PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
President Roosevelt lu tils annual
message again urges the enactment of
a law prohibiting corporations from
contributing to campaign funds. lie
also urges the passage of the measure
conferring upon the government the
right of appeal In criminal cases on
questions of law. Continuing, the
president Buys;
I cannot too strongly urge the pas
sage of the bill In question. A failure
to pass It will result In seriously bum
pering the government In Its effort to
obtain Justice, especially against
wealthy Individuals or corporations
who do wrong, and may also prevent
the government from obtaining Justice
for wageworkers who are not them
selves able effectively to contest n case
where the Judgment of ail Inferior
court has been against them. I have
specifically In view a recent decision,
by a district Judge leaving railway
employees without remedy for viola
tlon of a certain so called labor statute
The Importance of enacting Into law'
the particular bill In question Is fur
ther Increased by the fact that the gov
ernment has now definitely begun a
policy of resorting to the criminal law
In those trust and Interstate commerce
cases where such a course offers a rea
sonable chance of success.
Proper Use of Injunctions.
In my last messoge I suggested the
enactment of a law In connection with
the Issuance of Injunctions, attention
having been sharply drawn to the mat
ter by the demand that the right of ap
plying Injunctions In labor cases
should be wholly abolished. It Is at
least doubtful whether a law abolish
ing altogether the use of Injunctions
In such cases would stand the test of
the courts, In which case, of course, the
legislation would be Ineffective. More
over, I believe It would be wrong alto
gether to prohibit the use of Injunc
tions. It Is criminal to permit sym
pathy for criminals to weaken our
hands In upholding the law, and If
men seek to destroy life or property
by mob violence there should be no Im
pairment of the power of the courts to
deal with them In the most summary
and effective way possible. But so
far as possible the abuse of the power
should be provided against by some
Such law as I nd vacated last year. .
' ' i Against' lirnctilnsv
' I call your attention and the atten
tion of the nation' to the prevalence of
crime among us and, above all, to the
epidemic of lynching and mob violence
that springs up now In one part of our
country, now In another. ' Each sec
tion, north, south, cast or west, has
Its own faults. No section can with
wisdom spend Its time Jeering at the
faults of another section. It should be
busy trying to amend Its own short
comings. To deal with the crime of
corruption It Is necessary to have an
awakened public conscience and to
supplement this by whatever legisla
tion will add speed and certainty In
the execution of the law. When we
deal with lynching even more Is neces
sary. A great many white men are
lynched, but the crime Is peculiarly
frequent In respect to black men. The
greatest existing cause of lynching Is
the perpetration, especially by black
men, of the hideous crime of rape, the
most abominable in all the category
Of crimes, even worse than murder.
Lawlessness grows by what It feeds
upon, and when mobs begin to lynch
for rape they speedily extend the
sphere of their operations and lynch
for many other kinds of crimes, so that
two-thirds of the lynchlngs are not
for rape at all, while a considerable
proportion of the Individuals lynched
are innocent of all crime.
There is but one safe rule In dealing
with black men as with white men.
It Is the same rule that must be ap
plied In dealing with rich men and
poor men that Is, to treat each man,
whatever his color, his creed or his so
cial position, with even handed Justice
on his real worth as a man. White
people owe It quite as much to them
selves as to the colored race to treat
well the colored man who shows by
his lil'e that he deserves such treatment.
There is no question of social equality
or negro domination Involved.
In my Judgment, the crime of rape
shculd always be punished with death,
as is the case with murder. Assault
with intent to commit rape should be
made a capital crime,' at least in the
discretion of the court, and provision
should be made by which the punish
ment may follow immediately upon
the heels of the offense.
No more shortsighted policy can be
Imagined than in the fancied Interest
of one class to prevent the education
of another class. The white man, If
pe is wise, will decline to allow the
negroes la a mass to grow to man
hood and womanhood without educa
tion. "
I PKekm of Mora Discontent." .
