the railroad, from the
highest to the lowest, and proper re
turns to the shareholders, but they
must not, for Instance, be reduced in
such fashion as to necessitate i cut In
the wages of the employes or the abo
lition of the proper and legitimate
profits of honest shareholder!.
Telegraph and telephone companies
engaged In Interstate business should
be put under the jurisdiction of the
Interstate Commerce Commission.
It Is very earnestly to be wished
that our people, through their repre
sentatives, should act in this matter.
It Is hard to say whether most dam
ago to the country at large would
come from entire allure on the part
of the public to supervise and control
the actions of the great corporations.
or from the exercise of the necessary
F.W.--1 imi power in a wav which
would do Injustice and wrong to the
corporations. Both the preachers of
an unrestricted Individualism and tho
preachers of an oppression which
would deny to able men of business
the Just reward of their Initiative and
business sagacity, are advocating pol
icies that would bo fraught with tho
gravest harm to the whole country.
It Is to tho Interest of all of us that
there should be a premium put upon
Individual Initiative and Individual
capacity, and an ample reward for
' great airecung intelligences alone
competent to manage the great busl
ness operations of to-day. It Is well
to keep In mind that exactly as the
annrchlst is the worst enemy of lib
erty and tho reactionary the worst
enemy or order, so tho men who de
fond tho rights of property have moat
to fear from the wrongdoers of great
wenit,n. and tne men who are cham
pioning popular rights have most to
fear from tho dnmagogues who in th
name of popular rights would d
wrong to oppress honest business
men, honest men of wealth; for the
success of either type of wrongdoer
neceasarlty Invites a violent reaction
agalnpt the cause the wrongdoer nom
Inally upholds. In point of dnncer t
the Nntlon there Is nothing to choose
between on the one hand the corrnp
tlonlst. the bribe-gjver, the brlhe-tnk
er, the man who employs his great
talent to swindle his fellow-cltlzens
on a large scale, and. on the otlie
hand, the prearher of class hatred
the man who, whether from Ignor
ance or from willingness to sacrifice
his country to his ambition, persuades
wen moaning but wrong-headed men
to try to destroy the Instruments
upon which our prosperity mainly
rests. Let each group of men beware
of and guard against the shortcom
Ings to which that group is itself
most name.
The opposition to Government con
trol of these great corporations makes
Its most effective effort in the shape
of an appeal to the old doctrine of
btntes' rights. Of course there are
many sincere men who now believe
In unrestricted Individualism in busl
ness. Just as there were formerly
mnny sincere men who believed In
slavery that is. In the unrestricted
right of an individual to own anottur
individual. These men do not by
themselves have grent weight, how
ever. The effective fight against ade
quate Government control and suner-
vislon of Individual, and especially of
corporate, wenlth engaged In Inter
state business Is chleflv done under
cover, end esneclnlly under cover of
nu appeal to States' rights. It Is not
at all Infrequent to read In the same
speech a denunciation of predatory
wealth fostered by special privilege
ann tenant of both the public welfare
and law of the land, and a denuncln
tlon of centralization In the Central
Government of the power to deal with
this centralized and organized wealth
Of course the policy set forth In such
twin denunciations amounts to ahso
lutFly nothing, for the first half Is
nullified by the second half. The
chief reason, among the many sound
and compelling reasons, that led to
the formation of the National Govern
ment. was the absolute need that the
Union, and not the several States
should deal with Interstate and for
elgn commerce; and the power ro deal
with Interstate commerce was granted
absolutely and plenarily to the Cen
tral Government, and was exercised
completely as regards the only in
sirumems or interstate commerce
known In those days the waterways,
the highroads, as well as the partner-
snips of Individuals who then con
ducted all of what business there was
Interstate commerce is now chiefly
conducted by railroads, and the great
corporation has sunplanted the mass
or small partnerships or Individuals.
The proposal to make the National
Government Bupreme over, and tljere-
iure to give it complete control over,
the railroads and other Instruments
of interstate commerce Is merelv a
proposal to carry out to the letter
one of tho prime purposes. If not the
prime purpose, for which the Consti
tution was founded.
We do not object to the concentra
tion of wealth and administration:
but we do believe in the distribution
of the wealth in profits to the real
owners, and In securing to the public
the full benefit of the concentrated
administration. We believe that with
concentration In administration there
can come both the advantage of a
larger ownership and of a more equit
able distribution of profits, and at the
same time a better service to the
commonwealth.
