Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1905-12-07


also large saving of money can be !
made. There is constantly growing |
tendency to publish masses of unim- !
portant information at which no human
being ever looks.
Yet in speaking of economy, 1 must |
In nowise be understood as advocating
the false economy which is in the end |
the worst extravaganza. To cut down !
In the navy would be n crime against |
the nation. To fail to push forward all |
work Oh the Panama canal would be
as great felly.
Currency.
Every consideration of prudence de- |
mands the addition of the element of
elasticity TO our currency system. The
evil does not consist in an inadequate
volume of money, but in the rigidity
of this volume, which does not respond |
as it should to the varying needs Of
communities and of seasons. Imitation
| must be avoided, but some provision
should be made that will insure a
larger volume of money during the fall
and winter months than In the less ac-
| tive seasons of the year, so that the
currency viii contract against specula-
ton and viii expand for the needs of |
legitimate business At present the |
treasury department is at irregularly |
recurring intervals obliged in the inter
est of the business world-that is, in
the interests of the American public |
to try to avert financial crises by pro- |
viding n remedy which should be pro-
vided by congressional action
Business Methods In Departments.
At various times I have instituted in
vestigations into the organization and |
conduct of the business of the execu
tive departments. While none of these |
inquiries have vet progressed far |
enough to warrant final conclusions, |
they have already confirmed and en- |
phasized the general impression that !
the organization of the departments is |
often faulty in principle and wasteful |
in results, while many of their business |
methods are antiquated and inefficient. |
recommend that the congress consider |
this subject.
Federal Elections.
In my last annual message l said:
The power of the government to |
protect the integrity of the elections of |
its own officials is inherent and has
been recognized and affirmed by re
peated declarations of the supreme |
court. There is no enemy of free gov |
ernment more dangerous and none so |
insidious as the corruption of the elect
crate. No one defends or excuses cor
ruption, and it would seem TO follow |
that none would oppose vigorous meas
ures to eradicate 1t. l recommend the /
enactment of law directed against |
bribery and corruption in federal cleo
tions. The details of such a law may
be safely left to the wise discretion of |
the congress- but 1t should 60 as far as
under the constitution it is possible to |
60 and should include severe penalties
against him who gives or receives q |
bribe intended to influence his act or |
opinion as an elector and provisions for
the publication not only Of the expend-
itures for nominations and elections of |
all candidates, but also of all contribu-
tions received and expenditures made
by political committees
I desire to repeat this recommends
ton
All contributions by corporations to
any political committee or for any po-
ltical purpose should be forbidden by |
law. directors should not be permitted
to use stockholders money for such
purposes, and, moreover, a prohibition
of this kind would be, as far as it
went, an effective method of stopping
the evils aimed at in corrupt practices
acts.
The Hague Conference.
The first conference of nations held |
at The Hague In 1899, being unable to
dispose of all the business before 1t,
recommended the consideration and
settlement of number of important
questions by another conference to be
called subsequently and at an early
date, These questions were the follow
ing: % The rights and duties of neu-
trails; (2) the limitation of the armed
forces on land and sea and OF military |
budgets; 81 the use of new types and |
calibers of military and naval guns; 4)
the inviolability Of private property at
sea In times of war; % the lombard
ment of ports, cities and villages by ma
val forces. In October, 1904, at the In,
stance Of the interparliamentary union,
1 issued invitations to all the powers
signatory to The Hague convention to
send delegates to such a conference
and suggested that it be again held at
The Hague
From all the powers acceptance was
received, coupled in some cases with
the condition that we should wait until
the end of the war then waging be-
tween Russia and Japan. The emperor
of Russia, immediately after the treaty
Of peace which so happily terminated
this war, In a note presented to the
president on Sept. IS took the Initiative
in recommending that the conference
be now called. The United States gov
ernment in response expressed its cor
dial aeauiescence and stated that it |
would as matter of course take part
in the new conference and endeavor to
further its alma, We assume that all
civilized governments will support the
movement and that the conference is
now an assured fact. This government |
will do everything in its power to Sc
cure the success of the conference to
the end that substantial progress may
be made in the cause of international
peace, justice and good will.
Monroe Doctrine.
There are certain essential points |
which must never be forgotten as re-
CARDS the Monroe doctrine. In the first
place, we must as nation make it ev-
ident that we do not intend to treat it
in any shape or way as an excuse for
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT on our part at the ex-
pense of the republics to the south.
But we must make it evident that we
do not intend to permit the Monroe doc
trine to be used by any nation on this
continent as shield to protect it from
the consequences of its own misdeeds
against foreign nations. The Monroe
doctrine does not force us to interfere
to prevent the punishment of port
save to see that the punishment does
not assume the form of territorial occu-
patton il any shape. The case is more
difficult when it refers to Il contractual
obligation. This country would GER
tainly decline to go 10 war to prevent a
foreign government from collecting
Just debt, On the other hand, it is
t,., >, l.. r.. /