The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-12-03

chief. concern is to protect the present
occuna nts of our industrial field against
an influx Of cheap labor.
Nothing could be more unwise than
to disturb the business interests OF the
country by any general tariff change
at this time" In this sententious dec
laration is expressed the gist of the
presidents views upon the tariff. The
general belief that the present protective
+ tariff admirably meets the country's
needs is indorsed and nothing in the
nature OF tariff revision is even limited
at. Reciprocity is mentioned as waltz
able auxiliary to protection, and strong
plea is made for government encourage
ment of the merchant marine.
The timely and judicious action taken
to establish gold as the standard of
money is referred to and the need OF \
better national banking law is pointed
out Reference is made to the need or
a currency which will be sufficiently
elastic to respond to the demands of do
mestc trade. There is plea for econ
omy in the various departments of gov
vernnieilt, and the Interstate commerce
law is given attention to the extent Of
suggesting needed Improvements.
In reviewing the work Of the agricu'-
tural department the president makes
the statement that the forest and water
problems are perhaps the most vital IN
ternal questions before the people OF
the United States. Concerning the
former he urges that game preserves be
esta blished and better protection from
fire assured. and with respect to the
latter the plan of storage reservoirs is
Endorsed. Residents Of the West Will
agree after reading this portion OF the
message that the president has a COM
plete understanding of the needs of the
arid sections, and government irrigation
has in him a staunch supporter. The
presidents recommendations along this
line are in keeping with the views ne
has previously expressed, and no part
of the message is more emphatic than
the portion which points out the need
of government irrigation Of Western
lands and the benefits which will come
from this undertaking.
Interesting reference is made to the
legislatio for our new territories. The
attention of congress is called to the
need Of laws relating to the public lands
Of Porto Rico, and the president urges
that the tariff on imports from Cuba be
reduced. Concerning the Filpinos, the
president recommends that laws he
passed which will open the way for the
development of the islands, and that
measures be taken to fit the people for
industrial pursuits which will enable
them to lay the foundations for self
government. It is urged also that pro-
vision he made for soldiers disabled in
the Philippine campaign.
The crying need for a Pacific cable is
pointed out, and the president asks that
not a days unnecessary delay in begin
ming this work be allowed. The con-
struction Of an isthmian canal is named
among the projects which are of the
utmost importance to the nation, and
congress is congra tulated upon the fact
that the new treaty with England, soon
to be laid before it, provides that
America alone shall do the work Of
building, and regulate the use of the
waterway by other nations. In this por-
ton of the message the condition of
amity between the nations of the earth
is noted and the Monroe doctrine is re-
ferred to as the means by which peace
on the Western Hemisphere is assured.
While reviewing with patriotic pride
the efficiency Of the navy, the president
takes occasion to call attention to the
demand for increased naval force upon
the seas where our commerce floats. He
asks that additional seamen and marines
be provided and that the meaningless
title Of naval cadet" be done away with
and the historic title of ''midshipman"
be restored. Better instruction is asked
for in the naval service, and other minor
changes are urged with such force and
evident understanding as to call to mind
the presidents service as assistant Sec
rotary of the navy.
The section Of the message which
begins with the statement that larger
army is unnecessary will disappolnt
capticus critics who have exploited the
military career of the president with
view to denomnating him a lover of
military show. He discusses the needs
of the army in an entertaining way. and
with characteristic phrase dlsmisses sub
ject after subject with sensible hints re-
garding the improvement Of the service.
Sound civil service ideas bristle