Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-06


ceipts is due TO the increased postal facil-
it,es which the rural service has afforded.
The revenues have also been aided greatly
by amendments in the classification of mail
matter. and the curtailment of abuses of
the second-class mailing privilege. The
average increase In the volume of mail
matter for the period beginning with 1902
and ending June. 1905 tthat portion for 1895
being estimated). is 40.47 per cent, as COM
pared with 25.46 per cent for the period
Immediately preceding. and 1872 for the
four-year period Immediately preceding
that.
Consular Service.
Our consular system needs Improvement.
Salaries should be substituted for fees. and
the proper classification. grading and trans
fer of consular officers should be provided.
I am not prepared to say that a competi-
tive system of examinat lions for appoint
ment would work well: but by law Ii should
be provided that consuls should be familiar,
according to places for which they apply.
with the French. German. or Spanish Ian
guages, and should possess acquaintance
with the resources of the United States.
National Gallery of Art.
The collection of objects Of art contem-
plated in section 1886 of the Revised Stat
utes should be designated and established
az a National Gallery of Art: and the
Smithsonian Institution should be author
lied to accept any additions to said coliec-
ton that may be received by gift, bequest
or devise.
National Quarantine Law.
1t is desirable to enact a proper national
quarantine law. 1t is most undesirable
that a state should on it's own initiative
enforce quarantine regulations which are
in effect a restriction upon interstate and
international commerce. The question
should properly be assumed by the govern
ment alone. The Surgeon General of the
National Public Health and Marine Hospi-
tai Service has repeatedly and convincingly
set forth the need for such legislation.
/ call your attention to the great ex-
trevagance in printing and binding govern
ment publications, and especially 10 the
fact that altogether too many OF these pub
locations are printed. There is constant
terdency to increase their number ana
their volume. 1t is an understatement 10
say that no appreciable harm would be
caused by, and substantial beneht would
accrue from, decreasing the amount OF
printing now done by at least one-half
Probably the great majority of the govern
ment reports and the like now printed are
never read at all, and Furthermore the
printing of much of the material contained
in many of the remaining ones serves no
useful purpose whatever.
Currency.
The attention of the Congress should BIO
especially given to the currency question,
and that the standing committees on the
matter in the two houses charged with the
duty take up the matter of our currency
and see whether 1t is not possible 10
secure an agreement in the business world
for lettering the system; the committees
should consider the question of the retire
ment of the greenbacks and the problem
OF securing in our currency such elastcltS
as is consistent with safety. Every silver
4 H. nv Ia
in gold at the option of the holder.
Merchant Marine.
especially commend to your immediate
attention the encouragement of our mer-
chant marine by appropriate legislation
The growing Importance of the orient as
a field for American exports drew from my
predecessor, President Mckinley, an ur-
gent request for its special consideration
by the Congress. In his message of 1898
he stated:
In this relation, as showing the peculiar
volume and value of our trade with China
and the peculiarly favorable conditions
which exist for their expansion In the nor
NAL course of trade, l refer to the COM
munication addressed to the Speaker or
the House of Representatives by the Sec
retary of the Treasury on the 18th of last
June, with its accompanying letter or the
Secretary Of State, recommending an APP
preparation for commission to study the
industrial and commercial conditions in the
Chinese Empire and to report as to the
opportunities for and the obstacles to the
enlargement Of markets in China for the
raw products and manufactures or the
United States. Action was not taken
thereon during the last session. I cor
daily urge that the recommendation re-
ceive at your hands the consideration which
its importance and timeliness merit"
In his annual message of 1899 he again
recommendation.
quoting it, and stated further:
81 now renew this recommendation, as
the importance of the subject has steadily
grown since 1t was first submitted to you,
and no time should be lost in studying for
ourselves the resources of this great field
for American trade and enterprise"
The Importance of securing proper infor-
nation and data with view to the en-
Iargement of our trade with Asia is undf-
minished. Our consular representatives in
China have strongly urged a place for per-
manent display of American products in
some prominent trade center of that En-
pire. under government control and man.
agement, as an effective means of advance
ing our export trade therein. L call the at
tention of the Congress to the desrability
Of carrying out these suggestions.
immigration and Naturalization.
In dealing with the questions of immi-
grafton and naturalization it is indis-
pensable to keep certain facts ever before
the minds of those who share in enacting
the laws First and foremost, let us re-
member that the question of being good
American has nothing whatever to do
with a mans birthplace any more than
1t has to do with his creed. In every
generation from the time this Govern
ment was founded men of foreign birth
have stood in the very foremost rank of
good citizenship, and that not merely in
one but in every field of American ac-,
tivity; while to try to draw a distinction
between the man whose parents came to
this country and the man whose an
cestors came to 1t several generations
back is a mere absurdity. Good Ameri-
canism Is a matter of heart of con-
science, of lofty aspiration, of sound COM
mon sense, but not of birthplace or of
creed. The medal of honor, the highest
prize to be won by those who serve in the
Army and the Navy Of the United States,
decorates men born here and it also dec
crates men born in Great Britain and Ire
land. in Germany, In Scandinavia in
France, and doubtless in other countries
Also In the field of craftsmanship, in the
field of business, in the field of philan-
thropic endeavor, it is equally true that
among the men of whom we are most
proud as Americans no distinction what
ever can be drawn between those who
themselves or whose parents came over
in sailing ship or steamer from across
the water and those whose ancestors
stepped ashore into the wooded wilder
ness at Plymouth or at the mouth of the
Hudson, the Delaware, or the James
nearly three centuries ago. No fellow
citizen of ours is entitled to any macmillan