The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-04-08

homes, and may God pardon those who have acted in bad faith"
 Embodied u. s. Policy.
 This message embodied precisely and exactly the avowed policy upon which the I American government has acted in the Philippines. What the patriot Rizal said with such force in speaking of the in- surrection before we came to the islands applies with tenfold greater force to those who foolishly or wlckedy opposed the mild and benefioent government we were insttuting in the islands. The judgment of the martyred public servant, Rizal. whose birthday the Philippine people cele- brate, and whom they worship as their hero and ideal, sets forth the duty of American sovereigntyi duty from which the American people will never finch.
 While we have been doing these great and beneficent works in the islands, we have yet been steadily reducing the cost at which they are done. The last con- gross repealed the law for the war taxes, and the war department has reduced tha army from the maximum number of 100000 allowed under the law to very nearly the minimum of GO,0O0.
 Work of Congress.
 Moreover, the last congress enacted some admirable legislation affecting the army passing first of all the militia bill and then the bill to create q general staff. The militia bill represents the realization of a reform which had been championed ineffectivey by ashington, and had been fruitlessly agitated ever since. At last we have taken from the statute books tho obsolete militia law of the revolutionary days and have provided for efficient aid to the national guard of the states. believe that no other great country has such fine natural material for volunteer soldiers as we have, and it Is the obvious duty of the nation and of the states to make such provision as will enable this volunteer soldiery to be organized with all possible rapidity and efficiency in time of war; and, furthermore, to help In every way the national guard in time of peace. The militia law enacted by the congress marks the first long step ever taken in this direction by the national government. The general staff law Is of immense im- portance and benefit to the regular army. Individually, I would not admit that the American regular either officer or en- listed man, is inferior to any other reg ular soldier in the world. In fact, If 1t were worth while to boast should be tempted to say that he was the best. But there must be proper training, proper organization and administration, In order to get the best service out of even the best troops This is particularly the case with such small army as ours. scat- tered over so vast a country.
 Do Not Need Large Army.
 We do not need large regular army, but we do need to have our small regular army the very best that can possibly be produced. Under the worn-out and in- effective organization which has hitherto existed. a sudden strain is absolutely cer- tain to produce the dislocatlon and con- fusion we saw at the outbreak of the war with Spain; and when such dislocatiou and confusion occurs 1t Is easy and nat. ural, but entirely improper. to blame the men who happen to be in office, instead of the system which Is really responsible Under the law just enacted by congress- this system will be changed immensely for the better, and every patriotic American ought to rejoice; for when we come to the army and the navy We deal with tn, honor and interest of all our people; and when such is the case party lines ar, as nothing, and we all stand shoulder t, shoulder as Americans. moved only bt pride in and love for our common coun try.