Many laws are needed. There
should be regulation by the National
Government of the great interstate
corporations. Including a simple
method of account keeping, publicity,
supervision of the Issue of securities,
abolition of rebates and of special
privileges. There should be short
time franchises for all corporations
engaged In public business; Includ
ing the corporations which get powtr
from water rights. There should be
National as well as State guardian
shin of mlnes'and forests.
There are many matters affecting
labor and the status of the wage
worker to which I should like to draw
your attention, but an exhaustive dis
cussion of the problem In all Us us-
pects Is not now necessary. This
administration is nearlng its end;
and, moreover, under our form of
government the solution of the prob
lem depends upon tho action of the
States as much as upon the action of
the Nation. Nevertheless, there are
certain considerations which I wish
to set before you. because I hone
that our people will more and more
keep them In mind. A blind and Ig
norant resistance to every effort for
the reform of abuses and for the read
justment of society to modern Indus
trial conditions represents not true
conservatism but an Incitement to the
wildest radicalism; for wise radical
Ism and wise conservatism go hand
In hand, one bent on progress, the
other bent on seeing that no change
is mane unless In the right direction.
I believe In a steady effort, or per
haps It would be more accurate to any
In steady efforts In many different
directions, to bring about a condition
of affairs under Which the men who
work with hand or brain, the labor
ers, the superintendents, the men
who produce for the market and the
men who find a market for the arti
cles produced, shall own a far great
er share than at present of the wealth
they produce, and be enabled to In
vest It In the tools and Instruments
by which all work Is carried on. As
far as possible I hopo to see a frank
recognition of the advantages con
ferred by machinery, organization,
and division of labor, accompanied
by an effort to brlr,s; about a larger
share In the ownership by wage-worker
of railway, mill, and factory. In
farming, this simply means that wo
wish to see the farmer own his own
land; we do not wish to see the farms
so large that they become the prop
erty of absentee landlords who farm
them by tenants, nor yet so small
that the farmer becomes like a Eu
ropean peasant. Again, the deposit
ors in our savings banks now number
over one-tenth of our entire popula
tion. These are all capitalists, who
ttirough the savings banks loan their
money to the workers that Is, In
many cases to themselves to carry
on their various industries. The more
we Increase their number, the more
we introduce the principles of co-op
erntloh Into our Industry. Every In
crease In the number of small stock
holders In corporations Is a good
thing, for tho same reasons; and
where the employes are the stockhol
ders the result Is particularly good.
Very much of this movement must
bo outside of anything that can be
accomplished by legislation; but leg
islation can do a good deal. Postal
savings banks will make It easy for
the poorest to keep their snvlngs In
absolute safety. The regulation of
the national highways mtist be such
that they shall serve all people with
equal justice. Corporate finances
must be supervised so as to make It
far safer than at present for the man
of small means to Invest his money in
stocks. Thore'must be prohibition of
child labor, diminution of woman
labor, shortening of hours of all me
chanical labor; stock watering should
be prohibited, and stock gambling so
far ns possible discouraged. There
should be a progressive Inheritance
tax on large fortunes. Industrial ed
ucation should be encouraged. As
far as possible we should lighten the
burden of taxation on the small man.
We should put a premium upon thrift,
hard work and business energy, but
these qualities cease to be the main
factors In accumulating a fortune
long before that fortune reaches a
point where It would be seriously uf
fected 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 inherit
ed. They rarely do good and they of
ten do harm to those who inherit
them in their entirety.
rhe President then devotes a chap
ter to "protection for wagework-
ers. He says there should be no nal-
terlng with the question of taking
care of those who become crippled or
worn out In our Industrial system.
He urges proper employers' liability
laws. He also calls attention to the
steps toward providing old-age pen
sions that have been taken by many
private Industries. He urges Con
gress to pass a comprehensive em
ployers' liability law for the District
of Columbia.
The President devotes much space
to the subject of the courts. First he
urges increased pay for our judges
und then says:
It is earnestly to be desired that
some method should be devised for
doing away with the long delays
which now obtain In the administra
tion of Justice, and which operate
witn peculiar severity agalnBt persons
of small means, and favor onlv the
very criminals whom It Is most desir
able to punish. These long delays In
the final decisions of cases make In
the aggregate a crying evil, and
remedy should be devised. Much of
this intolerable delay Is due to im
proper regard paid to technicalities
which are a mere hindrance to jus
tice. In some noted recent cases this
over-regard for technicalities has re
sulted In a striking denial of justice,
and flagrant wrong to the body poli
tic.
