The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1903-12-10

normal growth was largely occasioned BY
the extension Of classification to the rural
last year OF over 5000 rural carriers A
revision OF the civil service rules took eff
feet on April 10 last, which has greatly
u IMP their operation. The compile
recognized by good citizens everywhere
as matter of the highest public impor-
lance, and the success of the merit sys-
tenn largely depends upon the effective
ness Of the rules and the machinery pro-
vided for their enforcement
The effect of the laws providing a
general aft for the army and for the
more effective use OF the national guard
has been excellent" says the president
Great Improvement has been made in
the efficiency of our army In recent years.
Such schools as those erected AT Fort
Leavenworth and Fort Riley and me In
/ sutution OF fall maneuver work accom-
plish ga satisfactory results, The good ef-
feet of these maneuvers upon the national
guard is, marked. and ample approf}fia-
ton should be made to enable the guards
men Of the several states to share in the
benefit. The government should as soon
as possible secure permanent camp sites
for military maneuvers in 1.-THE various
sections sections OF the country. The service
army. but to the national guard Of the
several states, will be so great as to
repay many times over the. relatively
small expense. We should not rest satisi
fed with what has been done, however.
The only people who are contented with
system of promotion by mere seniority
are those who are .contented with the.
triumph of mediocrity over excellence.
On the other hand a system which en-
Outraged the exercise of social or po-
even worse. But II would surely be easy
to devise a method Of promotion from
grade to grade in which the opinion OF
the higher officers of the service upon the
candidates should be decisive upon the
promotion and standing of the latter"
The president congra tulates congress
upon the steady progress in building up
the American navS He says: I'VE can
not afford a let-up In this great work.
To stand still means to go back There
should be no cessation in adding to the
effective units of the fighting strength of
the fleet. Meanwhile The navy DEPART
ment and the officers of the navy are do
ing well their part by providing constant
service at sea under conditions akin to
those OF actual warfare. The establish
ment or naval base in the Philippines
ought not to be longer postponed. Such
= !, base is desirabl In time Of peace IN
time or war Ii would be Indispensable.
and its lack would be ruinous. 1t is
eminently desirable. however, that there
should be provided a naval general stan
on lines similar to those of the general
staff created for the army. We need the
establishment by law of body Of trained
officers, who shall exercise a systematic
navy, and be authorized advisers Of the
secretary concerning it."
The president goes into the tsthmian
CdHdl question AT great tcn&Ln III OptH-
ing he says by the act OF June %,
1902, the congress authorized the presi-
dent to enter into treaty with COLOMBIA
for the building of the canal scross:the
that in the event Of failure to secure
such treaty after the lapse OF reason
able time, recourse should be had to
building a canal through Nicaragua.
II has not been necessary to consider this
alternative, as / am ena bled to lay before
the senate treaty providing for the
building OF the canal across the lsthmus
of Panama. This was the route which
commended Itself to the deliberate judg-
ment or the congr ess, and We can now
acquire, by, treaty the right to construct
the canal over this route. The question
now. therefore. is not by which route the
isthmian canal shall be built. for that
question has been definitely and ir-
revocably. decided. The question is
simply whether or not"we shall have an
isthmian canal. r ..
When the congress directed that we
treaty with Colombia. the essence OF the
condition, OF course. referred not to the
government which controlled that route,
but to the route itself to the territory
across which the route lay. not to the
name which for the moment the territory
bore on the map. The purpose OF the law
was to authorize the president TO make
treaty with the power In actual control
of the isthmus of Panama. This purpose
has been fulfilled
I'm the year 1916 this government en-
ttIcu lllO IL lEcdly with view tTdHdud,
the predecessor upon the isthmus Of the
Republic of Colombia and of the present
Republic OF Panama. by which treaty II
was provided that the government and
citizens of the United States should al
ways have free and open right of way or
transit across the lsthmus OF Panama by
any modes OF communication that nigh.
be constructed, while in return our gov
eminent guaranteed the perfect neutral
ity IL the above mentioned isthmus with
the view that the free transit from the
nV,A 70 nth ,tsrl.t - H. t.
terrupted or embarrassed The treaty
vested In the United States a substantial
property right carved out Of the rights
of sovereignty and property which New
Granada then had and possessed over
the said territory. The name of New
Granada has passed away and lis terri
tory has been diyided. Its successor. the
own any property in the isthmus A new
republic. that of Panama. which was at
one. time a sovereign state. and at an
cessiye considerations known as New
Granada and Colombia. has now suc-
ceeded to the rights which first one and
then the other formerly exercised over
the isthmus. But as long as the isthmus
endures, the mere geographical fact of its
existence, and the peculiar interest there
perpetuate. the solemn contract which
binds the holders of the territory to re-
spect our right to freedom OF transit
across II, and binds us in return to safe
D
exercise OF that inestimatable privilege
The true Interpretation of the obligation
upon which the United States entered In
this treaty OF 1916 has been given re-
peatedly in the utterances of presidents
and secretaries of state.
For four hundred years. ever since
shortly after the discovery OF this hemi-
sphere, the canal across the isthmus has
been planned. For two score years IL has
been worked at When made II Is to
last for the ages II Is TO alter the
gpOUrannV Of continent nd ba Ia
routes of the world. We have shown
by every treaty we have negotiated or at
tempted to negotiate with the peoples In
control of the ithmus. and with foreign
nations in reference thereto our con-
sistent good faith in observing our obliga-
tons; on the one hand to the peoples OF
the isthmus, and on the other hand to
the civilized world whose commercial
rights we are safeguarding and guar
anteeing by our action. We have done
our duty to others in letter and in spirit
ana we have SHOWN the utmost forbear-
ance in exacting our own rights
Last spring, under the act above re-
ferred to, treaty concluded between the
representatives of the Republic of Co.
lombia and of our government was rati-
fled by the senate. This treaty was en-
tered into at the urgent solicitation of the
people Of Colombian and after a body of
experts appointed by our government es-
pecta.y 10 go into the matter of the
routes across the isthmus had pro-
nounced unanimously In favor of the Pam
ANA route. In drawing up this treaty
every concession was made to the people
and to the government of Colombia. We
were more than Just in dealing with
them, Our generOsity was such az tn