' In dealing with both labor and cap
ital, with the questions affecting both
'corporations and trades unions, there
Is one matter more Important to re
member than aught else, and that Is
the Infinite harm done by preachers of
mere discontent These are the men
who seek to excite a violent class ha
tred against all men of wealth. They
seek to turn wise and proper move
ments for the better control of corpora
tions and for doing away with the
abuses connected with wealth Into a
campaign of hysterical excitement and
falsehood in which the aim Is to In
flame to madness the brutal passions
of mankind. The sinister demagogues
and foolish visionaries who are always
eager to undertake such a campaign
of destruction sometimes seek to as
sociate themselves with those working
for a genuine reform in governmental
" and social methods aud sometimes niits-.-ptorade
as such reformers. In reality
they are the worst enemies of the
cause they profess to advocate. Just as
the puiveyors of sensational slander In
newspaper or magazine are the worst
enemies of all men vrfiosre engaged in
an honest effort to better what Is bad
In our social and governmental condi
tions. Corruption Is never so rife as In com
munities where the demagogue and the
agitator bear full sway, because In
ruch communities all moral bands be
come looseuul, and hysteria and sensa
tionalism replace the spirit of sound
Judgment and fair dealing as between
man and mnn. In sheer revolt against
the squalid anarchy thus produced men
are sure In the end to turn toward any
leader who can restore order, and then
their relief at being free from the In
tolerable burdens of class hatred, vio
lence and demagogy Is such that they
cannot for some time be aroused to In
dignation against misdeeds by men of
wealth, so that they permit a new
growth of the very abuses which were
In part responsible for the original out
break. The one hope for success for
our people lies In a resolute and fear
less but sane and cool headed advance
along the path marked out last year
by this very congress. There must be
a stern refusal to be misled Into fol
lowing either that base creature who
appeals and panders to the lowest In
stincts and passions in order to arouse
one set of Americans against their fel
lows or that other creature, equally
base, but no baser, who In a spirit of
greed or to accumulate or add to an
already huge fortune seeks to exploit
his fellow Americans with callous dis
regard to their welfare of soul and
body. The man who debauches others
In order to obtain a high office stands
on an evil equality of corruption with
the man who debauches others for
financial profit, aud when hatred Is
sown the crop which springs up can
only bo evil.
The plain people who think the me
chanics, farmers, merchants, workers
with head or hand, the men to whom
American traditions are dear, who love
their country and try to act decently
by their neighbors owo It to them
selves to remember that the most dam
aging blow that can be given popular
government Is to elect an unworthy
and Sinister agitator on a platform of
violence and hypocrisy.
Railroad Employees' Honrs.
I call your attention to the need of
passing the bill limiting the number of
hours of employment of railroad em
ployees; The measure is a very moder
ate one, and I can conceive of no seri
ous objection to It. Indeed, so far as
It Is In our power, It should be our aim
steadily to reduce the number of hours
of labor, with as a goal the general In
troduction of an eight' hour day. There
are Industries In which It Is not pos
sible that the hours of labor should
be reduced, Just as there are communi
ties not far enough advanced for such
a movement to be for their good, or, If
In the tropics, so situated that there Is
no analogy between their needs and
ours In this matter. On the Isthmus
of Panama, for Instance, the condi
tions are In every way so different
from what they are here that an eight
hour day would be absurd. Just as It
Is absurd, so far as the Isthmus Is con
cerned, where white labor cannot be
employed, to bother as to whether the
necessary work Is done by alien black
men or by alien yellow men. But the
wageworkers of the United States are
of so high a grade that alike from the
merely Industrial standpoint and from
the civic standpoint It should be our
object to do what we can In the direc
tion of securing the general observance
of an eight hour day.
Let me again urge that the congress
provide for a thorough investigation
of the conditions of child labor and of
the labor of women In the United
States. The horrors Incident to the
employment of young children In fac
tories or at work anywhere are a blot
on our civilization.
