The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1902-12-03

Provision should be made TO enable the
secretary II war to Keep cavalry and ar
| ul!cry horses worn out in long perform
anCe Of duty. Such horses fetch but "a
trihe when sold. and rather than turn
them out to the misery awaiting them
when thus disposed Of ii would be better
to employ them at light work around the
| posts and when necessary to put them
/ painlCssiy to death.
For the drst time in our history naval
maneuvcrs on large scale are being helu
under the immediate command OF the ad-
miral Of the navy. Constantly increasing
attention is being paid to the gunncry OF
the navy, but 1t is yet far from what il
should be. | earnestly urge that the in
| crease asked for by the secretary Of the
navy In the appropriation for improving
| the marksmanslip bc granted. In battle
| the only shots that count are the shots
| that hit II is necessary TO provide ample
| funds for practice with the great guns in
| time Of peace. These funds must provide
| not only for the purchase Of projeCtiles.
| but for allowances for prizes TO cnCouI-
| age the gun crews, and especially the gun
! pointers, and for perfeCtIng an intelligent
! system under which alone 1t is possible to
| get good practice.
There should be no halt in the work of
building up the navy providing every
year additional fighting craft. We are
very rich country, vast in extent of terri
| tory and great in population, country,
| moreover, which has an army dimiuGUye
| indeed when compared with that Cf any
| other first class power. We have deliber-
ately made our own certain foreign poll
Cies which demand the possession Of "A
first class navy. The sthman canal will
| greatly increase the efficiency of our navy
| If the navy is of sufficient size, but If we
| have an inadequate navy then the build
| ing Of the canal would be merely giving
| hostage to any power of superior strength.
| The Monroe doctrine should be treated as
the cardinal feature of American foreign
policy, but II would be verse than illC
| to assert il unless we intended to back il
up. and ii can he backed up only by
| thoroughly good navy. \ good navy is
not provocative Of war 1t is the surest
| guaranty of peace,
Each Individual unit Of our navy should
| be the most efficient of it's kind as regards
| both material and personnel that is to be
| found in the world. ] call your special
| attention to the need Of providing for the
| manning Of the ships. Serious trouble
| threatens us If we cannot do better than
| we are now doing as regards securing the
| services of a sufficient number of the high
est type Of saiOrmen. Of sea mechanics
| The veteran seamcn Of our warships are
| OF as high a type as can be found In any
! navy which rides the waters of the world.
| They are unsurpassed in daring. in resO-
| luton, in readiness. In thorough knOwl-
| edge Of their profession They deserve ev-
| cry confederation that can be shown them.
| But there are not enough Of them. II is
| no more possible to improvise a crew than
| II Is possible to imprOvise a warship To
| build the finest ship, with the deadliest
| battery, and to send II ailoat with n raw
|
| dividually. would Ec to insure disaster If
| foe Of average capacity were encountered.
| Neither ships nor men can be improviscd
| when war has begun.
| We need a thousand additional officers
| in order to properly man the ships now
| provided for and under construction. The
| classes at the naval school AT Annapolis
| should be greatly enlarged At the same
| time that we thus add the officers where
| we need them we should facilitate the re-
| tircment of those at the head Of the list
whose usefulness has become impaired.
| Promotion must be fOstered If the service
| is to be kept efficient
The lamentGble scarcity of officers and
| the large number Of recruits and Of un-
| skilled men necessarily put aboard the
| new vessels as they have been commits
| stoned has thrown upon our officers, and
| especially on the lieutenants and junior
| grades. unusual labor and fatigue and has
| graVey strained their powers Of endur-
| ance Nor is there sign of any Immediate
| letup in this strain. 1t must c fntinue for
some time longer until more Ulcers are
| graduated from Annapolis ana until the
| recruits become trained and skillful in
| their duties. In these difficulties incident
| upon the development Of our war fleet the
| conduct Of all our officers has been cred
| table to the service. and the Neutendnts
| and junior grades in particular have dis
| played an ability ana a steadtast cheer
| iulncss which cntitle them to the ungrudging
| thanks Of all who realize the dishCartcning trials
| and iatgucs TO which they are Of necessity sub
| jrCtod
There is not cloud ON the horizon at present.
| There seems not the slightest chance Of trouble
| with a foreign power. We most earnestly hope
| that this state Of things may continue, and the
| way TO insure its continuance Is 10 provide for
| thoroughly efficient navy The refusal TO main
| tain such a navy would invite trouble, and IL
| trouble came would insure disaster fatuous self
| COmplauenCy or vanity or shurt>ghtcdnCss in re-.
| fusng 10 prepare for danger is both foolish and
wicked in such nation as our, and past expert
| enCe has shown that such tltuity In refusing TO
recognize or prepare for any crisis in advance is
usually succeeded by mad panic Of hysteriCal
! fear once the crisis has actually arrived
| The striking increase IN the rvcuucs Of the
postoiicc department shows clearly the prosperity
| Of our people and the increasing 'tiyity Of the
business Of the country.
The receipts Of the postofRcp department for
| the fiscal year ending June 80 last amounted to
SILL SIS O4G26, an increase Of SlO2lb, ,sj3Si over
| the preceding year, the largest inCrcas1 known in
| the history Of the postal service. The magnitude
| Of this increase will best appear from the fact
that the entire postal receipts for the year 1860
| amounted TO but SSjlS,0b1.
Rural free delivery service is no longer in the
| experimental stage II has become fixed policy.
The results following it, introduction have iuly
| justified the congress IN the large appropriations
made for is establishment and extension. The
average yearly increase in po,toitce receipts in
| the rural districts OF the country is about per
| cent. We are now able by actual results, TO
| show that where rural free delivery service has
been established to such al extent as TO enable
us to make comparisons the yearly increase has
been upward Ot 10 per cent.
On Nov. l. 1902. ll,GjO rural free delivery
routes had been established anl were m operation,
covering about one.third Of the territory ot the
United states available Tor rural free delivery
service. There are now awaiting the action OF
| the department petitions and applications for the
| establishment Of lO,Ho additional routes. This
shows conolusivey the want which the establish
| ment Of the service has met and The need Of iur'
thcr extending 1t as rapidly as possible. II Is
Justified both by the financial results and by the
practical benefits to our rural populations; 1t
brings the men who live on the soil into Close
relations with the active business world; 1t keeps
the farmer In daily touch with the markets; II Is
potential educational forcci 1t enhances the
value Of farm property, makes farm life Tar
peasantcr and less isolated, and will do much TO
check the undesirable current from country to
city.
II j., TO he hoped that the congress will make
liberal appropriations for the coninulnce OF the
service already established and for its further eX.
tension.
Few subjects Of more importance have been