At the last election certain leaders
of organized labor made a violent and
weeping attack upon the entire judi
ciary of the country, an attack
couched In such terms ns to include
the moBt upright, honest and broad
minded Judges, no less than those of
narrower mind and more restricted
utlook. It was the kind of attack
admirably fitted to prevent any sue
cessful attempt to reform abuses of
the Judiciary, because It gave the
champions of the unjust judge their
eagerly desired opportunity to shift
their ground into a cWamplonshlp of
ust judges who were unjustlv as
sailed. Last year, before the House
Committee on the Judiciary, these
same labor leaders formulated their
emands, specifying the bill that con
tained them, refusing all compromise.
stating they wished the principle of
that bill or nothing. They Insisted
on a provision that in a labor dispute
no Injunction should Issue except to
protect a property right, and specifi
cally provided that the right to carry
on business should not be construed
as a property right, and in a second
provision their bill made legal in a la
bor dispute any act or agreement by
or between two or more persons that
would not have been unlawful If done
by a single person. In other words,
this bill legalised blacklisting and
boycotting In every form, legalizing,
for Instance, those forms of tho sec
ondary boycott which the anthracite
coal strike commission so unreserv-
carry on a business was explicitly
taken out from nnder that protection
wnicn tne law throws over properlr.
The demand waa made that there
should be trial by Jury In contempt
cases, thereby most seriously Impair
ing the authority of the courts. All
this represented a course of policy
which, If carried out, would mean the
enthronement of class privilege In Its
crudest and most brutal form, and the
destruction of one of the moBt essen
tial function of the judiciary In all
civilized lands.
The wageworkers.the worklngmen,
the laboring men of the country by
the way In which they repudiated the
effort to get them to cast their votes
In response to an appeal to class ha
tred, have emphasized their sound
patriotism and Americanism. The
whole country has cause to feel pride
In this attitude of sturdy Independ
ence, In this uncompromising Insist
ence upon acting simply as good citi
zens, as good Americans, without re
gard to fancied and improper class
Interests. Such an attitude Is an ob
ject lesson In good citizenship to the
entire nation.
to
edly condehined; while the rlgiit to badly.
But the extreme reactionaries, the
persons who blind themselves to the
wrongs now and then committed by
tne courts on laboring men, should
also think seriously ns to what such
a movement as this portends. Th
Judges who have shown themselves
noie aim willing effectively to check
tne dishonest activity of the very rid
man who works Iniquity by the nils
management of corporations, xvh
have shown themselves nlert tn H
Justice to the wageworker, and sym
puineiic witn xne needs or tho mass
or our people, so that the dweller I
the tenement houses, the man wh
practices a niingerous trade, tho man
who Is crushed by excessive hours ol
labor, feel that their needs are under
stood by the courtB these Indeed nrt
the real bulwark of the courts; these
.lunges, the Judges of the stamp o
the President-elect, who have been
fearless In opposing labor when It has
gone wrong, but fearless also In hold
ing to strict account corporations that
work iniquity, and far sighted In see
ing that the worklngrnan gets his rights
are the men of all others to whom
we owe It that the appeal for such
violent ana mistaken lec'-latlon ha
fallen on deaf ears, that the agitation
ror us passage proved to be wlrhou
aiiusiHiiuHi uasis. i ne courts arp
Jeoparded primarily by the action of
these Federal and State Judges who
snow inability or unwillingness t
put a stop to the wrongdoing or ver
ricn men under modern lndustrln
conditions, and Inability or unwilling
ness to give relief to men of small
menus or wageworgors who are
crushed down by these modern Indus
trial conditions; who. In other words
tail to understand and apply the
needed remedies for the new wrongs
produced by the new and highly com
plex social and industrial civilization
which has grown up In the last hal
century.
There are certain decisions hv va
Nous courts which have been exceed
Ingly detrimental to the rights o
wngeworkers. This is true of all the
decisions that decide that men and
women are, by the Constitution
'guaranteed their llbertv." to con
tract to enter a dangerous occupation
or to worK an undesirable or linnro
per number of hours, or to work in
unhealthy surroundings, and there
fore can not recover damages when
maimed in that occupation, and can
not be forbidden to work whnt
the Legislature decides Is an excessive
number of hours, or to carry on the
work under conditions which the
L,oalslature decides to be unhealthy
There Is also. I think, ground for
the belief that substantial Inlustlreis
often suffered by employes In conse
quence of the custom of courts Issu
ing temporary injunctions without
notice to them, and punishing them
for contempt of court In instances
where, as a matter of fact, they have
no knowledge of any nroceedlnes.
