Roseburg review., December 08, 1908, Image 4

PRESIDENT'S
MESSAGE.
Makes Annual Recommen
I dations to Congress.
ATTACKS ANTI-TRUST LAW
Sherman Aot Should Be Amended to
, Parmlt Combinations Which Are In
th Intereet of the Public, 8aya the
I Preeldent Urgea Legislation to
! Safeguard the Wag a worker Dwell
! on Need of Protaction For Foroate.
j Vlewe on the Army and the Navy.
1 Washington, Dec. 8. In bis message
to congreHg, read to the two house!,
the president said;
T'le financial standing of the nation
at the present time Is excellent, and
the financial management of the na
tion's interests by the government dur
ing the last sevon years has shown the
uioat satisfactory results. But our
currency system Is Imperfect, and It
la earnestly to be hoped that the cur
rency cummUslou will be able to pro
pose a thoroughly good system which
will do away with the existing defects.
During the period from July 1, 1U01,
to Sept. 30, 1908, there baa been a nut
surplus of nearly one hundred millions
of receipts over expenditures, a reduc
tion of the Intereet bearing debt by
ninety millions, In spite of the extraor
dinary exieuse of the P annum canal
and a saving of nearly nlue millions
on the annual Interest charge. This Is
an exceedingly satisfactory showing.
There boa been a reduction of taxa
tion. Corporations.
As regards the great corporations en
gaged la interstate business, and espe
cially the rail rout la, I can only repeat
what I have already again and again
aid In my messages to the congress.
I believe that under the Interstate
clause of the constitution the United
States has complete and paramount
right to control all agencies of inter
state com mo roe, and I believe that the
national government alone Can exer
cise this right with wisdom and ef
fectiveness so as both to Becure Justice
from and to do Justice to the great
corporations which are the most Im
portant fuctors lu modern business. 1
believe that, it 1b worse than folly to
attempt to prohibit all combinations,
as Is done by the Sherman anti-trust
law, because such a law can be en
forced only Imperfectly and unequal
ly, and Its enforcement works almost
as much hardship as good. I strongly
advocate that Instead of. an unwise
effort to prohibit all combinations there
hall be substituted a law which shall
expressly permit combinations which
re In the Interest of the public, but
hall at tbo same time give to somo
agency of the national government full
power of control and suiwrvlslon over
them. One of the chief features of
this control should be BiHrurlng entire
publicity In all matters which tbo pub
11c has a light to know and, further
more, the power, not by judicial, but
by executive, actlou to prevent or put
stop to every form of Improper fa
voritism or other wrongdoing.
The railways of the country should
be put completely undur the Interstate
co mm tree commlssiun and removed
from the domain of the anti-trust law.
The power of the commission should
be made thoroughgoing, so that It
could exercise complete supervision
nd control over the lsnuo of securities
M well as over the mining aud lower
ing of rates. As regards rates, at least
this power should be summary, row
er to make combinations and trntllc
agreements should be eipllcltly con
ferred upon the railroads, the permis
sion of the comtnliMlnn being first
trained and the combination or agree
ment being published In all Its de
tails. The Interests of the sharehold
ers, of the employees and of the ship
pers should nil m guarded as against
one another. To give any one of them
Undue and Improper consideration Is
tn do Injustice to the others. Hates
must be made as low as Is compatible
with giving proper returns to all tin
employees of the railroad, from the
highest to the lowest, and proer re
turns to the shareholder, but they
must not, for lunlnuce, be reduced In
urn ?Mou as to twvetiMtate a rut
In the wages of the employee or the
abolition of the proper and legitimate
prodta of bnnest shareholders.
Telegraph and telephone coiupnulea
engaged In Interstate tmflnetta ehnuld
be put under the JnrUi11etl.n of the In
terstate ro unnerve cnmmtKnlnn.
Ample Rewards For Intelligence.
