The Roswell daily record. [volume], December 04, 1906, Image 4

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' this subject result la scandals and
abuses; and surely there is nothing
so Tltally essential to the -welfare of
the nation, nothing around -which
the nation should so bend itself to
'throw ererr SAfoen-iai? aa
J VQUU. U, CO kllVj UUUIC
life of the average citizen. The
change would be good from every
sianapomt. in particular it would
bo 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 question of
polygamy to be dealt with by the
several states. . Power to deal with
it should be conferred on the Nation
al Government.
American Shipping.
Let me once again call the atten
tion of the Congress to two subjects
concerning' which I have frequently
before communicated with them. One
is the question of developing Amer
ican shipping. I trust that a law
embodying in substance the views,
or a major part of the views, exprest
in the report on this subject laid be
fore the House at its last session will
be past. I am well aware that in
former years objectionable measures
have been proposed in reference to
the encouragement of American ship
ping; but it srems to me that the
proposed measure is as nearly unob
jectionable as any can be. It will
of course benefit primarily our sea
board States, such as Maine, Louis
iana, and Washington; but what ben
efits part of our people in the end ben
eflts all; just as Government aid to
irrigation and forestry in the West
is really of benefit, not only to the
Rocky Mountain State's, but to all
our country. If it prove impractica
ble to enact a law for the encourag
ment of shipping generally, then at
least provision should be made for
the better communication with South
America, notably for fast mail lines
to - the chief South American ports.
It is discreditable to us that our busi
ness people, for lack of direct com
munication in the s.hape of lines of
steamers witn suurn America, snouia
in that great sister continent be at
tx ui3auvauiag cuiupareu tu me Bus
iness people of Europe.
Currency Reform.
I especially call your attention to
the second subject, the condition of
our currency laws. The national
bank act has ably served a great
purpose in aiding the enormous busi
ness development of the ' country;
and within ten years there has been
an increase in circulation per capi
ta from f21.41 to $33.08. For-several
years evidence has been accumu
lating that additional legislation is
needed. The recurrence of each crop
season emphasizes the defects 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 fluctuation in the interest on
call money from 2 per cent to 30
per cent and the fluctuation was ev
en greater during the preceding six
months. The Secretary of the TreaB
ury had to step in and by wise action
put a stop to the most violent period
of oscillation. Even worse than sued
fluctuation is the advance in commer
cial rates and the uncertainty felt
In the sufficiency of credit even at
high rates. All commercial interests
suffer during each crop period. Ex
cessive rates for call money" in New
York attract money from the Inter
ior banks into the speculative field;
this depletes the fund 'that would
otherwise be" available for commer
cial uses, and commercial borrowers
are forced to pay abnormal rates ; so
that eadh fall a tax. In the shape of
Increased Interest charges, is placed
on the whole commerce of the coun
try. . '"-"--'
The mere statement of. these facts
. sjhows that our present system Is
seriously defective. There is need
of change. Unfortunately, howev
er, many of the proposed changes
must be ruled from consideration be
cause they are complicated, are not
easy of comprehension and tend to
disturb existing rights and Interests.
We must also rule out any plan
' which would materially impair the
value of the United States 2 per tent
bonds now pledged ' to secure circu
lation, the issue of which was made
under conditions peculiarly credita
ble to the Treasury. I do not press
any especial plan. Various plans
have recently been proposed by ex
pert committees of bankers. Among
the plans which are possibly feasible
and which certainly should receive
your consideration is that repeatedly
brought to your attention by the pre
sent Secretary of the Treasury, the
essential features of .which have been
approved by many prominent bank
ers 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 giv
en 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 the issue
of currency to give .banks additional
profits, but to meet the emergency
presented by times of stringency.
Philippine Tariff.
I most earnestly hope that the bill
to provide a lower tariff for or else
absolute free trade in Philippine
products will become a law.
Porto Rican Affairs.