In spite of all precautions exercised
by employers there are unavoidable ac
cidents and even deaths Involved In
nearly every line of business connect
ed with the mechanic arts. ' It Is a
great social InJusth-c to compel the em
ployee, or, rather, t'ie family of the
killed or disabled victim,' to bear the
entire burden of such an Inevitable
sacrifice. In other words, society shirks
its duty by laying the whole cost on
the victim, whereas the lujv.ry comes
from what may be called the legiti
mate risks of the trade. Compensation
for accidents or deaths due In any line
of Industry to the actual conditions un
der which that industry is carried on
hou.J be paid by that portion of the
community for the benefit of which
the Industry Is carried on that Is, by
those who profit by the Industry. If
the entire trade risk Is placed upon the
mployer, he will promptly and prop
erly add It to ibe legitimate cost of pro
duction and assess It proportionately
upon the consumers of his commodity.
It Is therefore clear to my mind that
the law should place this entire "risk
of a trade" upon the employer.
Capital ana Labor Dlspntes.
Records show that during the twen
ty years from Jan. 1, 18S1, to Dec. 31,
1900; there were strikes affecting 117,
609 e-jtabllshnients, and 6,105,694 em
ployees were thrown out of employ
ment During the same period there
were 1,005 lockouts, involving nearly
10,000 establishments, throwing over
1,000,000 people out of employment.
These strikes and lockouts Involved an
estimated loss to employees of $307,
000,000 and to employers of $143,000.
000, a total of $450,000,000. The public
suffered directly and Indirectly prob
ably as great additional loss.
Many of these strikes and lockouts
ivould not have occurred had the par
ses to the dispute been required to
appear before an unprejudiced body
representing the nation and. face to
face, state Jhe reasons for their con-
tentloa The exercise of a Judicial
spirit by a disinterested body repre
senting the federal government, such
as would be provided by a commission
on conciliation and arbitration, would
tend to create on atmosphere of friend
liness aud conciliation between con
tending parties.
Control of Corporations.
It cannot too often be repeated that
experience has conclusively shown tho
Impossibility of securing by the actions
of nearly half a hundred different state
legislatures anything but Ineffective
chaos In the way of dealing with the
great corporations which do not oper
ate exclusively within the limits of
any one state. In some method, wheth
er by a national license law or lu other
fashion, we must exercise, and that at
an early date, a far more complete
control than at present over these great
corporations a control that will, among
other things, prevent the evils of ex
cessive overcapitalization and that will
compel the disclosure by each big cor
poration of Its stockholders and of Its
properties and busluoss, whether own
ed directly or through subsidiary or
affiliated corporations. This will tend
to put a stop to the securing of Inor
dinate profits by favored Individuals at
the expense whether of the general
public, the stockholders or the wage
workers. Our effort should be not so
much to prevent consolidation as such,
but so to supervise and control It as
to see that It results in no harm to the
people.
Combination of capital, like combina
tion of labor, Is a necessary element of
our present industrial system. It Is
not possible completely to prevent It,
and If It were possible such completo
prevention would do damage to the
body politic. What we need is not
vainly to try to prevent all combina
tion, but to secure such rigorous and
adequate control and supervision of
the combinations as to prevent their
Injuring the public or existing in such
form as inevitably to threaten injury,
for the mere fact that a combination
has secured practically complete con
trol of a necessary of life would under
any circumstances show that such
combination was to be presumed to be
adverse to the public interest. It is
unfortunate that our preseut laws
should forbid all combinations Instead
of sharply discriminating between
ilij'se combinations which do good and
thpse combinations which do evil. Re
bates, for instauce, are as often due to
ije pressure of big shippers, (us was
shown in the Investigation, of ..the
;: iindard Oil company and as has been
shown since by the ' investigation of
the tobacco and sugar trusts) us to the
Initiative of big railroads. Often rail
roads would like to combine for. the
purpose of preventing a big shipper
from maintaining improper advantages
at the expense of small shippers and
of the general public. Such a combina
tion. Instead of being forbidden by law,
should be favored. In other words, It
should be permitted to railroads' to
make agreements, provided these agreed
mcuts were sanctioned by the Inter
state commerce commission and were
published. . With these two conditions
compiled with It Is Impossible to see
what harm such a combination could
i'd to the public at large.
Inheritance and Income Tax.
