The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1901-12-06

the Republic as the veterans, the sur
vivors Of those who saved the Union. They
did the one deed which, If left undone,
would have meant that all else In our
history went for nothing. But for their
steadfast prowess in the greatest crisis or
our history. all our annals would be mean
ingless. and our great experiment in pop
ular freedom and self-government q
gloomy failure.
Civil Service.
l recommend the passage OF a law
which will extend the classified service
to the District of Columbia, or will at
least enable the President thus to extend
1t. In my judgment all laws providing for
the temporary employment OF clerks
should hereafter contain provision that
they be selected under the civil service
law.
1t is important to have this system
obtain at home, but II is even more inn
portant to have 1t applied rigidly in our
insular possessions. Not an Office should
be filled in the Philippines or Porto Rico
4 with any regard to the mans partisan
affiliations or services, with any regard to
the political. social or personal influence
which he may have at his command; in
short, heed should be paid to absolutely
nothing save the mans own character
and capacity and the needs Of the serv-
| ice.
The merit system is simply one method
| OF securing honest and efficient admins
long run the sole justification of any type
| of government lies in it's proving itself
both honest and efficient
Consular Service.
The consular service Is now organized
under the provisions Of a law passed in
1856, which is entirely inadequate to ex-
listing conditions The interest shown by
so many commercial bodies throughout
the country in the reorganization of the
service is heartily commended to your at
| tention. Several bills providing for new
consular service have in recent years
been submitted to Congress, They are
based upon the just principle that ap-
pointments to the service should be made
only after a practical test of the appli-
cants fitness that promotions should be
| governed by trustworthvness, adaptable
ity and zeal In the performance of duty,
and that the tenure of Office should be
unaffected by partisan considerations.
Treatment of Indians.
In my Judgment the time has arrived
when we should definitely make up our
minds to recognize the Indian as an indi-
vidual and not as a member of a tribe
| The general allotment act is mighty
pulveriZing engine to break up the tribal
mass. 1t acts directly upon the family
and the individual. Under its provisions
some 10000 Indians have already become
citizens of the United States. We should
now break up the tribal funds, doing for
them what allotment does for the tribal
lands-that is, they should be divided into
individual holdings. There will be a tran
sition period during which the funds will
| in many cases have to be held in trust
| This is the case, also, with the lands. A
! stop should be put upon the indiscrim-
mate permission of Indians to lease their
allotments. The effort should be stead
| lily to make the Indian work like any 9TH
er man on his own ground. The mar
riage laws of the Indians should be made
| the same as those of the whites
st. Louis Exposition.
bespeak the most cordial sup
port from the Congress and the
people for the st. Louis EXPOSE
tion to commemorate the Tooth an
| niversary of the Louisiana Purchase.
The people of Charleston, with great
energy and civic spirit, are carrying ON
an exposition which will continue
| throughout the most of the present ses-
sion of Congress. l heartily commend
this exposition to the goodwill of the
people.
Library of Congress,
Perhaps the most characteristic educa-
| tional movement of the past so years Ia
that which has created the modern pub
| lie library and developed II into broad and
active service There are now over 5000
public libraries in the United States, the
| product Of this period. In addition to ac-
| cumulating material, they are also striv-
ing by organization. by improvement in
method, and by cooperation, to give
| greater efficiency to the material they
| hold, to make II more widely useful, and
/ by avoidance Of unnecessary duplication
| in process to reduce the cost of Its ad-
minlstration.
In these efforts they naturally look for
| assistance to the Federal library, which,
though still the Library of Congress, and
so entitled, is the one National library of
the United States.
Permanent Census Bureau.
| For the sake of good administration,
sound economy and the advancement of
science, the Census Office, as now consti-
tuted. should be made a permanent Gov
ernment bureau This would insure bet
| ter cheaper and more satisfactory work,
| in the interest not only of our business,
but of statistic, economic and social SCI
ence.
The Postal Service.
The remarkable growth OF the postal
service is shown in the fact that its reve-
nues have doubled and its expenditures
1
progressive development compels con-
stantly increasing outlay, but in this Pc
riod of business energy and prosperity its
receipts grow so much faster than its ex-
penses that the annual deficit has been
steadily reduced from 81. Al, 779 In 1897 to
| So. .923, III In 1901. Among recent postal ad-
vances the success of rural free delivery
wherever established has been so marked,
and actual experience has made its bene-
| df N1atu hat he e..
| tension is general and urgent
1t is just that the great agricultural
population should share In the improve
ment of the service The number Of rural
routes now in operation Is COOS, practically
all established within three years, and
there are 6000 applications awaiting action.
1t is expected that the number in opera
ton at the close of the current fiscal year
will reach 5000 The mail will then be
daily carried to the doors of 500 coo OF our
people who have heretofore been depend
ent upon distant offices. and one-third OF
all that portion OF the country which Is
adapted to 1t will be covered by this kind
of service.
Chinese Situation.
| Owing to the rapid growth Of our power
and our interests on the Pacific. whatever
| happens in China must be OF the keenest
| National concern to us.
The general terms Of the settlement OF
the questions growing out OF the anti
foreign uprisings In China Of 1900. having
been formulated in a Joint note addressed
| to China by the representatives OF the
injured powers in December last, were
promptly accepted by the Chinese Gov
ernment After protracted conferences
the plenipotentiaries Of the several powers
were able to sign a final protocol with
the Chinese plenipotentiaries on the 7th
OF last September, setting forth the meas
ures taken by China in compliance with
the demands Of the joint note. and ex-
pressing their satisfaction Herewith II
will be laid before the Congress, with a
report Of the plenipOtentiary on behalf OF
the United States. Mr.. William Woodville
Rockhill. 10 whom high praise Is due for
the tact, good Judgment and energy he
has displayed in performing an exception
ally difficult and delicate task.
The agreement reached dlsposes In q
manner satisfactory to the powers Of the
various grounds Of complaint and will
contribute materially to better future re-