Outside of organized labor there Is a
widespread feeling that this system
often works great Injustice to wage
workers when their efforts to better
their working condition results In In
dustrial disputes. A temporary in
junction procured ex parte may as a
matter of fact have all the effect of a
permanent Injunction In causing dis
aster to the wagoworkers' side in
such a dispute. Organised labor is
chafing under the unjust restraint
which comes from repeated resort to
this plan of procedure. Its discontent
has been unwisely expressed, and of
ten Improperly expressed, but there
Is a sound baRls for It, and the orderly
ann law abiding people of a commu
nity would be In a far stronger posi
tion for upholding the courts If the
undoubtedly existing abuses could be
provided against.
The power of Injunction Is a great
equitable remedy, which should on no
account be destroyed. But safeguards
should be erected against its abuse.
For many of tho shortcomings of
justice In our country our people as a
whole are themselves tb blame, and
the Judges and Juries merely bear
their share together with the public
ns a whole. It is discreditable to us
as a people that there should be diffi
culty in convicting murderers, or in
bringing to Justice men who as pub
lic servants have been guilty of cor
ruption, or who have profited by tho
corruption of public servants. The
result Is equally unfortunate, whether
due to hair-splitting technicalities In
the Interpretation of law by judges,
to sentimentality and class conscious
ness on the part of juries, or to hys
teria and sensationalism In the dally
press. For much of this failure of
Justice no responsibility whatever lies
on rich men as such. We who make
up the mass of the people can not
shift the responsibility from our own
shoulders. But there Is au important
part of the failure which has specially
to do with Inability to hold to proper
account men of wealth who behave
The chief breakdown Is in dcnllnc
with the new relations that nrlse
from the mutualism, tho Interdepen
dence of our time. Every new social
relation begets a new type of wrong
doing of sin, to use an old-fashioned
word -and many years always
elapBe before roclety is able to turn
this sin Into crime which can be ef
fectively punished at law. Dining
the lifetime of tho older men now
alive the social relations have
changed far more rapidly than In the
preceding two centuries. The Im
mense growth of corporations, of
business done by associations, and the
extreme strain and pressure of mod
ern life, have produced condltldns
which render the public confused as
to who its reslly dangerous foes are;
and among the public servnntB who
have not only shared this confusion,
but by some of their acts have In
creased It, arp certain Judges. Marked
Inefficiency has been shown In dealing
with corporations and In re-settllng
the proper attitude to be taken hy the
public not only toward corporations,
but toward labor, and toward the so
cial questions arising out of the fac
tory system, and tho enormous
growth of our great cities.
The huge wealth that haR been ac
cumulated by a few Individuals of re
cent years, In what has amounted to
a social and Industrial revolution, has
been as regards some of these Indi
viduals made possible only by the Im
proper URe of the modern corporation.
A certain type of modern corpora
tion, with Its officers and agents. Its
many Issues of securities, and its con
stant consolidation with allied under
takings, finally heroines an instru
ment so complex ns to contnln n
greater number of elements that, un
der various Judicial decisions, lend
themselves to fraud and oppression
than any device yet evolved In the hu
man brain. Corporations are neces
sary instruments of modern business.
They have been permitted to become
a mennco largely because the govern
mental representatives of the people
have worked slowly In providing for
adequate control over them.
The chief offender In anv given
case may be an executive, a Legislat
ure or a judge. Every executive head
who advises violent, instead of grad
ual, action, or who advocates ill-considered
and sweeping measures of re
form Especially If they are tnlnfed
with vlndlctlveness. and disregard for
the rights of the minority) Is particu
larly blameworthy. The several leg
islatures are responsible for the fact
that our laws are often prepared with
slovenly haste and lack of considera
tion. Moreover, they are often pre
pared, and still more frequently
amended during passage, at the sug
gestion of the very parties against
whom they are afterward enforced.
Our great clusters of cornoratlons.
huge trusts and fabulously wealthy
multimillionaires, employ the very
best lawyers they can obtain to pick
flaws In these statutes after their
passage, but they also employ a cltrss
of secret agent who seek, under the
advice of experts, to render hostfle
legislation Innocuous by making It
unconstitutional, often through the
Insertion of what appear on their face
to be drastic and sweeping provisions
against the Interests of the parties
Inspiring them; while the dema
gogues, the corrupt creatures who In
troduce blackmailing schemes to
'strike" corporations, and all who de
mand extreme, and undesirably radi
cal, measures, show themselves to be
the worst enemies of the very public
whosp loud mouthed champions they
profess to be.
