The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1901-12-12

power to these units wheH acting In
combination.
A general staff should be created
Promotions should be made solely |
with regard to the good of the service.
Congress ought to provide, the presi-
dent adds, for field exercises. He con-
tinues:
Action should be taken In reference |
to the militia and to the raising OF vol |
unteer forces. Our militia law Is OBJ |
solete and worthless. The organization |
and armament Of the national guard of |
the several states, which are treated
as militia In the appropriations by the
congress, should be made identical with
those provided for the regular forces.
The obligations and duties of the guard
In time of war should be carefully de-
fined and a system established by law
under which the method Of procedure
of raising volunteer forces should be
prescribed in advance.
The Merit System.
The president indorses the merit sys-
tenn of making appointments and says:
recommend the passage of n law
which will extend the classified serv-
ice to the District Of Columbia or will
at least enable the president thus to ex-
tend 1t. In my judgment all laws pro-
viding for the temporary employment
of clerks should hereafter contain q
provision that they be selected under
the civil service law.
t. tr ;p,pnrfopt 4o boy fbio cvctarn
obtain at home, but 1t is even more inn
portant to have 1t applied rigidly in our
| insular possessions. The Importance
| of improving the consular service by
| the passage of new laws is emphasized.
| The president then turns to the In
dian question. He says:
We should now break up the tribal
funds, doing for them what allot-
ment does for the tribal lands - that
| Is, they should be divided into individ-
ual holdings. There will be n transi-
tion 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
| indscrminate permission to Indians to
lease their allotments. The effort
should be steadily to make the Indian
work like any other man on his own
ground. The marriage laws of the In
dams should be made the same as those
of the whites. In the schools the edu-
cation should be elementary and large
ly Industrial.
| Cordial support from congress and
people is asked for the st. Louis expo
sition. The Charleston exposition Is
commended to the good will of the
people. The work of the Pan-American
exposition Is praised.
1t Is recommended that the census
office as now constituted should be
made permanent government bureau.
The Postal Service.
A tribute is paid to the postal service,
and the extension of free rural delivery
Is commended. The postotlice depart
ment should be sustained, the president
says, in it's efforts to remove the abuses
in connection with second class mail
matter.
Much attention Is paid to the stua-
tlon in China, and the progress toward
the establishment of peace there is re-
| 10 ldll Oh tuc
portance of our continuing to advocate
moderation in the dealings with China.
The president concludes his message as
follows:
The death of Queen Victoria caused
the people of the United States deep
and heartfelt sorrow, TO which the gov
ernment gave full expression. When
President Nc Kinley died, our nation in
turn received from every quarter of the
British empire expressions of grief and
sympathy no less sincere. The death
of the Empress Dowager Frederick of
Germany also aroused the genuine SYM
pathy of the American people, and this
sympathy was cordially reciprocated
by Germany when the president was
assassinated. Indeed, from every quar-
ter Of the civilized world we received
at the time of the presidents death as.
surances Of such grief and regard as to
touch the hearts Of our people. In the
midst of our affliction we reverently
thank the Almighty that we are at
peace with the nations of mankind,
and we firmly intend that our policy
shall be such as to continue unbroken
these international relations of mutual
respect and good will.