The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-01-05
HE TALKED OF WAR
GOV. ROOSEvELTs CHARACTER
IsTIC MESSAGE TO THE NEW
YORK LEGISLATURES
NATIONAL GUARD IS NEEDED
1t Should he Utilized at Home and
Not Dispatched to Foreign Lands
State Labor Laws Given Com
siderable Space In the Document
New York Civil Service Law
Denounced.

New York Civil Service Law
Denounced.
ALBANY, N. Y, Jan. 4.-The state
legislature convened today. In both
the assembly and the senate the Re
publican caucus nominees were elect
ed.
Fred Dixon, of Chautauqua county,
was made speaker of the assembly,
and Archie Baxter, of Chemung was
chosen clerk. In the senate S. T. Ellis
WORTH of Niagara county, and James
S. Whipple, of Cattaraugus county,
were elected temporary chairman and
clerk, respectively. After a brief adj
dress by Mr.. Woodruff, the annual
message of the governor, Theodore
Roosevelt, was delivered.
Gov. Roosevelt's message opens with
a reference to the alacrity with which
New York responded to the call for
volunteers to engage in the war with
Spain.
We are Americans and the interests of all
Americans equally dear to the men Of the
Empire state. AS grow into a mighty IA
ton, which, whether 1t will not. must in
evtably play a 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 will neither
be allowed to lapse into anarchy nor to re-
turn under the sway of tyranny. War is a
grim thing at best but the through
which we have passed has left us not merely
memories OF victory won on land and sea,
but more blessed heritage the knowl-
edge that it was waged from the highest mo-
tives; for the good of others we'll as for
our own national honor Above all. we, are
the fact that the country was indeed one
when serious danger confronted 1t. The
from the East and the West from the North
n w IN he
and Of thOre who wore the gray stood shou der
to shoulder in the fight, met the same dan
gers, shared the same hardships and won the
same ultimate triumph.
NEW YORK COMMERCE..
Gov. Roosevelt recommends a con-
tinuation of the commission appointed
under the preceding state administra-
ton to examine into the causes of the
decline in the commerce of New York
city. He says:
1t is essential to the state, no less than to
the city of New York, that our commercial
supremacy should be maintained With this
end in view the canals should be administered
economically and with an eye signle to the
whether public servant or contractor, who in
any way defrauds the state or perverts the
business of the state to his private gain must
be dealt with as vigorously the laws will
permit
Gov, Roosevelt discusses the subject
of state labor laws at considerable
length. Under this head he says:
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 legislation or of combination can supply the
Lack of individual intiative-the lack of in
dividual energy and honesty, thrift and in
dustry. Yet this capacity for individual self
help cam and should be greatly supplemented
by that form of self-help that follows en-
organization and association. as has been
shown by the careers of many of the trade
union, and labor declarations; and sometimes
1t can be supplemented by the direct action
of the state itself. Legislation is not neces-
sarily against the interests of capital; on the
contrary if wisely devised, it is for the bene-
fit of both labor and capital.
CITIZEN SOLDIERS.
In discussing the national guard Gov
Roosevelt says among other things:
1t is much to be hoped that some we'll
thought-out plan may be adopted by the
tional 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 be called out for foreign service The
work which the national guardsmen ought
certainly to perform differs entirely from that
expected from regulars
Many of the troops, who volunteered glad
ly 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 utterly Inadequate size of our regular
army. III our regular army is, as 1t shou d
be, increased to JOG, GOO men, the hard necc g.
stty of retaining In the volunteer service the
volunteer organization, which ought net TO hs
retained, will disappear.
The lamentable results of keeping the GUARD
armed with weapons utterly unfit for modern
warfare was shown very conclusive,y in the
late contest with Spain. 1t is an unders. ate
ment OF the case to say a single first-class
! regiment armed with the Krag -Jorgensen is
worth three regiments armed with a low
4! power, single shot, black powder piece like
| the Springfield.
Reaching the question of the civil
+ service. GOV. Roosevelt said of the ex-
listing state law on the subject that if
works badly from every standpoint
and the hallmark given upon the so
called fitness test represents not com
pet1tive examination at all but the in
| dividual preference of the outsider who
mas requested the appointment 1T
would be much better to have it stated
| outright that this was the case and
that the examination was merely
/ pass or competitive examina ton
! instead of going through the farce of
nominally competitive examination.
which is not such in reality
| After mention of subjects that are-ex-
/ clusively of state interest, Gov. Roose-
| welt says:
I'm New York city even more than
in the state there is need of cutting
down the salaries of certain officials of
! forcing others to do more work and
altogether getting rid of yet others
1.-The evils of the police system in
New York have become very serious;
| [ may find it necessary to communi-
! cate with you again on this natter
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