It is to the Interest of all of un that
there should Ite a premium put ujHin
Individual Initiative and Individual ra
parity and an ample rewrmj for (ho
great directing tntelllgenreii alone com
petent to manage the great tuiKtnetts
operations of today. It Is well to keep
In mind that exactly as the nniirchUt
Is the worst enemy of lltwrty ami the
reactionary the wont enemy of order
no the men who defend the rights of
property have moat to fear from the
wrongdoers of great wenlth, and the
men who are championing popular
rights have moet to fear from tin
demagogues who In the name of popu
lar rights would do wrong to and op
press honest business men, honvst men
of wealth, for the success of either
type of wrongdoer necemiarHy Invftes
violent reaction sflnat the cause
the wrongdoer nominally upbot.
Til opposition to government con
trol of these great corporations tke
7 ' o . -
Its most effective effurt lu tbe Bhape
of an appeal to the old doctrine of
states' rights.
The proposal to make tbe nuttonu)
government supreme over, und there
fore to give It complete ?nutnil over,
tbe rultroadH nud other Instruments of
luterstiktu commerce In merely a pro
poHul to carry ont to the letter one of
tbe prime purported If Dot Uie prime
purpose, for which the constitution
was founded. It doea not represent
centralization.
I believe that the- more farslghtcd
corporations ure themselves coming to
recognize the unwisdom of the violent
hostility they hnve displayed during
the last few years to regulation and
control by the national government of
combinations engaged In Interstate busi
ness.
Labor.
Thero are many matters affecting la
bor and the status of tbe wagvworker
to which I should Ilka to draw your
attention. As far as possible I hope
to see a frank recognition of tbe ad
vantages conferred by machinery, or
ganization and dlvlBlon of labor, ac
companied by an effort to bring about
a larger share In tbe ownership by
wageworker of railway, mill aud fac
tory. In farming this simply means
that we wish to see the farmer own his
own laud. We do not wish to sec the
farms so large that they become the
proporty of absentee landlords who
farm them by tenants nor yet so small
that the fanner becomes like a Euro
pean peasant.
The depositors In our savings banks
now number over one-tenth of our en
tire population. Theso are all capital
ists who through tbe savings banks
loan tbclr money to the workers that
la. In many cases to themselves to
carry on tbelr various Industries.
Postal savings banks will make it easy
for tbe poorest to keep their savings
In absolute safety. The regulation of
the national highways' must be such
that they shall serve all eople with
eqnal Justice. Corporate nuances must
be supervised so as f make It far
safer than at present for the man of
small means to Invest his money In
stocks. There must be prohibition of
child labor, diminution of woman la
bor, shortening of hours of all me
chanical labor. Stock watering should
be prohibited, and stock gambling, so
far as Is possible, discouraged. There
should bo a progressive Inheritance
tax on large fortunes. Industrial edu
cation should be encouraged.
Prottotion For Wsgeworkors.
There Is one matter with which the
congress should deal at this session.
There should no longer be any palter
ing wltb tbe question of tnklug caro
of the wageworkera who, under our
present Industrial system, become kill
ed, crippled or worn out as part of tbo
regulur lucltleuts of a glveu business.
Tbo object sought for could be achiev
ed to a measurable degree, as fur as
those killed or crippled are concerned,
by proper employers' liability laws.
As far as concerns those who have
been worn out, 1 call your attention to
the fact that definite Bteps towurd pro
viding old ago pensions have been
taken In many of our private Indus
tries. Pending a thoroughgoing Investiga
tion and action there Is certain legis
lation which should lie enacted at
nice. The luw passed at the last ses
sion of tbo congress granting com
imuHatlon to certain classes of em
ployees of the government should be
nxtended to Include all employees of
the government and Bhoutd be luado
more liberal In Its terms. In this re
flect the generosity of tbe United
states toward its employees compares
most unfavorably with that of every
ountry In Kuroito even the poorest.