American citizenship should be
conferred on the citizens of Porto
Rico. The harbor of San Juan in Por
to Rico should be dredged and im
proved. The expenses of the feder
al court of Porto Rico should be met
from the Federal Treasury. The ad
ministration of the affairs of Porto
Rico, together with those of the Phil
ippines, Hawaii, and our other insu
lar possessions, should all be direct
ed under one executive department;
by preference tfae Department of
State or the Department of War.
Hawaii.
The needs of Hawaii are peculiar;
every aid should be given the islands
and our efforts should be unceasing
to develop them along the lines of a
community of small freeholders, not
of great planters with coolie-tilled
estates.
Alaska.
Alaska's needs have been partial
ly met, but there must be a complete
reorganization of the governmental
system, as I have before indicated to
you. I ask your especial attention
to this. Our fellow-citizens vrao
dwell on the shores of Puget Sound
with characteristic energy are arrang
ing to hold in Seattle the Alaska
Yukon Pacific Exposition. Its spec
ial aims include the unbuilding of Al
aska and the development of Ameri
can commerce on the Pacific Ocean.
This exposit&Sn, in its purposes and
scope, should appeal not only to the
people of the Pacific slope, but to tie
people of the United States at large.
Alaska since It was bought has yield
ed to the Government eleven mil
lions of dollars of revenue, and has
produced nearly three hundred mil
lions of dollars in gold, furs and fish.
When properly developed It will be
come in large degree a land of homes
The countries bordering the Pacific
Ocean have a population more num
erous tii an that of all the countries
of Europe; their annual foreign com
merce amounts to over three billions
of dollars, of which the share of the
United States is some' 700 millions
of dollars. If this trade were thoroly
understood and pushed by our manu
facturers and producers, the indus
tries not only of the Pacific slope,
but of all our country, and particular
ly of our cotton growing States,
would be greatly benefited. Of
course, in order to get these benefits.
we must treat fairly the countries
with which we trade.
International Morality.
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, matters nothing. . All we
have a right to question is the man's,
conduct. If he is honest and upright
In bis dealisgs with his neighbor
and with the State then he Is enti
tled to respect and good treatment.
Especially do we need to remember
our duty to the stranger within our
gates. It is the sure mark of a low
civilization, a low morality, to abuse
T" irnrrfti
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
can citizen,' and it is of course pe
culiarly incumbent on every Gov
ernment official, whether of the " na
tion or of the several States.
I recommend to the Congress that
an act be past specifically provide
ing for the naturalization of Japan
ese who come here intending to be
come American citizens. One of the
great embarrassments attending the
performance of owr international ob
ligations is the fact that the Statutes
of the United States are entirely in
adequate. They fail to give to the
National Government 'sufficiently am
pie power, thru United States courts
and by the use of the Army and Navy
to protect aliens in the rights secur
ed to them under solemn treaties
which are the law of the "land. I
therefore earnestly recommend that
the criminal and civil statutes of the
United States be so amended and
added to as to enable the President,
acting for the United States Govern
ment, which is responsible in our
international relations, to enforce the
rights of aliens under treaties. Even
as the law now is something can be
done by the Federal Government to
ward this end, and in the matter now
before me affecting the Japanese,
everything that it is in my power to
do will be done, and all of the forces,
military and civil, of the United
States which I may lawfully employ
will be employed. There should, aow
ever, be no particle of doubt as to
the power of the National Govern
ment completely to .perform and en
force its own obligations to other
nations. The mob of a single city
may at any time perform acts of law
less violence against some class of
foreigners which would plunge us
into war. That city by itself would
be powerless to make defense
against the foreign power thus as
saulted, and if independent of this
Government it would never venture
to perform or permit the perfor
mance of the acts complained of.
The entire power and the whole duty
to protect the offending city or the
offending community lies in the
hands of the United States Govern
ment. It is unthinkable that we
should continue a policy under which
given locality may be allowed to
commit a crime against a friendly
nation, and the United States Gov
ernment limited, not to preventing
the commission of the crime, but, in
the last resort, to defending the peo
ple who have committed it against
the consequences of their own wrong
doing.
Cuba.