Real damage has hppn done by.the
manifold and conflicting Interpreta
tions of the Interstate commerce law.
Control over the great corporations
doing1 Interstate business can be ef
fective only If It Is vested with full
power In an administrative depart
ment, a branch of the Federal execu
tive, candying out a Federal law; if
can never be effective If a divided re
sponsibility Is left In both the States
and the Nation: It can never be ef
fective If left In the hands of the
courts to be decided by lawsuits.
In no other nation In the world do
the courts wield such vast and far
reaching power as In the United
States. All that Is necessary Is that
the courtB as a whole should exercise
this power with the far sighted wis
dom already shown bv those Judges
who scan the future while thev act in
tho present. Lpt them exercise this
great power not onlv honestlv and
bravely, but with wise Insight Into
the needs and fixed purposes of the
people, so that they may do justice
and work eqnlty, so that they may
protect all persons In their rights
and yet break down the barriers of
privilege, which Is the foe of right
The President devotes a long chap-
er to the subject of forests, declaring
that If there Is one dnty which more
than another we owe to our children
and our children's children. It Is to
ave the forests of this countrv. for
they consfltnte the first and most Im
portant element In the conservation
of our natural resources.
The Messago then turns to Inland
aterways and maintains that action
or their lmnrnvement should begin
forthwith. It Is also urged that all
our National parks adjacent to Na
tional forests be placed under the con-
rol of the forest service of the Agri
cultural Department. I am happy to
say, continnes Mr. Roosevelt, that I
have been able to set aside In various
parts of the country small, well-
chojen tracts of ground to serve ns
sanctuaries and nurseries for wild
creatures.
The Message announces that tho
se In the arts and Industries of de
atured alcohol is making fair
progress and the law making It pos-
IDle Is entitled to further support
from the Congress. According to the
President, the pure food legislation
has already worked a benefit difficult
o overestimate. In the paragraph on
he Indian service the Message tells
how It has been completely removed
from the atmosphere of political ac
tivity and the ground cleared for
larger constructive work to prepare
the Indians for responsible citizen
ship. The President regrets that an
amendment was Incorporated In tho
measure providing for the Secret Ser
vice forbidding detnlls and transfers
therefrom. He declares It Is of ben
efit, only to the criminal classes. He
renews his recommendations for pos
tal savings banks and urges nn exten
tlon of the parcel post on the rural
routes. He declares that the unfor
tunate state of affairs as regards tho
National educational office be reme
died by adequate appropriations. He
strongly urges that the supervisors
and enumerators for tho approaching
Census be not appointed under the
Civil Service law, but that appoint
ments to tho force be done under that
law, geographical requirements be
ing waived. The President main
tains that there t'honld be Intelligent
action on the question of preserving
the health of the country nnd sug
gests a redistribution of the health
bureaus. He recommends the plac
ing of the Government Printing Office
under the Department of Commerce
nnd Labor nnd the various Soldier'
Homes under the War Department.
He advocates the Immediate ndmls
slon of New Mexico and Arizona as
separate States. Mr. Roosevelt then
writes of the Interstate fisheries prob
lem, saying that those mutters which
no particular State can control Con
gress ought to control. The statute
regarding game should include fish,
and the fur-seal service should be
vested In the Bureau of Fisheries.
In regard to our foreign policy he
announces that It Is bated on the
theory that right must prevail be
tween nations ns between Individuals
nnd then urges the special claims of
Latin-American Republics to our at
tention. The Message states that the
Panama Cnnnl Is being dug with
speed and efficiency and then recom
mends the extension of ocean mall
lines to South America,' Asia, the
Philippines nnd Australasia. Atten
tion Is called to the admirable condi
tion of Hawaii, where coolie labor
has practically ceased an.1 Pearl Har
bor is being made n l.aval base with
the necessary military fortficatlons.
Real progress, the President contin
ues, toward self-government Is being
made In the Philippines, bul it would
be worse than folly to prophesy the
exact date when It will be wise to
consider Independence as a fixed nnd
definite policy. It Is recommended that
American citizenship be. conferred
upon the people of Porto Illco and
announcement iB made that our occu
pancy of Cuba will end in about two
months' time. The Cubans are
warned that they must govern them
selves within in order to avoid gov
ernment from without. The Presi
dent hopes Americans will do what
is possible to make the Japanese Im
position of 1917 a success nnd then
thanks Japan, Australia, New Zealand
nnd the States of South America for
their hospitality to tho battle fleet.