The. terms of the art aru also a
hardship In prohibiting payment In
t'ases wbero the accident la In any
nay duo to the negligence of tho em
ployee. It la Inevitable Hint dally fa-
inlllurtty with danger will lead men to
take chances that can be construed
Into negligence.
I renew my recommendation made
In a previous message that half holi
days be granted during the eummer to
nil wageworkera In government em
ploy. I also renew my recommendation
that tho principle of the eight hour
lay should aa rapidly and as far as
practicable bo extended to the entire
work being carried on by the govern
ment Tho Courts.
I most earnestly urge upon the con-
irress the duty of Increasing the totally
luadeipiate salaries now given to our
Judge. On tbe whole, there Is no
body of public servant who do as
valuable work nor whose moneyed
reward Is so Inadequate company! to
their work, lieglnnlng with the so
urtnic court, the Judges should have
tlwHr snlnrtcs doubled.
It Is earnestly to tie desired that
iiue method shuuld lie devised for do
trig away with the Ions delays which
now obtain in the administration of
Justice and which operate with pecul
'iir severity scnlii.it (arsons of small
means cu-it favor only the very crimi
nals v. horn It is most desirable to pun
ish At the Hit ele tlon certnlo leaders
of orgnuias lolhir made a violent and
sweeping itn. k upon the entire Ju
dla'lary of the country, an attack
couched In anch terms as to 111 lu.le
'be tn.'O upright, honest and broad
minded Juilccs no less than those of
usrr..er lulml and more restricts
outlook. Last year l-f,.re the house
committee on the judiciary these same
lalior lenders formulated their de
mands, apnlfylug the bill that con
tained them, refusing all compromise
stating they wished the principle of
that bill or nothing.. The, Insisted
a provision that In a UU.r dispute no
Injunction should Issue except to pro
tect a property right and speciucsil
provided that the rhbt to carry on
business should not be couBtrued as a
property rlht, and lu a second pro
vision tbelr bill made legal lu a labor
dispute uuy act or ogreemeut by or
between two or more persons that
would not have been uuluwful If done
by a single fierson. In other wordB,
this bill legalized blacklisting uud boy
cotting In every form. The demand
was made that there should be trial
by Jury In contempt cases, thereby
most seriously Impairing the authority
of the courts. All this represented a
course of policy which. If carried out,
would meau the cnthrunemc-nt of cluss
privilege lu Its crudest and most
brutal form and the destruction of
one of the most essential functions of
the Judiciary lu all civilized lands.
Tho wageworkera, the worklugmeu.
the laboring men of the country, by the
way lu which they repudiated tbe ef
fort to get them to cast their votes lu
response to an apjioal to class hatred
have emphasized their Bound patriotism
aud Americanism.
Courts Imporlled by Judges.
Rut the extreme reactionaries, the
persous who blind themselves to tbe
wrongs now und theu committed by
the courts on Inborlng men, Bhould
also think seriously as to what such A
movement as this portends. The
courts are Jeoparded primarily by the
actlou of these federal and state
Judges who show Inability or unwill
ingness to put a stop to the wrong
doing of very rich men under modern
Industrial conditions.
There are certain decisions by va
rious courts which have beeu exceed
ingly detrimental to tho rights of
wagoworkors. This is true of all the
decisions tliut decide that men and
women ure by the constitution "guar
anteed their liberty" to contract to
enter a daugeruus occuputlou, or to
work au uudeslruble or Improper num
ber of hours, or to work In uubeulthy
surroundings, and therefore cannot re
cover dumugea when maimed In that
occupation und cannot bo forbidden
to work what the legislature decides is
an excessive number of hours, or to
carry on tbe work under conditions
which tho leglsluturo decides to be un
healthy. There Is also, I think, ground for
the belief that substantial injustice Is
often suffered by employees In conse
quence of the custom of courts Issu
ing temporury Injunctions without no
tice to them und punishing them for
contempt of court in Instances where,
aa a mutter of fuct, theyhnve no
knowledge of any proceedings. Pro
vision should be made thut no Injunc
tion or temporary restraining order
Issue otherwise than on notice, except
where Irreparable injury would other
wise result, and In such case a hear
ing on the merits of tbe order Bbould
be had within a snort fixed period,
and If not then continued after bear
ing It should forthwith lapse. Deci
sions should be rendered Immediately
and the chance of delay minimised In
every way.