Last August an Insurrection broke
out in Cuba which it speedily grew
evident that the existing Cuban Gov
ernment was powerless to quell. This
Government was repeatedly asked by
the then Cuban Government to inter
vene, and finally was notified by the
President of Cuba that he intended
to resign; that his decision was ir
revocable; that none of the other
constitutional officers would consent
to carry on the Government, and
that he was powerless to maintain
order. It was evident that chaos:
was impending, and tSiere was every
probability that if steps were not
Immediately taken by this Govern
ment to try to restore order, the rep
resentatives of various European na
tions in the island would apply to
their respective governments for arm
ed Intervention--in order to protect
the lives and property of their citi
zens. Thanks to the preparedness
of our Navy, I was able immediately
to send enough ships to Cuba to pre
vent the situation from becoming
hopeless; and I furthermore dispatch
ed to Cuba the Secretary of War
and the Assistant Secretary of
State, in order that they might grap
ple with the situation on the ground.
All efforts, to secure an agreement be
tween the contending " factions, by
which, they should themselves come
to an amicable understanding and set
tie upon some modus Vivendi some
provisional government of their own
failed. Finally the President of
the Republic resigned. The quorum
of Congress assembled f ailed, by de-
liberate purpose of its members; bo
that there was no power to act' on his
resignation, and the Government
came to- a halt. In accordance with
the so-called Piatt amendment, which
was embodied in the constitution of
Cuba, I - thereupon proclaimed a pro
claimed a provisional government
for the island, the Secretary of War
acting as provisional governor until
he could be replaced by Mr. Magoon,
ihe late Minister to Panama-.nd gov
ernor of the Canal Zone on the Is
thmus; troops were sent to support
them and to relieve the Navy, the
expedition being handled wfth most
satisfactory speed and efficiency.
The insurgents chiefs immediately
agreed that their troops should lay
down their arms and disband; and
the agreement was carried out. The
provisional government has left the
personnel of the old government and
the old laws so far as might be, un
changed and will thus administer the
island for a few months until tran
quillity can be restored, a new elec
tion properly held, and a new govern
ment inauguated. 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. I take this opportunity of
expressing upon behalf of the Ameri
can people, with all possible solem
nity , our most earnest hope that
the people of Cuba will realize the
imperative . need of preserving jus
tice and keeping order in the Island.
The United States wishes nothing
of Cuba except that it shall prosper
morally and materially, and wishes
nothing of the Cubans save that they
shall beable to preserve order among
themselves and therefore to preserve
their independence. If the elections
become a farce, and if the insurrec
tionary habit becomes confirmed in
the Island, it is absolutely out of
the question that the Island should
continue independent; and the Unit
ed States which has assumed the
sponsorship before the civilized world
for Cuba's career as a nation, 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. The
path to be trodden .by those who ex
ercise self-government is always
hard and we should have every char
ity and patience with the Cubans as
they tread this difficult path. I have
the utmost sympathy with, and re
gard for, them; but I most earnestly
adjure them solemnly to weigh their
responsibilities and to see that when
their new government is started it
shall run smoothly, and with freedom
from flafrant denial of right on the
one hand, and from insurrectionary
disturbances on the other.
Panama Trip.
I have just returned from" a trip
to Panama and shall report to you at
length later on the whole subject of
the Panama Canal.
The Army and Navy.
I do not ask that we continue 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 one year
means that for that year the - Navy
goes back instead of forward. The
old battle .ship Texas, for instance,
would now be of little service in a
stand-up fight with a powerful ad
versary. The old double-turret moni
tors have outworn their usefulness
while it was a waste of money to
build the modern single-turret moni
tors. All these ships should be re
placed by others; and this can be
done by a well-settled program of
providing for the building each -year
of at least one first-class battle ship
equal in size and speed to any that
any nation is at the same time build
ing; ;the armament presumably to
consist of as large a number as pos
sible of very heavy guns of one cal
Iber, together with smaller guns to
repel torpedo attack; while there
should be heavy armor, turbine en
gines, and In short, every modern
device. Of course, from time to
time; "cruisers r col&ers torpedo-boat
destroyers or .-a torpedo boats, will
have to be built also. All this, be it
remembered, would -not increase our
Navy, but would merely ? keep - it at
its present Btrength. Equally, of
course, the ships., will 7 be absolutely
useless if the men "aboard them are
not so trained that they can get the
best possible service out of the for
midable but delicate, and complicated
mechanisms intrusted to their care.
