The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1902-12-18
Seven Million boxes sold in past IL NOR

lzation or the militia system ana FOR Sc
curing the highest efficiency in the nation
al guard, which has already passed tt"
aod ectin IL of Prpp, w.
the relation OF the national guard to this
States should be defined and that in place
Of our present obsolete laws Il practical
and efficient system should be adopted.
Provision should be made to enable the
secretary Of war to keep cavalry and ar
tillery horses worn out in long perform
tre When Sold and FATHER than turn
them out to the misery awaiting them
when thus disposed of it would be better
to employ them at light work around the
posts and when necessary to put them
painlessly to death.
For the first time in history naval
maneuvers on large scale are being held
, under the immediate command of the ad-
miral of the navy. Constantly iic-G;tsing
attention is being. paid to the gunnery or
the navy, but it is yet far FROM what ii
should be- | earnestly urge that the in
crease asked for by the secretary OF the
navy in the appropriation for Improving
the craftsmanship be granted. IL battle
the only shots that count are tie shots
that hit. 1t is necessary to provi,,e ample
funds for practice with the great suns in
time OF peace. These funds must provide
not only for the purchase of rrcjectiles,
but for allowances for prizes to trcour-
age the gun crews, and especially the gun
pointers and for perfecting an intelligent
system under which alone it 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 If terri
tory and great in population. country,
moreover, which has an army Gi-,inutive
indeed when compared with t:,2t Of any
other first class power. We 1--we daiiber-
ately made our own certain foreign poll
cies which demand the possession CT a
first class navy. The isthmi.n canal will
greatly increase the efficiency Of our navy
if the ia Of sufficient size !n:f
have an inadequate navy then tie build
ing of the canal would be IT. :~;Trs a
hostage to any power of sup":- =: strength
The Monroe doctrine should '.x4 ;:y::' ed as
the cardinal feature of American! reign
policy, but it would be worse ti:%n idle
to assert it unless we intended to baciz it
up and 1t can be backed up only ~ a
thoroughly good navy. good navy is
not provocative Of war. Il is the s-rest
Each individual unit Of cur navy should
be the most efficient of its kind IS regards
found in the world call your SPECIAL
attention to the need of providing for tie
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 Tech; nics.
The veteran Seamen of our W3rSHtD3 are
of as high a type Is can be found in any
navy which rides the waters of the world.
luton. in readiness. in thorough knowl-
| edge of their profession. They deserve cv-
cry consideration that can be shown them.
| But there are not enough Of them. 1t is
| no more possible to improvise crew than
| it is possible to improvise warship. To
build the finest ship. with the de2dliest
crew. no matter how brave they were in
| dividually, would be to insure disaster If a
foe of average capacity We're 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 whore
| we need them, should facilitate the re-
| tirement 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 lamentable scarcity of officers and
the large number Of recruits and Of IN
| skilled men necessarily put aboard the
| new vessels as they have been commits
| stoned has thrown upon our officers. and
especially on the lteutenantS and junior
| grades unusual labor and fatigue and has
| gravely strained their powers Of endur-
some time longer until more officers are
graduated from ANNAPOLIS and until the
recruits become trained and ski!iiul in
| their duties. In these difficulties incident
upon the development of our war fleet the
conduct OF all our officers has been cred
liable to the service ard the lieutenants
| and junior grades in particular have dis
played an ability and a steadfast cheer
| iulneSS WLCh entltle theEl 10 the CDCTUUElng
| thanks Of all who realize the disheartenin- trial;
| and fatigues to which they OF necessity sub
| jected
There is not a 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 provide for a
thoroughly efficient navy. The refusal ma
tain such a navy would invite trouble. and il
| trouble would insure disaster. Eatuous self
| complacency vanity shortsighted1ess in re
! fusing to prepare for danger is bota foolish and
I wicked IN such nation as ours. AMI pat xperi
! ence has shown that such faulty III :Ist1g Il
recognize or prepare for any crisis IN a1,4ace is
| usually succeeded by mad panic 0; hys;erical
fear once the crisis has actually arrived.
| The striking increase the revenues Of the
postoffce department shows clearly the prosperity
| Of our people and the increasing activity OF the
| business of the country.
| The receipts OF the postofice department 70,
/ the fiscal year ending June 80 last amounted &c
sl2l, s4s o.7 26. an increase Of s0,2I6.s5
the preceding year. the largest increase Known in
sthe history Of the postal service The magnitude
/ OF TINS increase Will best appear from the fact
that the entire postal receipts for the year I.G,
amounted to but S, Sis, OF.
Rural free delivery service IS longer in the
! experimental stage. 1t has become fixed policy
TIE results following its introduction have fully
justified the congress in the large appropriation.
made tor its establishment and extension. The
average yearly increase in postcfdce receipts in
the rural districts of the country Is about ? Pc,
, cent We now able by actual results, tc
show that where rural free delivery service ha.
been established to such an extent as TO enable
Us to make comparisons the yearly increase ma:
= been upward OF 10 per
/ On Nov l, 1907, 1850 rural free delivery
routes had been established and were in operation
covering about one-third Of the territory Of tht
United States available for rural free delivery
service There are now awaiting the action o
the department petitions and applications for the
establishment Of l0.74S additional routes Thi.
shows conclusiyely the want which the establish
ment OF the service has met and the need Of fur
ther extending 1t as rapidly possible. 1T i:
justified both by the financial resuIks and by the
PFacuca! -oenehts to our rural population. j