Tbe courts ure to be highly com
mended and stanchly upheld when
they set their faces against wrong
doing or tyranny by a majority, but
they arc to be blnmed when they
fall to recognize under a government
like ours the deliberate Judgment of
tbe majority as to a matter of legiti
mate policy when duly expressed by
the legislature. The people should
not be permitted to pardon evil and
slipshod legislation on the theory that
Uio court will set It right. They should
be taught that the right way to get rid
of a bad law Is to have the legislature
repeal It and not to have the courts by
Ingenious hnlr splitting nullify It.
Pooplo Themselves lo Blame.
For mnny of the shortcomings of
Justice In our country our people ss s
wholo are thcmaelvcfl to blame, and the
Judges and Juries merely bear their
sharo together with tbe public as s
it hole. It IB discreditable to us ss a
people that there should tie difficulty
In convicting murderers or In bringing
to Justice men who as public servants
hnve beeu guilty of corntptlon or who
have profited by the corruption of pure
lie servnnta.
The huge wealth that has been ac
cumulated by a few Individuals of re
cent years, In what has amounted to
a Boctat and Industrial revolution, has
been as regards somo of these Individ
uals made possible only by tho Improp
er use of the modern corporation. Cor
porations are necessary Instruments of
modern husluess. Tbey have boen per
mitted to become a menace largely be
cause tho governmental representatives
of the people have worked elowly In
providing for adequate control over
them.
Heal damage has been done by the
manifold and conflicting Interpreta
tions of the Interstate commerce law.
Control over the groat corporations do
ing Interstate business can be effective
only If It Is vested with full power tn
an administrative department a branch
of the federal executive, carrying ont
a federal law. It ran never be ef
fective If a divided responsibility la
left In both the states and the nation.
It can never be effective If left In the
handB of tho courts to be decided by
lawsuits.
The courts hold a place of peculiar
and deserved sanctity under our form
of government. Respect for tho law Is
essential to tho permanence of oar In
stitutions, and respect for ttut law la
largely conditioned upon respect for
the courts. Rut we must face tbo fact
that there are wise and unwise Judges,
lust as there are wine and unwise ex
ecutives and legislature. When a
president or governor behaves Improp
erly or unwisely the remedy Is essy,
for his term Is short. The same la
true with the legislator, although not
to the same degree. With a Judge
wh being human. Is also likely to
err. tint whose tenure la for life, there
Is no similar way of holding him to
responsibility. Vnder ordinary condi
tions the only forms of pressure to
Which he Is In any way amenable are
public opinion and the action of bis
fellow Judges. It is the last which Is
most Immediately effective and to
which we should look for the reform
of abases.
Forests.
If there Is any one duty which more
tbun uuother we owe It to our children
and our children's children to perform
at once it Is to save tbe forests of
this country, for they constitute tbe
first and most Important element tn
the conservation of the natural re
sources of the country.
Shortsighted persons, or persons
blinded to tbe future by desire to
make money in every way ont of the
present, sometimes speak as If no
great damago would bo done by the
reckless destruction of our forests. It
Is difficult to have patience with the
arguments of these persons. Thanks
to our own recklessness In the use of
oar splendid forests, we have already
crossed tbo verge of a timber famine
in thla country, and no measures that
we now take can, at least for many
years, undo the mischief that has al
ready been Cone. But we can prevent
further mischief being done, and It
would be In the highest degree repre
hensible to let any consideration of
temporary convenience or temporary
cost Interfere with such action, espe
cially as regards tbo national forests,
which tbe nation can now at this very
moment control.
