Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-01-05

WE HAVE TAKEN MUST
NEITHER BE ALLOWED TO
LAPSE INTO ANARCHY NOR TO
RETURN UNDER THE SWAY OF
TYRANNY-BETTER ARMS FOR
THE NATIONAL GUARD.
Albany, n. Y, January 4.-The State
Legislature convened to-day. In both
the Assembly and the Senate the Re-
publican caucus nominees were elected.
Fred Dixon, of Chautauqua county, was
made Speaker of the Assembly, and
Archie Baxter, of Chemupg, was chosen
clerk. In the Senate, t. E. Ellsworth,
of Niagara county, and James S. Whip
pie, of Cattaragus county, were elected
temporary chairman and clerk respec-
lively. After brief address by Lieut..
Governor Woodruff the annual mes
sage of the Governor, Theodore Roose-
welt, was read.
1t opens with reference to the
alacrity with which New York respond
cd to the call for volunteers to engage
in the war with Spain. 1--WE are Amer
leans" the Governor continues, "and
the interests of all Americans are
equally dear to the men OF the entire
State. As we grow into a mighty ma
ton which, whether it will or not must
inevitably play great part for good
or for evil in the affairs of the world
at large. the people of New York wish
it understood that they look at all
American questions of foreign policy
through national standpoint. The
tropical islands we have taken must
neither be allowed to lapse into an
archy nor to return under the sway of
tyranny. War is a grim thing at best,
but the war through which we have
passed has left us not merely memoir
les of glory won on land and sea, but
an even more blessed heritage, the
knowledge that it was waged from the
highest motives, for the good of others
as well as for our own national honor.
Above all, we are thankful that it
the country was indeed one when seri-
Gus danger confronted il. The men
from the East and West, from the
North and South, the sons of those who
wore the blue and of those who wore
the gray, stood shoulder TO shoulder in
the fight, met the same dangers, shared
the same hardships and won the same
ultimate triumph"
Gov. Roosevelt discusses the subject
of State labor laws at considerable
length. Under this head he said: "In
dealing with the interests which we
have grown to group together as the
interests of labor, we must always keep
in mind the fact that ultimately each
mans salvation rests mainly with
himself and that no amount of legis-
lation or of combination can supply
the lack of individual inaction-the
lack of individual energy, honesty,
thrift and industry. Yet this capacity
for individual self-help can and should
be generally supplemented by that
form of Self-help that follows on or
ganization and association, as has been
shown by the careers of many of the
trades unions and labor declarations;
and sometimes it can be supplemented
by the direct action of the State itself.
This legislation is not necessarily
against the interests of capital; on the
contrary, if wisely devised, 1t Is for the
benefit of both laborers and employ
ers."
In discussing the National Guard,
Gov. Roosevelt says among other
things: 1T is much to be hoped that
some well-thought-of plan may be
adopted by the national government
for the use of the guard in any future
war. The guard should be used as it
was in the civil war and should not DO
called out for foreign service. The
work which the National Guardsmen
ought formally to perform differs en-
tirely from that expected from regu-
lars. Many of the troops who volun-
teered gladly for the emergency, now
that the war Is over are most anxious
to return. That they are not all Of
them able to return is due to the mt
terly inadequate size of our regular
army If our regular army is, as IL
should be, increased to 100000 men,
the hard necessity OF retaining in tho
service the volunteer organizations
which ought not to be retained, will
disappear.
"The lamentable result Of keeping
the guard armed with archaic weapons,
utterly unfit for modern warfare, was
shown very conclusiveIy in the late
contest with Spain. 1t is an UNDER
statement Of the case 10 say that
single frst-class regiment, armed with
the Krag- Jorgensen, is worth three reg
iments armed with low-power, single
shot, black powder piece like this
Springfield"