Mr. Roosevelt urges the passage of
the bill to promote army' officers at
reasonable ages through a process of
selection and declares the cavalry arm
should be reorganized upon modern
lines. We have not enough Infantry
and artillery and attention should be
centred on the machine gun. A gen
eral service corps should be estab
lished. It behooves the Government
to perfect tho efficiency of the Na
tional Guard as a part of the National
forces and Congressional aid should
be extended to those who are pro
moting rifle practice teaching our
men to shoot.
In regards to the navy, the Presi
dent recommends the Increase sug
gested by the General Board nnd
thinks the General Board should be
tnrnod into a General Staff. He urges
that two hospital ships be provided
end then concludes his Message as
follows:
Nothing better for the Navy from
every standpoint ha3 ever occurred
than the cruise of the battle fleet
around the world. The Improvement
of the ships In every way has been
extraordinary, and they have gained
far more experience in battle tactic3
thnn they would have gained If they
had stayed in the Atlantic water.
The American people have cause for
profound gratification, both in view
of tho excellent condition of the fleet
as shown by this cruise, and in view
of the improvement the cruise has
worked In this already high condi
tion. I do not believe that there Is
any other service In the world In
which the average of character and
efficiency In the enlisted men Is as
high us Is now the case in our own.
I believe that the same statement can
be made as to our officers, taken as a
whole; but there must be a reserva
tion made In regard to those In the
highest ranks as to which I have
already spoken and in regard to
those who have Just entered the ser
vice; because we do not now get full
benefit from our excellent naval
school at Anrnpolis. It Is absurd not
to graduntu the midshipmen us en
signs; to keep them for two years in
Buch au anomalous position as at
present the law requires Is detri
mental to them nnd to the service. In
the academy lUelf, every first class
man should be required In turn to
serve as petty officer and officer; his
ability to discharge his duties as such
should be a prerequisite to his going
Into the line, und Ills success In com
manding should largely determine his
standing at graduation. The Board
of Visitors should ho appointed in
January, and each member should be
required to give at least six days'
service, only from one to three days'
to be performed during June week,
which Is the least desirable time for
the board to he at Annapolis so far as
benefiting the navy by their observ
tlons is concerned.
. ST66?6666fSt 66SV66V
ay)f for my daljy range J I
mono the bfemnnt field JM
'5at Mnl Writ I nvohr ditlaif.7i
JLOVE.
0 Lord. T am not brave, great truths tt
speak,
I am not wine the akeptlc to aMiirc:
And oh, I nm not strong, to help Ihi
x- "IBP
1W rich, that I could much relieve Thv
poor.
Hut, Father, I would Rene Thee in ioiw
way,
I might eek out for Thee some wan
d ring sheep:
""lira Thy tempted onc, might
Or wit?, Thy weeping ones my hear!
might weep.
Then wilt not,cnrc. I know, how .mall mi
task. , '
Although Thou rulc.1 all the star, above;
nxk mP '
la, thai the prompting of my heart be
love.
Mm. Frank A. lircck. in Home Herald.
The Children of the Good.
It Is frequently a matter of remark
that tho children and successors of
goodly people do not manifest the
fervent piety and love which marked
their fathers. And people sometimes
Inveigh against this manifestation of
the degeneracy of the times In which
we live, says H. L. Hastings, In an
article on apostasy nnd degeneracy.
But It Is possible that they overlook
one fact, which, if recollected, would
fully explain the evils of which they
complain. The one vital fact bearing
on this question Is. that righteous
ness or piety is not hereditary. No
man, however good or gracious his
parentage nay have been. Is born so
well that he does not need to be born
again. Religion is not transmlssable
by descent. Hence, the entire work
of regeneration, conversion or renew
ing of heart and life, has to be re
peated with each successive genera
tion. It was vain for the Jews to say.
We have Abraham for our fathpr."
It is equally vain for us to boast of
pious ancestors, and saintly fathers
and mothers, when the onlv thing
that can save the children of the best
parents Is a thorough conversion to
God and a personal acquaintance
with the Lord Jesus Christ.
We are not therefore to think it
strange that the children of good peo
ple go wrong.orthat they fail to man
ifest tho fervor and faith of their pre
decessors. We are to look to God for
the renewal and salvation of our off
spring, knowing that unless thev re
pent and find salvation they will sure
ly perish as though they were the
children of the vilest sinners that
ever lived.
Prayer.
Go not, my friend, Into the danger
ous world without prayer. You kneel
cown at night to pray, and drowsi
ness weighs down your evellds- a
hard day's work is a kind of excuse
and you shorten your prayer, and re
sign yourself Boftly to repose. Tho
morning breaks, and it may be you
rise late, and so your earlv devotion,.