The national government has long
"'..'rived Its chief revenue from a tariff
r.i Imports and from an Internal or ex
' I s? tax. In addition to these, there Is
every reason why, when next our .sys
tem of taxation Is revised, the national
jivernmeni should Impose a graduated
Inheritance tax and, if possible, a grad
uated Income ts. ,"
I am well aware that such a subject
a i this needs long and careful study In
(.r that tlie people may become fa
Mlt'ar with what Is proposed to be
.lone, may clearly see the necessity of
proceeding with wisdom and self re
.U'jlnt aud may make up their minds
Just how far they are willing to go in
lhe matter, while only trained legisla
tors enn work out the project In neces
sary detail. But I feel that lit tho near
future our national legislators should
e-inct n law providing tor a graduated
.'r.hcritanee tax by which ft steadily In
creasing ite of duty should be put
r.pm all moneys or other valuables
coining by gift, bequest or devise to
:'.m,v Individual or corporation. There
can be no questlou of the ethical pro
priety of the government thus deter
mining the conditions upon which any
gift or Inheritance should be received.
A the law now stands It Is undoubt
e !!y difficult 1 1 devise a national In
come tax which shall be constitutional.
!'."t whether It Is absolutely Impossible
Is another question, and If possible It
Is most certainly desirable.' The first
purely Income tax law was passed by
I'.ie congress In 1SG1, but the most Im
portant law dealing with the subject
was that of 1894. This the court held
to be unconstitutional.
The question is undoubtedly very In
tricate, delicate and troublesome. The
decision of the court was only reached
by one majority. It Is the law of the
land and of course Is accepted as such
and loyally obeyed by all good citizens.
Nevertheless the hesitation evidently
felt by the court as a whole In coming
to a conclusion, when considered to
gether with previous decisions on the
subject, may perhaps Indicate the pos
sibility of devising a constitutional In
come tax law which shall substantially
accomplish the results aimed at. The
difficulty of amending the constitution
Is so great that only real necessity can
Justify a resort thereto. Every effort
should be made iu dealing with this
subject as with the subject of the
proper control by the -national govern
ment over the use of corporate wealth
lu Interstate business, to devise legis
lation which without such action shall
attain the desired end, but If this falls
there will ultimately bo no alternative
(o a constitutional amendment.
Industrial Training.
Our industrial development depends
largely upon technical education, In
cluding in this term all Industrial edu
cation, from that which fits a man to
be a good mechanic, a good carpenter
or blacksmith to that which fits a man
to do the greatest engineering feat.
The skilled mechanic, the skilled work
man, can best become such by tech
nical Industrial education. The far
reaching usefulness of Institutes of
technology nnd schools of mines or of
engineering Is now universally ac
knowledgcd, and no less far reaching
Is tho effect of n good liclldlng or me
chanical trades .school, a textile or
watchmaking or engraving school.
In every possible way we should help
the wageworker who tolls with his
bands and who must (we hope lu a
constantly Increasing measure) also
toil with his brain. Under the constitu
tion the national legislature can do but
little of direct importance for his wel
fare save where ho is engaged In work
which penults It to act raider, the In
terstate commerce clause of tho consti
tution, and this Is one reason why I
so earnestly hope that both the legis
lative and Judicial branches of the gov
eminent will construe this clause of
the constitution In the broadest possi
ble manner.
The Farmer.
The only other persons whose wel
fare Is as vital to the welfare of the
whole country as Is the welfare of the
wageworkers are the tillers of the soil,
the farmers.
Several factors must co-operate In
tho Improvement of the farmer's con
dition, lie must have the chance to
be educated In the widest posslblo
sense. In the sense which keeps ever hi
view the Intimate relationship botween
tho theory of education and the facts
of life.
Organisation has beeomo necessary
In the business world, and It has ac
complished much for good In the world
of labor. It Is no less necessary for
farmers. Such a movement as the
grange movement Is good In Itself nnd
Is capable of a well nigh Infinite fur
ther extension for good so long as It Is
kept to Its own legitimate business.
The benefits to be derived by the as
sociation of farmers for mutual ad
vantage are partly economic and part
ly sociological.
Irrigation and Forest Preservation.
Much Is now being done for the
stntes of the Rocky mountains and
great plains through the development
of the national policy of Irrigation and
forest preservation. ' : -No government
policy for the betterment Of bur Inter
nal conditions has been more fruitful
of good than this. ' '
". . . . Divorce Lea-lsfcatlom
1 am well aware of how dlflicult It Is
to pass a constitutional amendment.