The marksmanship of our men has
so improved during the last five
years that I deem it within bounds
to say that the Navy is more than
twice as efficient, ship for ship, as
half a decade ago. The Navy can
only attain proper efficiency if
officers and men are provided, and
if these officers and men are given
the chance (and required to take ad
vantage of it) to stay continually at
.sea and to exercise the fleets singly
and above all in squadron, the exer
cise to be of every kind and to in
clude unceasing practise at the guns,
conducted under conditions that will
test marksmanship in time of war.
In both the Army and the Navy
there is urgent need that everything
possible should be done to maintain
the highest standard for the person
nel, alike as regards the officers and
the enlisted men. I do not believe
that in any service there is a finer
body of enlisted men and of junior
officers than we have in both the
Army and . the Navy, including the
Marine Corps. All possible encour
agement to the" enlisted men should
be given, in pay and otherwise, and
everything practicable done to ren
der the service attractive to men of
the right type. They should be held
to the strictest discharge of their
duty, and in them a spirit should be
encouraged which demands not the
mere performance of duty, but the
performance of far more than duty,"
if it conduces to the 'honor and the
interest of the American nation; and
in return the amplest consideration
should be theirs. ' I
The readiness and efficiency of
both the Army and Navy in dealing
with the recent sudden crisis in Cu
ba illustrate afresh their value to
the Nation. This readiness and effi
ciency would have been very much
less had it not been for the existence
of the General Staff in the Army and
the General Board in the Navy; both
are essential to the proper develop
ment and use of our military forces
afloat and ashore. The troops that
were sent to Cuba were handled
flawlessly. It was the swiftest mobil
ization and dispatch of troops over
sea ever accomplished by our Gov
ernment. The expedition landed
completely equipped and ready for
immediate service, several of its or
ganizations hardly remaining in Ha
vana over night before splitting up
into detachments and going to their
several posts. It was a fine demon
stration of . the value and efficiency
of the General Staff. Similarly, it
was owing in large part to the Gen
eral Board that the Navy was able
at the outset to meet the Cuban cri
sis with such instant efficiency; ship
after ship appearing on the shortest
notice at any threatened point, while
the Marine Corps in particular per
formed indispensable service. The
Army and Navy War Colleges are
of incalculable value to the two ser-1
vices, add they co-operate with con
stantly increasing efficiency and im
portance. The Congress has most wisely pro
vided for a National Board for the
promotion of rifle practice. Excellent
results have already come from this
law, but it does not go far enough.
Our regular Army is so small that
in any great war we should have to
trust mainly to volunteers; and in
such event these volunteers should
already know how to shoot; for if a
soldier has the fighting edge, and
ability to take care of himself In the
open, his efficiency on the line of
battle is almost directly proportion
ate to excellence in marksmanship.
We should establish shooting galler
ies in all the large public and mill
tary schools, should maintain nation
al target ranges in different parts
of the country, and should In every
way encourage the formation of ri
fle clubs thruout all parts of the
land. The little Republic of Switz
erland - offers us an excellent exam
ple in all matters connected with
building' up an efficient citizen sol
diery. THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
The White House, Dec. 3, 1906.
AN " ILLUSION
Original.! '
As a youth I was diffident, oversensi
tive. Imaginative, romantic My moth
er was;: very . much .troubled for fear I
would marry some girl with nothing to
recommend ber but a pretty face. I
used to think that she "wisaed me to1
marry Margaret Deane, who knew how
to sew and cook and do a lot of practi
cal things In which I took no Interest.
I rather admired Gwendoiin Germain.
Gweudolin was a tender flower, just
such a girl as a man Likes to take un
der his protection. Her cheek was not
round and rosy, but there was a little
pale red in its center like a rosebud
painted on a china cup, with lips of the
same hue.