The president here cites In support
of bis contentions the great destruc
tion wrought In China by the denuda
tion of the forest areas. '
What has thus happened In northern
China, what has happened In central
Asia, In Palestine, lu north Africa, In
parts of tho Mediterranean countries
of Europe, will surely happen In our
country If we do not exercise that
wise forethought which should be one
of the chief marks of any people call
ing Itself civilized. Nothing should bo
.termltted to stand In tbe way of tho
preservation of the forests, and It Is
Tlminal to permit Individuals to pur
chase a little gain for themselves
through the destruction of forests
when this destruction Is fatal to the
well being of tbe whole country In the
future.
Inland Waterways.
Action should be begun forthwith,
during the present session of congress,
for the Improvement of our inland wa
terwaysaction which will result tn
giving us not only navigable bat
navigated rivers. We hnve spent
hundreds of millions of dollars upon
these waterways, yet the traffic on
nearly all of them la Bteadlly declin
ing. This condition Is the direct re
sult of tho absence of any compre
hensive and farseelng plan of water
way Improvement Obviously we can
not continue thus to expend the rev
enues of tbo government without re
turn. It Is poor business to spend
money for inland navigation unless
we get It
Such shortsighted, vacillating and
futile methods are accompanied by de
creasing water borne commerce and
Increasing traffic congestion on land,
by increasing floods and by the waste
of public money. Tbe remedy lies In
abandoning the methods which have
so signally failed and adopting new
ones n keeping with the needs and
demands of our pooplo.
In a report on a measure Introduced
at tbe first session of the present con
gress the secretary of war said, "Tho
chief defect In the methods hitherto
pursued lies In tho absence of execu
tive authority for originating compre
hensive plans covering tho country or
natural divisions thereof.' In this
opinion I heartily concur.
Until the work of river Improvement
undertaken In a modern way It can
not have results that will meet tbo
needs of this modern nstlon. These
needs should be met without further
dilly-dallying or delay. The plan which
pronilsea the best snd quickest results
Is that of a permanent.eonimlsslon au
thorized to co-ordinate the work of all
tbo government departments relating
to waterways and to frame and super
vise tho execution of a comprehensive
plan. The time for playing with our
waterways Is past The country de
mands results.
National Parka.
I urge that all our national parks ad
jacent to national forests he placed
completely under the control of the
forest service of the agricultural de
partment, Instend o? leaving them, as
they are now, under tbe Interior de
partment and policed by the army.
Pure Food.
The pure food legislation has already
vorked a benefit dllUcult to overoatl
uate. Secret Servloe.
I-ast year an amendment was Incor
rated lu the measure providing for
he secret service which provided that
(lie re should be uo detail from the se-rc-t
service and no transfer therefrom.
It la not too much to say that this
imendment has been of benefit only,
ind could be of benefit only, to tbe
rlmlnal classes. Tbe amendment In
luestlon was of benefit to no one ex
eptlng to criminals, and It seriously
(tempers tbe government In the detec
tion of crime and the securing of Jus
tice. It prevents tbo promotion of em
ployees in tbo set-pet service, end this
further discourages good effort, la Its
present form tbe restriction operates
only to tho advsntago of tho criminal,
of tho wrongdoer.
Tho chief argument la favor of she
provision was thst the congressmen
did not themselves wish to bo Investi
gated by secret service men. Very II t-
0 of soch investigation baa been dooo
In the past but It Is true that the"wurk
of tbe secret service agents was partly
responsible for the Indictment snd con.
vlctloa of s senstor snd a congressman
for Isnd frauds In Oregon. I do not
believe that It la lo tbo oabllc latareat
I
to protect criminals In any branch of
the public service, and exactly as we
have again and again during the past
seven years prosecuted and cuuvlcted
BUch criminals who were in tbe execu
tive branch of tbe government so in
my belief we should be glveu ample
means to prosecute them lr tounu in
the legislative branch. Rut If thlB Is
not cousldered desirable a special ex
ception could be made In the luw pro
hibiting the UBe of the secret service
force In Investigating members of tbe
congress. It would be far better to do
this than to do what actually was aone
and strive to prevent or at least to
hamper effective actlou against crim
inals by the executive branch of the
government
Postal 8svlng Bsnks.