Nevertheless, In my Judgment, the
whole question of marriage and di
vorce should be relegated to the au
thority of the national congress. The
change would be good from every
standpoint. In particular It would be
good because It would confer on the
congress the power at once to deal
radically and efficiently with polygamy,
and this should be done whether or
not marriage and divorce are dealt
with. It Is neither safe nor proper to
leave the questlou of polygamy to be
dealt with by the several states.
Merchant Marine.
Let me once again call the attention
of the congress to two subjects con
cerning which I have frequently be
fore communicated with them. One Is
the question of developing American
shipping. I trust that a law embody
ing In substance the views or a major
part of the views expressed In the re
port on this subject laid before the
house at its last session will be passed.
It seems to me that the proposed meas
ure Is as nearly unobjectionable as any
can be.
The Cnrrency.
I especially call your atlentlon to th3
second subject, the condition of our
currency laws. The national bank act
has ably served a great purpose In aid
ing the enormous business develop
ment of the country, and within ten
years there has been an Increase In
circulation per capita from $21.41' to
$."3.08. For several years evidence has
been accumulating th-.t additional leg
islation Is needed. The recurrence of
each crop season emphasizes the de
fects of the present laws. There must
soon be a revision of them, because
to leave them as they are means to In
cur liability of business disaster. Since
your body adjourned there has been a
fuetuatlon In the Interest on call
money from 2 per cent to 30 per cent
and the fluctuation was even greater
during the preceding six months. The
secretary of the treasury bad to step
In and by wise action put a stop to the
most violent period of oscillation.
I do not press any especial plan. Va
rious plans have recently been pro
posed by expert committees of bank
ers. 'Among the plans which are possi
bly feasible and which certainly should
receive your consideration Is that re
peatedly brought to your attention by
the present secretary of the treasury,
the essential features of which have
lwen approved by many prominent
bankers and business men. According
to this plan, national banks should be
permitted to Issue a specified propor
tion of their capital In notes of a given
kind, the issue to be taxed at so high
a rate as to drive the notes back when
not wanted In legitimate trade. This
plan would not permit tho Issue of
currency to give banks additional prof
Its, but to meet the emergency present
ed by times of stringency.
I do not Bay that tills Is the right sys
tem. I only advance It to emphasize
my belief that there is need for the
adoption of some system which shall
be automatic and open to all sound
banks so as to avoid all possibility of
discrimination and favoritism.
Tha law should be amended so as
specifically to provide that the funds
derived from customs duties may be
treated by the secretary of the treas
ury as he treats funds obtained under
the Internal revenue laws. There
Bhonld be a considerable Increase in
bills of small denominations. Permis
sion should bo given banks, If uccessa
ry under settled restrictions, to retire
their circulation to a larger amoiin
than three millions a month.
Oar Outlylna- Possessions.
I most earnestly hope that the bill to
provide a lower tariff for or else abso
lute free trade In Philippine products
will become a law. No harm will come
to nny American Industry, and, while
there will bo somo sir.a'l but real mate
rial benefit to the Filipinos, the main
benefit will come by the showing made
as to our purpose to do all In our power
for their welfnre.
Porto Rlcan Affairs.
American citizenship should be con
ferred on tho citizens of Porto Itlco.
The harbor ot- San Juan, In Porto Rico,
should be dredged and Improved. Tho
expenses of the federal court of Porto
Rico should be met from the federal
treasury.
Hawaii,
The needs of Hawaii are pcculiur.
Every aid should be given the Islands,
and our efforts should be unceasing to
develop them along the lines of a Com
munity of small freeholders, not of
great planters with cooly tilled es
tates. Alaska.
Alaska's needs have been partially
met, but there must be a complete re
organization of the governmental sys
tem, as I have before Indicated to you.
I ask your especial attention to this.
Our fellow citizens who dwell on the
shores of Puget sound with character
istic energy are arranging to hold in
Seattle the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific ex
position. This exposition In Its pur
poses and scope should appeal not only
to the people of the Pacific slope, but
to the people of the United States at
large.
