Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1901-12-05
NO. 27.

The merit system of making appointments
| Is In its essence as democratic and American
as the common schools system itself It sim
| ply means that in clerical and other positions
where the duties entirely non-political.
all applicants should have a fair field and
no favor each standing his merits 81 he
| is able to show them by practical test. Writ
| ten competitive examinations offer the only
available means in many for applying
| this system. In other cases, as where la
borers are employed. e system OF registra-
ton undoubtedly can be widely extended.
| There are, of course, places where the writ
| ten competitive examination cannot be ap-
| piled. and others where II offers by no means
| an IDEAL solution. but where under existing
| political conditions II is, though an imperfect
| means, yet the best present means of get
ting satisfactory results.
1T is important to have this system OBJ
tain at home but II Is even more important
| to have II applied rigidly in our insular pos
| sessions. The administration OF these islands
| should be as wholly free from the suspicion
| of partisan politics as the administration Of
| the army and navy. All that we ask from
the public servant in the Philippines Porto
| Pico is that he reflect honor his country
1 hy the way in which he makes that coun-
| try's rule benefit to the peoples who have
| come under 1t. This is all that we should
ask, and we cannot AFFORD to be content with
| less"
| Treatment of Indians.
The message points out the defects in our
present consular service, and recommends the
passage OF bills now before Congress that
will increase its efficiency. OF the Indian
| problem II says
I'm my Judgment the time has arrived
| when we should definitely make up our minds
to recognize the Indian as an individual and
| not as a member of tribe. The General
| Allotment Act is mighty pulverizng engine
| to break up the tribal mass 1t acts direct
ly upon the family of the individual. Under
its provisions some sixty thousand Indians
| have already become citizens of the United
States. We should break UP the tribal
| funds, doing for them what allotment does
for the tribal lands; that is, they should be
divided into individual holdings. stop
should be put upon the indscriminate per-
mission to Indians to lease their allotments.
| The effort should be steadily to make the
| Indian wo.k 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 dealing with the aboriginal races few
| things are more important than to preserve
them from the terrible physical and moral
| degradation resulting from the liquor trA-
fc. We doing all we can to save our own
| Indian tribes from this evil Wherever by
| international agreement this same end can be
attained as regards races where we do not
| possess exclusive control, every enort shouid
II bespeak the most cordial support from
the Congress and the people for the st. Louis
Exposition to Commemorate the One hun
dredth Anniversary Of the Louisiana Fur
| chase. This purchase was the greatest IN
stance OF expansion in our history. 1t def
| initely decided that we were to become q
great continental republic, by far the fore
most power in the Western Hemisphere. The
national government should be represented
| a
.'The people of Charleston. with great en-
ergy and civic spirit, are carrying on an ex.
position which will continue throughout most
of the present session of the Congress-.
heartily commend this exposition TO the good
will of the people. 1t deserves all the en-
eouragement that can be given II.
For the sake of good administration, SOUND
economy. and the advancement OF science, the
Census Office as now constituted should DO
made a permanent government bureau. This
would insure better, cheaper ana more sat-
isfactory work. In the interest not oniy OF
our business but of statistic, economic ana
social science.
Growth of Postal Service.
.'The remarkable growth of the postal SER
vice Is shown In the fact that its revenues
have doubled and its expenditures nave near
ly doubled within twelve years. Its progress
sive development compels constantly increas-
ing outlay but In this period of business en-
ergy and prosperity its receipts grow so much
faster than its expenses TINT the annual de-
felt has been steadily reduced from I'll, ,Al.-
f79 in 1897 to 81, ,g28 727 Ia 1901. Among recent
postal advances the success Of rural free
delivery wherever established has been SO SO
marked, and actual experience has made its
benefits so plain, that the demand for its ex-
tension is general and urgent
s'It Is lust that the great agricultural popu-
lation should share in the Improvement OF the
service. The number of rural routes now in
operation is 6.o09 practically all established
within three years, and there are 5000 appli-
cations awaiting action. 1t is expected that
the number in operation at the close OF the
current fiscal year will reach $500. The mai
, will then be daily carried to the doors oi
: 800. 900 OF our people who have heretofors
been dependent upon distant ofhees, ana one
third of all that portion of the country whict
, Is adapted to IL will be covered by this kind
I | of service.
second-C Class Mall Matter
1.-THE full measure of postal progress which
! | might be realized has long been hampere'
! ! and obstructed by the heavy burden imposed
! on the government through the intrenche'
{ and wel-understood abuses which hav
!, | grown up in connection with second clas
a mail matter The extent Of this burden ap
: | pears when 1t is stated that while the see
ond class matter makes nearly three-hfths o
the weight of all the mail, 1t paid for tn
last fiscal year only 81, ,294, ,445 of the aggre
: gate postal revenue of $li1,e31 1873. II tn
. pound rate Of postage, which produces IN
I large loss thus entailed, and which was hxe
by the Congress with the purpose OF encour
aging the dissemination OF public informa
! I tion, were limited to the legitimate news
Il papers and periodicals actually contemplate
y by the law, no just exception could be taker
= That expense would be the recognized an
4 accepted cost OF a liberal public policy de
a liberately adopted for justihabie end By
u much of the matter which enjoys the priv
e legged rate Is wholly outside OF the intent {
= the law, and has secured admission oni
- through an evasion of its requirements G
u through lax construction. The proportion
le such wrongly included matter Is estimate
:, by postal experts to be one-haf OF the wnol
= volume OF seeond-class mail IL II De oni
y one-third or one-quarter. the magnitude
a. the burden is apparent. The Postohlce W
q partment has now undertaken TO remove IN
ls abuses so far is possible by stricter az
- - plication of the law; and II snouid De su'
~ ~ | tanned in its effort.
Id 1--WE view with lively interest and kee
n hopes Of beneficial results the proceedings I
the Pan-American Congress, convoked al tt
invitation OF Mexico, and now sitting at u
Mexican capital. The delegates OF the units
he States are under the most liberal instruction
ss | n CO. -operate with their colleagues In a
ss matters promising advantage to the gre
a family of American commonwealths, as we
re in their relations among themselves as
by their domestic advancement and In the
tn intercourse with the world at large
he The occurrences arising from the Boxer
ne outbreak in China reviewed In detail, al
a the steps taken to secure to the United Stat
he its share of the trade OF the Orient are e.
,er planned The message eoncludes
II "The death of Queen Victoria caused q
nd people of the United States deep and hear
c- felt sorrow, to which the government ga
en- full expression. When President Mcktnl
be died, nation In turn received from eve
,r- quarter Of the British empire expressions
Use grief and sympathy less sincere. II
m death OF the Empress Dowager FREDERICK
in Germany also aroused the genuine sympatt
ch Of the American people; ana THIS sfmpatl
he was cordially recprocated by Germany wns
1T the President was assasstnated. inaesu, ITO
every quarter Oh the civilized werla We 9
IN eeived All the time of the Presidents deat
ar | assurances of such grief and regard -
es. touch the hearts OF our people. IN tne mie
a | of our afflietion we reyerentiy thank the a
M mighty that we are at peace with the natiol
w. | ~ mankind. and we firmly irtend tnht o'
nolicy shall be such as to continue unbroks
these international relations OF mutnAt y
the spec' anu sVe THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
of white House, December j. 1svl