I again renew my recommendation
for postal savings banks, for deposit
ing Bavlngs with the security or me
government behind tbem. The object
Is to encourage thrirt ana economy in
the wage earner and person of mod-
crate means. It Is believed that In tbe
aggregate vast sums of money would
be brought into circulation through
the Instrumentality of tbe postal sav
ings bunks. Postal savings banks are
now In operation In practically all tbe
great civilized countries wltb the ex
ception of the United States.
Parool Post.
In my laBt annuul message I com
mended the postmaster general's rec
ommendation for an extension of the
parcel post on the rural routes. The
establishment of a local parcel post
on rural routes would be to tbe mu
tual benefit of tbe farmer and the
country storekeeper, and It Is desirable
that the routes, Bervlng more than 15,-
000,000 people, should be utilized to the
fullest practicable extent
Education.
Tbe share that tbe national govern
ment should tnke lu the broad work of
education baB not received tbe atten
tion and the care It rightly deserves.
I earnestly recommend thut this un
fortunate state of affairs as regards
the national educational office be rem
edied by adequute appropriation. (
Census.
1 strongly urge that the request of
tbe director of the census lu connec
tion with the decennial work so soon
to be begun be compiled with and that
tbe appointments to the census force
be placed under the civil service law,
wnlvlng tbe geogruphlcal requirements
as requested by the director of the
census. Tbe supervisors uud enumer-
ators should not be appointed under
the civil service law for the reasons
given by the director.
Publis Health.
The dangers to public health from
food adulteration and from many oth
er sources, such as the menace to the
physical, mental und moral develop
ment of children from child labor,
should be met snd overcome. This na
tion cannot afford to lag behind In tbe
worldwide battle now being waged
by all civilized people wltb the micro
scopic foos of mankind. The first leg
islative step to be taken Is that for the
concentration of the proper bureans
Into one of tbe exlstlug departments.
Statehood.
I advocate the Immediate admission
of, New Mexico and Arizona as states.
This should be done st the present ses
sion of the congress. The people of
the two territories bsve made It evi
dent by tbelr votes that they will not
come In as one state. Tbe only alter
native Is to admit them as two. and 1
trust that this will be done without
delay.
Foreign Affairs.
This nation's foreign policy Is based
on tbe theory that right must be done
between nations precisely as between
Individuals, and In our actions for the
last ten years we have in this matter
proved our faith by our deeds. We
have behaved and are behavlug to
ward other nntlous ss In prtvate llfean
honorable man would behave toward
his fellows.
Latin American Republics.
The commercial and material prog
ress of the twenty Latin American re
publics Is worthy of the careful atten
tion of tho congress. No other section
of the world has shown a greater pro
portionate development of Its foreign
trade during the last ten years, and
none other has more apeclnl claluia on
the Interest of the United States. .
Panama Canal.
The work on the Panama canal Is be
ing done with a speed, efficiency and
entire devotion to duty which make It
a model for all work of the kind. No
task of such msgnltude has ever before
been undertaken by any nation, and no
task of the klud has ever been better
performed. The men on the isthmus,
from Colonel Uoethals and bin fellow
commissioners through the entire list
of employees who are faithfully doing
theu- duty, have won their right to the
ungrudging respect snd gratitude of
the American people.
Ocean Mail Lines.
1 again recommend the extension of
the ocean mall act of ISM so that sat
Isfsctory American ocean mall lines to
Sooth America, Asia, the Philippines
and Australasia may be established.
The creation of such steamship lines
should be the natural corollary of the
voyage of the battle fleet. It should
precede the opening of the Psnama
canal. - .
