The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-12-03
PRESIDENT ROOSEvELTS
MESSAGE TO CONGRESS.


navy-yards and postal service illustrate
| probably better than any other branches
OF the government, the great gain In eccv-
omy. efficiency. and honesty due 90 The
| enforcement OF this principle.
| ! recommend the passage OF a. law
which will extend the classified service
10 the District OF Columbia. or will al
least enable the President thus 10 eN-
tend g. I'm my Judgment all laws pro-
Viding for the temporary employment OF
clerks should hereafter contain "A pro-
vision that they be selected under the
civil service law.
| it is important 10 have this system ob-
| tain at home. bat IL is even more import
ant 10 have IL applied rigidly in our in
! sular possessions, Not an office should
| be filled in the Philippines or Porto Rico
! with any regard 10 the mans partisan
| affiliations or services, with any regard TO
| the political, social or personal influence
| which he may have al his command; in
| short. heed should be paid TO absolutely
nothing save the mans own character
| and capacity and needs OF the service.
| The administration OF these islands
! should be AZ wholly free from the sus-
! picion OF partisan politics as the admin-
| i3tration OF the army and navy. All that
I we ask from the public servant in the
! Philippines or Porto Rico is that he re-
I fleet honor on his country by the way in
| which he makes that country's rule a
| benefit 70 the peoples who have come
| under Il. This Is all that we should ask
\ and We cannot afford TO be content with
l less
| The merit system is simply one method
| or securing honest and efficient admins
| tration of the government;and IN tho long
run the sole justification OF any type OF
| government lice in its proving itself both
| honest and efficient.
THE CONSULAR SERVICE.
/ The consular service Is now organized
under the provisions of law passed in
| iSj6 which is entirely inadequate 10 cN-
! isting conditions. The interest shown ny
so many commercial bodies throughout
| the country i'm the reorganization of the
service is heartily commended 20 your at
tention. Several bills providing for new
consular service have I'm recent years
| been submitted TO the congress. They are
based upon the just principle that APP
pointments TO the service should be made
only q after practical test of the applicants
fitness, that promotions should be govern
ed by trustworthIness, adaptability. and
zeal in the performance of duty. and that
the tenure OF office should be unaffected
by partson considerations.
The guardianship and fostering OF our
rapidly expanding foreign commerce. the
protection OF American citizens resorting
20 foreign countries in lawful pursuit of
their affairs and the maintenance of the
make it essential that our consuls should
be mon OF character, knowledge, and en-
terprise. II is true that the service is
now i'm the main, efficient, but a stand
ard OF excellence cannot be permanently
maintained until the principles set forth
I'm the bills heretofore submitted 20 the
congress on this subject are enacted into
law.
- ,rFe + AFA4EAT- OF INDIANS.
In my judgment the time has arrived
when we should definitely make up our
minds to recognize the Indian as an in
dividual and not as n member of a tribe
The General Allotment act is a mighty
pulverizing engine to break up the tribal,
mass II acts directly upon the family
| and the individual Under its provisions
some $4,000 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 transition period during
which the funds Will in many cases have
to be held IN trust This Is the case also
with the lands. n stop should be put
upon the indiscriminate permission to In
dians 60 lease their allotments. The ef-
fort should be steadily 10 make the In
! dian work like any other man on his
own ground The marriage laws of the
Indians should be made the same as those
OF the whites.
In the schools the education should be
elementary and largely Industrial. The
need OF higher education among the In
| dians is very, very limited. On the reser-
| Vations care should be taken 10 try 90
| suit the teaching 80 the needs of the par
| ticuar Indian. There Is no use in at
! tempting TO induce agriculture ina a coun-
| try suited only for cattle raising. where
I,s.lf l.r 10 ct
| er. The ration system. which is merely
| the corral and the reservation system. is
| highly detrimental 20 the Indians. 1t pro-
NOTES beggary. perpetuates pauperism,
! and stifes industry. II Is an effectual
barrier To progress.
II must continue 90 a greater or less
| degree AZ long as tribes are herded on
| reservations and have everything in COM
| mon. The Indian should bc treated as
an individual-like the white man. Dur
ing the change Of treatment inevitable
hardships will occur. every effort should
| be made 10 minimize these hardships; but
| we should not because OF them hesitate
10 make the change. There should be a
| continuous reduction in the number OF
In dealing with the aboriginal races few
| things are more important than TO pre-
SarvC tt1FrT from tfr--t--rttbie ftifyet-+ Ial
| moral degradation resulting from the IL
! quor traffic. We are doing all we can
| 10 save our own Indian tribes from this
| evil Wherever by international agree
I fnFnt thlS same emo can nc blthllltu az
| regards races where we do not possess
1 exclusive control. every effort should be
! made to bring il about.
! ST. LOUIS EXPOSITION.
| bespeak the most cordial support from
| the congress ana the people for the ST.
! Louis exposition 60 commemorate the
| Tooth anniversary of the Louisiana pur-
! chase. This purchase was the greatest
| instance OF expansion IN our history. It
| definitely decided that we were 10 become
! a. great continental republic. 10y far the
! foremost power In the Western hemi-
| sphere. IA is one Of three or four great
| landmarks ia our hlstory--the great turn
irx points in our development. II is emf
! nOntlN fitting that all our people should
| Join with heartiest good will in cdmincm-
| Grating g. and the citizens Of st. Louis.
| Of Missouri. Of all the adjacent region,
| are entitled 70 every aid In making the
| celebration noteworthy event ia our
| annals We earnestly hope that foreign
| nations will appreciate the deep interest
| our country takes in this exposition. and
| our view OF It's importance from every
! standpoint aud that they Will participate
| On securing it, success. The national
| government should be represented by a
\ fan aud complete set Of exhibits.
I The people of Charleston. with great
| -