Rights of Aliens.
Not only must we treat all nations
fairly, but we must treat with Justice
and good will all Immigrants who come
here under the law. Whether they are
Catholic or Protestant, Jew or gentile,
whether they come from England or
Germany, Russia, Japan or Italy, mat
ters nothings All we have a right to
question Is the man's conduct If he
Is honest and upright In his dealings
with his neighbor and with the state,
then be Is entitled to respect and good
treatment ' Especially do we need to
remember . ;our- duty to the ' stranger
within our pares. It Is the sure' mark
of a low civilization, a low morality, to
abuse or discriminate against or In any
Way humiliate such stranger who has
come here 'lawfully and who Is con
ducting himself properly. To remem
ber this IS' Incumbent on every Amer
ican citizen, and It Is of course pecul
iarly Incumbent on every government
official, whether of the nation or of
the several states.
I am prompted to say this by the
attitude of 'Hostility here and there as
sumed toward the Japanese in this
country. -This hostility Is sporadic and
Is limited to a very few places.' Never
theless It Is most discreditable to us
as a people, and It may be fraught
with the gravest consequences to the
nation.
I ask fair treatment for the Japanese
as I would nsk fair treatment for Ger
mans or Fluff ilimeti. Frenchmen, Rus
sians or Italians. 1 ask It as due to
humanity nnd civilization. I osk It as
due to ourselVos, because' we must act
uprightly toward all men. I recom
mend to the congress that an act be
passed specifically providing for the
naturalization of Japanese who come
here Intending to become American cit
izens. One of the great embarrass
ments attending the performance of
our International obligations is the
fact that thu statutes of the United
Stntes are entirely Inadequate. They
fall to give' to the national government
sufficiently ample power, through Unit
ed States courts and by the use of the
army and navy, to protect aliens In the
rights secured to them under solemn
treaties which ore the law of the land.
I therefore earnestly recommend that
the criminal and civil statutes of the
United States be so amended and add
ed to as to enable the president, acting
for the United States government
which Is responsible In our Interna
tional relations, to enforce the rights
of aliens under treaties.
The Cuban Matter.
I.nst August an Insurrection broke
out In Cuba which It speedily grew evi
dent that the existing Cuban govern
ment was powerless to quell. Thanks
to the preparedness of our navy, I
was able Immediately to send enough
rWps to Cuba to prevent the situation
from becoming hopeless, and I fur
thermore dispatched to' Cuba the sec
retary of war and the assistant secre
tary of state In order that they might
grapple with the situation on the
ground. .
In accordance with the so' called1
Piatt amendment, which was embod
ied in the constitution of Cuba, I there
upon proclaimed a provisional govern
ment for the Island, the secretary of
war acting as provisional governor un
til he could be replaced by Mr. Magoon,
the late minister to Panama and gov
ernor of the canal cone on the Isthmus.
Troops were sent to support them and
to relieve the navy, the expedition be
ing handled with most satisfactory
speed and efficiency. Peace has come
In the Island, and the harvesting of the
sugar cane crop, the great crop of the
Island, is about to proceed. When the
election has been held and the new
government Inaugurated in peaceful
and orderly fashion the provisional
government will come to an end.
The United States wishes nothing of
Cuba except that It shnll prosper mor
ally and materially and wishes nothing
of the Cubans snve that tbey shall be
able to preserve order among them
selves and therefore to preserve their
j Independence. If the elections become
a farce and If the insurrectionary namt
becomes confirmed on the Island It Is
absolutely out of the question that the
Island should continue Independent,
and the United States, which has as
sumed the sponsorship before tho civ
ilized world for Cuba's career as a na
tion, would again have to Intervene
and to see that the government was
managed In such orderly fashion as to,
secure the safety of life and property, j
The Rio Conference. j
The second International conference!
of American republics, held In Mexl-j
M In tlia vrtti 1'U11.M ,ti-m'l,1nl fat
the holding of the third conference)
within five years and committed the:
fixing of the time nnd place and thej
arrangements for the conference to thej
governing board of the bureau of;
American republics, composed of the!
representatives of all the American j
nations In Washington.' That 'board j
discharged the duty Imposed upon j
It with marked fidelity and pains-;
taking care, and upon the .courteous j
Invitation of the United States of Bra-i
ztl the conference was 'held at Rio de
Janeiro, continuing from the 23d of;
July to the 29th of August. last. Many!
subjects of common Interest to nil the I
American nations were discussed by!
the conference, and the conclusions';
reached, embodied In a series of reso-'
lutlons and proposed conventions, will
be laid before you upon the coming of
the final report of the American dele
gates. -
Panama Trip.