I are not done or are done with irreir-
' ' 1u waicning unto pray
erful wakefulness once more omitted,
and now Is that reparable? We sol
emnly believe not. There has been
that done which can not be undone
You have given up your prayer, and
you will suffer for it. Temptation is
before you, and you are not ready to
meet it. There is a guilty feeling on
the soul, and you lingor at a dlBtance
from God. It is no marvel if that
day in which you suffer drowsiness to
interfere with prayer be a day In
which you shrink from duty Mo
ments of prayer Intruded on by sloth
can not be made up. We may exper
ience but we can not get back the
rich freshness and strength which we
wrapped up in those moments
Frederick W. Robertson.
The Argument of Our Longing.
This heart-hunger for God, which
is the deepest reading of human his
tory is a tacit argument for that
which will supply It. We expect cor
respondence between an Instinct and
that which will satisfy It, between a
faculty and Its object, between a need
and its fulfillment. We were made
for God. It Is written In every as
piration, and breathed in everv prav
er; we were born for the love of God.
No work, no engrossment, or cul
ture of natural powers, will satisfy n
man who has once uwakened to his
heart-need. Only a faith like that
expressed In the great words of St
Augustine can satisfy: "Thou bust
made us for Thyself, and our heart
is restless till it finds rest in Thee "
Hugh Black.
Irresolution.
In matters of great concern, nnd
which must be done, there is no surer
argument of a weak mind that Irres
olution; to be undetermined where
the case is so plain, and the necessity
so urgent. To be always Intending to
live u new life, but never to find time
to Bet about It, this Is as if a man
should put off eating, and drinking
and sleeping, from one day and night
to another, till ho Is starved and de
stroyed. Til iotson.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
The White House.
Prominent People.
Rabbi Wine. In his eermon In New
York City, denounced the Emraauel
movement.
President Castro arrived at BaBse
Terre, Guadeloupe; he said that the
object of hia trip to France wus to
settle diplomatic questions.
Dr. John H. Wright, professor of
Greek at Harvard University, and
Professor George A. Bartlett, for
many years connected with the Ger
man department at Harvard, died at
Cambridge, Mass.
Dr. Howard H. Russell, superin
tendent of the New York State Anti
Baloon League, declared he had dis
covered a plot to steal the league s
secrets.
Admiral Bowles, at the meeting of
the Society of Naval Architects and
Marine Engineers In Now York, said
last year was the best in the history
"I American shipbuilding.
'""i'!i C. S. Blackburn, Governor
?' the Canal Zone, accompanied by
h's wife, left Panama for New York.
Timothy L. Woodruff withdrew
jnm the New York Senatorshlp race,
K-avlo. the field to Becretary Root
lone.
9S00.0OO For Hebrew Charities.
Almost the entire f.100,000 estate
of Theophllus Marc, who died at East
Orange, N. J., September 20 last, is
left to the United Hebrew Charities,
of New York. The will shows onty
a few small bequests to relatives and
friends.
Former 0iio Mayor a Suicide.
Former Mayor Adolphus Sebbohro,
of Pomeroy, Ohio, committed suicide
at a hotel at Galltpolis, Ohio, by
shooting.
Chicago Dead Robbed.
Charges that floral pieces, moss
ind eveu cut flowers laid on graves In
Chicago cemeteries are carried away
and sold or used again have been
made, and an ordinance Is being
dratted by Assistant Corporation
Counsel Howard Hayes Intended to
stop the practice.
Constitution For Cliinu in 0 Years.
An Imperial Chinese edict pledge
the throne to continue the policy In
augurated by the late Emperor Kuan
Hsu, Including the provision tor a
constitution m nine years.
News Notes From Mexico.
Mexico's mall matter In the first
half of 1908 was 90,000,000 pieces,
against 8U, 000, 000 In the first halt
of 1907.
Mexico buys American mining,
electrical, pumping, power and agri
cultural machinery to the tune of
17,600,000 gold yearly.
Mexico buys chiefly. In order as
named, from the United States, Ger
many, Great Britain, France, Spain.
Belgium, Italy, Austria-Hungary and
nmuustan.
In 1907 Mexico's silver production
was worth $30,515,000 gold, and her
gold production was $17,793,000, a
total of $53,308,000 tor these two
metals alone.
Mexico exports chiefly, In order as
named, fibre, copper, raw hides, cof
fee, lead, vanilla, lstle leaf, cattle,
beans, broom root, rubber, raw tobac
co, woods and gum chicle.