Tho Philippines.
Real progress toward self govern
ment Is being made In the Philippine
Islands. The isatherliig of a Philippine
legislative bosjy snd Philippine lOsse
bly marks a process absolutely Sew as
Asia, not only its regar. Asia colo
nies of Europts powers, but an ss
ssV Asiatic fiesesslons of oser .sjs)
sttc powen, and Indeed, always ex
cepting the striking snd wonderful ex
ample afforT)is fr) the great empire of
Ja.oe.n- It anana en eoauwlv Bew de
parture when compared with anything
wblcb has happened among Asiatic
powers which are their own masters.
We have given the mipinos cousum
tlouul government a government based
upon Justice, aud we have shown that
we have governed then for their good
and not for our aggrundizement.
At tbe present time, as during me
past ten years, the Inexorable logic of
facts shows thut this government
must be supplied by us nud not by
tbem. We must be wise and gener
ous. We must help the b'lllpluos to
master the difficult art of self con
trol, which Is simply another name for
self govio-uinent But we cannot give
them self government save in tbe
sense of governing tbem so that grad
ually they may, If they are able, learn
to govern themselves. No one can
prophesy the exact date when It will
be wise to consider Independence as
a fixed and definite policy.
Porto Rico.
I again recommend that American
citizenship be conferred upon tbe peo
ple of Porto Itlco.
Cuba.
In Cuba our occupancy will cease lu
about two mouths' time. The Cubans
have In orderly mauner elected their
own governmental authorities, and tbe
Island will be turned over to them.
Our occupation on this occasion bus
lasted a little over two years, and
Cuba has thriven and prospered under
It Our earnest hope and one desire
Is that tbe people of the Island shall
now govern themselves wltb Justice,
so that peace and order muy be se
cure.
Tho Fleet's Reception.
I take this opportunity publicly to
state my appreciation of tbe way In
which In Jupau, In Australia, In New
Zealand and lu all the Btates of South
America the battle fleet has been re
ceived on its practice voyage around
tbe world. The American goverumeut
ctwnot too strongly express Its appre
ciation of the abounding and generous
hoBpltallty shown our ships In every
port tbey visited.
The Army.
As regards the army, 1 call attention
to the fuct tbat, while our Junior offi
cers and enlisted men stand very high,
the present system of promotion by
seniority results In brluglug into the
higher grades many men of mediocre
capacity wbo have but a short time to
serve. No man should regard it as
bis vested right to rise to the highest
rank in the army any more than in
any other profession.
The scope of retiring boards should
be extended so that they could con
sider general unfitness to command
for any cause In order to secure a far
more rigid enforcement than at pres
ent In the elimination of offlcera for
mental, physical or temperamental
disabilities. But this plan Is recom
mended only If the congress do8 not
see fit to provide what In my Judg
ment Is fur better tbat Is, for selec
tion In promotion and for elimination
for age.
Now that the organized mllltla. the
national guard, has been Incorporated
with tbe army as a part of the national
forces It behooves the government to
do every reasonable thing tn Its pow
er to perfect Its efficiency.
A bill Is now pending before the
congress creating a number of extra
officers lu the army, which, If passed,
as It ought to be, will enable more of
ficers to be trained as instructors of
national guard and assigned to tbat
duty.
There should be legislation to pro
vide a complete plan foi organiz
ing tbe great body of volunteera be
hind the regular army and national
guard when war bns come. While
teams representing the United States
won the rifle and revolver champion
ships of the world against all comers
In England this year, It Is unfortunate
ly true that the great body of our cltl
lens shoot less and less aa time goes
on.
To meet this we should encourage
rifle practice among schoolboys and
Indeed among all classes, as well aa
In the military services, by every
means In our power.
The Navy.
I approve tho recommendations of
the general board for the Increase of
tho esvy, calling especial attention to
the need of additional destroyers and
colliers snd. above all, of the four bat
tleships. It Is desirable to complete
as soon as possible a aquadron of eight
battleships of the best existing type.