I have Just returned from a trip to
Panama and shall report to yon at
length later on the whole subject of the
Pnnama cannl.
The Ala-eclras Convention.
The Algeclras convention, which was
signed by the United States as well as
by most of the powers of Europe, su
persedes the previous convention of
1880, which was also signed both by
the United States and a majority of
the European powers. This treaty
confers upon us equal commercial
rights with all Kuropean countries and
does not entail a single obligation of
any kind upon us, and I earnestly hope
It may be speedily ratified.
Sealing.
The destruction of the Prlbllof Is
land fur seals by pelagic sealing still
continues. The herd, which, according
to the surve y made In 1874 by direc
tion of the congress, numbered 4,700,
000, and which, according to the sur
vey of both American and Canadian ;
commissioners' Id ' 1891, amounted to j
1,000,000, has now been .reduced to!
about ; 180,000. ' This result has been j
brought about 'by Canadian and some' ;
other sealing vessels killing the female ;
seals while In the Water during their j
Annual "pilgrimage to and from thej
south or in search of food. i
The process of destruction has been:
accelerated during recent years by the !
appearance of a number of Japanese ;
vessels engaged In pelagic sealing. ' ' ' j
Suitable representations regarding j
the Incident have been made to thej
government of Japan, and we are as- !
gured that an practicable measures will j
be taken by that country to prevent!
any recurrence of the outrage. ' i
We have not relaxed our efforts to:
secure an agreement with Great Brit-!
In atnnnat,. n.nt.intlnn ..l
herd, and negotiations with Japan for
the same purpose are in progress.
The laws for the' protection of the
seals within 'the Jurisdiction of the
United : States need - revision . and
amendment' ' '
Second Ilarne Conference.
' In my last message I advised you
that the emperor of Russia had taken
the initiative in bringing about a sec
ond peace conference at The Hague.
Under the guidance of Russia the ar
rangement of the preliminaries for
such a conference has been progressing
during the past year. Progress has
necessarily been slow, owing to the
great number of countries to be con
sulted upon every question that has
arisen. It Is a matter of satisfaction
that all of the American republics havo
now, for the first time, been Invited to
Join In the proposed conference.
Army and Navy
It must ever be kept In mind that
war Is not merely Justifiable, but im
perative upon honorable men, upon, an
honorable nation, where peace can
only be obtained by the sacrifice of
conscientious conviction or of national
welfare.
The United States uavy Is the surest
guarantor of peace which this country '
possesses. I do not ask that we con
tinue to Increase our navy." I ask
merely that It be maintained at its
present strength, and this can be done
only if we replace the obsolete and out-;
worn ships by new and good ones, the
equals of any afloat in any navy. To
stop building ships for.ou year means
that for that year the navy goes back;
Instead of forward.
In both the army and the navy there
Is urgent need that everything possible
should be done to maintain the highest
standard for the personnel alike as re
gards the officers and the enlisted men.
I do not believe that in any service
there is Oner body of enlisted men
and of Junior officers than we have In
both the army and the navy. Including
the marine corps.
West Point and Annapolis already
turn out excellent officers. We do not
need to have these schools made more
tcbolastlc. On the contrary, we should
never lose sight of the fact that the
r.lra of each school Is to turn out a
man who shall be above everything
else a fighting man.
There should soon be an Increase In
the number of men for our coast de
fenses. These men should be of the
right type and properly trained, and
there should therefore be an increase
of pay for certain skilled grades, espe
cially in tho cost artillery. Money
should be appropriated to permit troops
t3 be massed In body and exercised in
maneuvers, particularly In marching. i