The time came when I made up my
mind that unless I could win Gwendo
iin my life would be a failure. I was
but twenty, and that's very young for
a imin to feel that his happiness is
bouud up for life in one person. How
ever. I proved my constancy by years
of devotion to the image I had set up
in my heart. Fearing that I oould not
express myself with sufficient delicacy
to impress one so young, se modest, so
tender, I wrote my proposal in a letter.
I was several days composing it, uud
when finished I left it for another day
on my desk in order to read It once
more before posting it.
I was suddenly called away, and
when I returned the letter was gone.
I asked my mother what had become
of it, and she said that it had been
posted with a batch of letters that had
been seut to the mail while I was
away from home. With this I was
content and confident that Gwendoiin
had received it and waited anxiously
for a reply.
When I met my love again I was
much embarrassed. My imagination
made her seem to me cold, even of
feuded. and as she made no reference
to my letter it occurred to me that for
some reason I imagined a dozen she
was displeased with my proposal. I re
mained with her but a few moments
vainly endeavoring to converse on tri
fles, then left her.
I did not call again, and within a year
her family left the place where I lived,
and sh went with them. My heart
went with her. I lived on a bachelor.
My mother frequently invited Mar
garet Deane ..to our bouse, and I could
see that she was intentionally placing
her in my way. Margaret accepted .
whatever attention I gave her, which
was not much, but when I was un
mindful of her she did not seem to
notice it. As the year passed I made
a friend of her, but it did not occur to
me to make love to her.
When I was thirty my mother died.
Before., her death she made me a con
fession. .
"My dearest boy," she said, "before
I die I wish your forgiveness. Ten
years ago I saw that you were about
to choose a companion for life who
would not make you happy. I kept the
letter you wrote to Gwendoiin- Ger
mainr hoping to gain time to direct
your attention to Margaret Deane. Ten
years have passed, and every year I
have intended to send your letter to
Gwendoiin. I have never done so till
today. By tomorrow morning she will
know for the first tiuis of your pro
posal, but by that time I shall have
left you free to choose for yours.
And so my mother, to whom I was
so devoted, bad caused me ten years of
misery. I forgave her and did not
utter a word of complaint. Indeed the
pain I suffered at her loss neutralized
any feeling of regret for my long suf
fering. The day after I laid her In the grnve
I took up a number of letters that had
accumulated mostly of condolence
and among them was one from Gwen
doiin. It brought the first of different
sensations from what I had experienced
since the beginning of my mother's
illness. But with It came the remem
brance of what my mother must have
endured from her distaste for my
choice. Margaret had been with her
constantly in her last days and had
comforted her as if she had been her
own daughter.
I felt an Inclination to complete the
sacrifice my mother had brought about
by acceding to her wishes and giving
Margaret tbe option of being my wife.
But I was buud in honor to Gwendo
iin as well as by love. In her letter she
asked me to come and see her if I felt
so inclined, since she would talk to me
rather than write.
A few days later I went to see her.
She still lived with her family, who
were wealthy more so than when; I
had parted from her in a stateLj man
sion. It was evening when-x called,
and I was ushered into -a" private .par
lor. In a few minutes' a bony, sallow.
acrawny woman 'came Into the room.
dressed in, the height of fashion, be
decked with jewels, her hands covered
with ringv. I barely recognized Gwen
doiin and would not hav done so had
she. not preserved the rosebud in her
cheek by a tonch of paint.
"So ycur poor mother has gone." she
said. "Vhat a silly thing to keep yonr
letter from me! Just as if I were
counting on you. You were lovely as a
boy. I admit; but, yea snow, papa has
always brought me up to understand 1
that I Qnust marry money, and "
course t)lat would not Include you. B
we can", be friends, you know. Just
now I'm without a cavalier that Is,
one thatu fancy and you must come
often, aq i you shall be my attendant.
People v in talk, you know but yon
mustn't r iind that."
TKte$vas a good deal more that X
N(?td not Ihear. In due time I escaped
aau had fco sooner got home than I set
myself to work to win the heart of
Margaret- Deane. I found that It ha
been mini for years. I
God bleb my mother and ber sin.
V xaovuM a. brent, I
i
Y