Chinese are attracted to Mexico by
it liberal laws a to cltlsenshlp.
Many of them marry Mexican women.
Mexico likes American scientific In
struments, jnechanics' and builders'
tool and hardware and buy them to
the value of $2,7UO.you a year.
910,000 Fine For Taking Rebates.
Judge Knappen In the United
States District Court. Grand Rapids,
Mich., fined tho Stearns Salt aud
Lumber Company, of Ludlngton,
$10,000 for accepting rebates from
the Pere Marquette on shipments
from Ludlngton to Toledo.
Germitny Adopts Submarine.
The German Admiralty has deter
mined to go Into th" submarine
branch of naval construction heavily
with a type that Is the result of throe
year' experiments at Kiel.
To End Indian Service.
Reorganization of the Indian uerv
Ice along line which will prepare It
for going out of business at no dis
tant day Is the general aim of Com
missioner Leupp, according to his an
nual report just Issued at Washing
ton. D. C.
Spent .-,:, r,7o in Campaign.
Richard C. Kerens, of St. Louis,
former Republican National Commit
teeman from Missouri and a defeated
candidate for the Republican Sena
torial nomination at the November
primary, speut $69,570 In the cam
paign just closed.
Women In the Day's Neivs.
Miss Ruth H. Northrop, of Nor
wloh, t'o:iu . has won th scholarship
offered by the Norwich Art Students'
Association.
Members of Dr. Parkhurst's con
gregation In New York City approved
tbe doctor's objections to "Merry
Widow" hats In church.
A men's league for women suff
rage has been formed In Holland, and
the Lutheran Church in that country
has given women a vote in all church
affairs.
Miss Mary E. Cheek, of Tohoso,
Ohio, Is the only regularly appointed
womau rural mall carrier lu the
State. She ha served In this capacity
ror six years.
Jane Addams, Dr. Cornelia De Bey
and Mrs. Emmons Bluine, whoso
terms on the Chicago school board
expired, have not been reappointed.
A Hankow newspaper state that
two enterprising young Chinese girls
have left that city on a pleasure trip
to England and America. They will
study domestic life.
Mme. Curie has been appointed
chief professor of physics at tbt Uni
versity of Paris.
Supreme Art of Living
To grow old, patiently, brave'r
even joyfully that is the supreu e
art of living And if you and 1 are
LhHi T 1oVwe mu,t heel" now
when life Is strofig and full of vigor
Impatience and fretfulnoss now can
hnrdly culminate later In sarecity aud
content.
The liiid nl l.ittmr.
The building trades unions of Syd
ney, Aiiitraliu, u.-e taking steps to
federate.
Tho report of the Amalgamated So
ciety of Carpenters and Julners show
a total membership of 65,3 iu.
The Luxemburg Government I
treating Incorrigible vagabonds to
bread und water for the first four
days of their Imprisonment, and to
the lowest scule of ordinary diet tice
II week ufterward. The prisons un
said to be emptying fast.
Memphis (Tenn.) Bakers' Union
has started a labe. campaign, which
la hoped by the members will tie urn.
ductlvt ot results.
The Mayor of KnoivlMc, Tenn., re
cently appointed throe representatives
of organised labor to assist 4i, d Kill
ing the now city charter.
San Francisco Bakers nnd Confec
tioner' Union has au organiser at
work unionizing the men working in
French and Italian bakeris.
The most recent acquisition ot
membership ot the A. F. of L. Is from
Jamaica and the neighboring colonies
of Trinidad, Barbados aud British
Uuiana.
The Prayer That Pcrvnils.
Much so-called supplication or Ge 1
has such a metallic sound that It la
evident the lips are but nn artloulst.
ing prayer machine. The whole being
should be under tribute In the wor
ship of God. "The kingdom of heav
en suffereth violence and the violent
take It by force. It is the fervent
prayer of a righteous man tha- avall
efh much. Philadelphia Mtthudls'
Freedom from prudence is no ev
deuce of fulth in Providence.
Parle surgeons are using. In some
eases, nails for the cure of simple
fracture. For fracture of the ihtn
bone or thigh bone a nail of nickel,
aluminum or raagnealum preferably
aluminum Is uaed, and Is driven la
to hold the two pieces of bone to
gether, much like two pieces of wood.
It Is believed that the nailing of
broken ends Is the quickest way te
repair a fracture. It doea away with
the old system under which a patient
had to lie in bed for three week with
hi foot attached to a nfty-pouBi
weight.
I
Mite . . .jMkAikLim I