Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-02

moreover, which has an army diminutive
indeed when compared with that of any
other first class power. We have dellbef-
eies wh ,a demand uw the ' possession Of
| first class navy. The isthmian canaa Will
| greatly increase the efficiency Of our navy
/ If the navy is of sufficient size. but X 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 it would be worse than idle
! to assert it unless we intended to back IL
up, and it can be backed up only by a
| thoroughly good navy A 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 its kind as regards
| both material and personnel that is to be
| found in the world. l 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 sailormen, OF sea mechanics.
| The veteran seamen Of our warshipS are
| of as high type as can be found in a'y
| 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 consideration that can be shown them.
! no more possible to irnprovise crew than
| it is possible to improvise warship. To
| build the finest ship. with the deadliest
| battery. and to send 1t afioat with raw
crew. no matter how brave they were In
| dividually. would be to insure disaster if q
| foe OF average capacity were encountered
| Neither ships nor men can be improviSed
| 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
| tirement of those at the head of the list
\ whose usefulness has become impaired.
| Promotion Hiust be fostered IL the service
! is to be kept efficient.
The lamentabIe scarcity OF officers and
| the large number of recruits and of III
| 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
| gravely strained their powers of endur-
| ance. Nor is there sign of any immediate
| letup In this strain.i 1t must continue for
some time longer until more officers are
graduated from Annapolis and 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 lieutenants
! and Junior grades in particular nave dis
| played an ability and steadfast cheer
| fulness which cntitle them to the ungrudging
thanks Of all who realize the disheartening trials
and fatigues to which they are OF necessity sub
| jected.
There is not cloud on the horizon at present
There seems not the slightest chance OF trouble
| with foreign power. We most earnestly hope
| that this state OF things may continue, and the
way to insure its continuance is to provide for
| thoroughly efficient navy. The refusal to main
| tain such a navy would invite trouble. and il
| trouble came would insure disaster. Fatuois self
complacency or vanity or shortsIghtedness IN re.
fusing to prepare for danger is both foolish and
wicked In such nation ours, and past expert
ence has shown that such faulty 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 revenues OF the
postoiice department shows clearly the prosperity
OF people and the increasing activity OF the
business of the country
The receipts of the postofRce department for
the fiscal year ending June 80 last amounted TO
Sl2I sis o47 49, an increase of sl0,216, s5S.s7
the preceding year, the largest increase known IN
the history OF the postal service. The magnitude
Of this increase win best appear from the fact
that the entire postal receipts for the year 1860
amounted to h. ,5ls.o9t.
Rural Delivery Fixture.
Rural free delivery service is no longer in the
experimental stage. 1t has become fixed policy.
The results following its introduction have fully
justified the congress in the large appropriations
made for its establishment and extension. The
average yearly increase in postofice receipts in
the rural districts of the country is about per
cent. We are able, by actual results, to
show that where rural free delivery service has
been established to such an extent as to enable
us to make comparisons the yearly increase has
been upward OF 10 per cent.
On New l, 1902, II, ESQ rural free delivery
routes had been established and were in operation,
covering about one-third OF the territory OF the
United States available for rural free delivery
service. There are now awaiting the action OF
the department petitions and applications for the
establishment of 10,74S additional routes. This
shows conclusively the want which the establish
ment OF the service has met and the need OF fur
ther extending it as rapidly as possible. 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; it keeps
the farmer in daily touch with the markets; it is
a potential educational force; 1t enhances the
value OF farm property, makes farm life far
pleasanter and less isolated, and will do much to
check the undesirable current from country to
city.
liberal appropriations for the continuance OF the
service already established and for its further ex-
tension.
Few subjects OF more Importance have been
taken up by the congress in recent years than
the Inauguration OF the system OF nationally aided
irrigation for the arid regions of the far west.
good beginning therein has been made Now
that this policy Of national irrigation has been
adopted the need OF thorough and scientific forest
protection will grow more rapidly than ever
LEGISLATION should be provided for the protec-
ton of the game and the wild creatures gener-
ally on the forest reserves The senseless aaugh-
ter Of game. which can by 5udicious protection be
for the people as a whole, should be stopped at
once. It is for instance, serious count against
our national good to permit the present
practice of butchering OF such q stately and
beautiful creature as the elk for its antlers or
tusks
Public Lands for HomebuiIders.
So far as they are available for agriculture and
to whatever extent they may be reclaimed under
the national irrigation law, the remaining public
lands should be held ngidly for the homebuilder,
the settler who lives on his land, and for 10 one
else. In their actual use the desert land law,
the timber and stone law and the communication
clause OF the homestead law have been SO per-
verified from the intention with which they were
enacted as to permit the acquisition OF large
areas of the public domain for other than actual
settlers and the consequent prevention OF settle.
ment. Moreover, the approaching exhaustion OF
the public ranges has OF late led to much dis
cussion as to the best manner OF using these pub
lie lands in the west which are suitable chiefly or
only for grazing The sound and steady develop
ment OF the west depends upon the building up
OF homes therein. Much OF our prosperity as
nation has been due to the operation OF the home
stead law. On the other hand, we should recog
nize the fact that in the grazing region the man
able to settle permanently II only allowed to uss
the same amount Of pasture land that his brother.
the homesteader is allowed to use OF arabic land.
One hundred and sixty acres OF fairly rich and
we'll watered soil or q much smaller amount OF
irrigated land may keep family in plenty, where
as no one could get living from l6o acres OF
dry pasture land capable OF supporting at the
outside only one head OF cattle to every ten acres
In the mast great tracts OF the public domain