The North Dakota. Delaware, Florida
and Utah will form tbe first division
of this squadron.
I most earnestly recommend thst the
general board be by law turned Into
a general staff. Thes Is literally uo
excuse whatever for continuing the
present bureau organization of do
navy. The navy should be treated as
a purely military organization, and
everything should be sntwirdi rated to
the one object of securing !::try
efficiency. A system of promotion by
.merit either by selection or by ex
clusion or by both processes, should bo
Introduced,
Nothing better for tbe navy from
every stsndpolut haa ever occurred
than the cruise of the battle fleet
around the world. The Improvement
of tbe ahtps lu every way haa been ex
traordinary, and they have gatied far
more experience In battle tactic than
they would have gained If thew bad
stayed In the Atlantic waters. I do
not believe that there Is any other
service In tho world tn which the
average of character and efficiency tn
the enlisted men la ss high as Is now
the cane In our own. I believe tbat the
same statement can be made aa to our
oHX-era. taken aa a whole, but usvsa
st be a reserrstlroj made In resisr
twe tn the mtmt rariiS ask as
rB to Have have Jug) festered
owlce. because we do not now
D full tvttvflt from our excellent
naval or, at Annar!-
Murked for Death.
"Three years ago 1 was marked for
death. A grave-yard cough was tear
ing my lungs to pieces. Doctors fail
ed to help me, and hope bad fled.
when my busband got Dr. rung s isew
Discovery," says Mrs. A. C. Williams,
of Bac, Ky. "Tbe first dose helped
me and improvement kept on until I
had gained 68 pounds in weight and
my health was fully restored." This
mealciue holds tho world's healing
record for coughs and colds and lung
and throat diseases. It prevents pneu
monia. Sold under guarantee at A.
C. Marsters & Co's. drug store. 60a
and rl.OO. Trial bottle tree.
There will be a special session of
Justice Long's court at the Elks' Min
strels, Dec. 15 and 16, at the Ar
mory. Don't fall to attend.
TYPEWRITERS.
THE ROYAL
I 05.00 A
$ 4-
Unquestionably the moBt 4
practical Typewriter mado, re 4
gai dless of price.
Uoncburg Typewriter Exchange
i uimer m, wimbeny. Mgr.
js Roseburg - - Rosoburg
W1LGROW.
Seven 4.
The new fertilizer.
Nothing but fish. -Guaranteed
analysis
per cent nitrogen, six per cent
potash, 18 per cent phoBphorlo
acid.
One 25-pound sack of Wll-
grow, used In the place of
12 tons of beat stable man
i ure, will give better results
and no weeds.
Try It for your
4. lawn
i J. F. BARKER &
CO.
t . 4.
A. L. KITCHIN,
is the man' to see for
everything in the Nur
sery line.
TrPAC "'rtsrow
1 1 CC3 that pay.
Fruit and ornanental
trees, Grape & Berry
vines, roses, etc. etc.
Nursery Salesman, Roseburij, Or.
NOVELTY
THEATRE
Program changes each Sunday,
Monday, Wednesday and
Friday.
PROGRAM
MONDAY AND TUESDAY
MOVING PICTURES:
"The Dancing Fiend."
"The Hat of Fortune.'
. "Heating Powder."
ILLUSTRATED SONQS:
"Good Ilye, Sweet Marie."
and
"If Lou Were Mine."
MATINEE 2:30 TO 5
ADMISSION
5c
Evening Performance 10c
Oregon Restaurant
Open Day and Night
EASTERN OYSTERS
n tho Shell
Fresh Olympia Oysters
Fbh and Clams all tho thno
Chicken Dinner on Sunday
12 to 2 P. M.
RtOULArTMEALJ 25c.
LE0NA MILLS
Lamto Ctntfciay
Ludber, Lxt2
Drj Finish Lunsbtt
Yafe o Iftfer 0jfc S