The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-12-07
PRESIDENT ROOsEvELT's
ANNUAL MESSAGE
Continued from Third Page.

sion for good so long as it is kept to its
own legitimate business. The bene-
fits TO be derived by the association of
farmers for mutual advantage are
partly economic and partly socilogi-
cad.
Moreover, while in the long run vol
untary effort will prove more efica-
cious han government assistance.
while the farmers must primarily do
most for themselves, yet the govern
ment can also do much. The depart
ment of agriculture has broker new
grund in many directions, and year by
year it finds how it can improve its
methods and develop fresh usefulness.
TITS constant effort is to give the gov
ernmental assistance in the most ef-
fective way; that is, thru associations
of farmers rather han to or thru IN
dividual farmers. It is also irving
to coordinate it's work with the agri-
cultural departments OF the several
states, and so far as its W work IS
educational, to coordinate it With the
work of other educational authorities
Agricultural education is necessarily
based upon general education, but our
agricultural educational institutions
wisely specializing themselves, max
ing their courses relate to the actual
teaching of the agricultural and kim
dred sciences to young country people
or young city people h wish to llV
in the country.
Great progress has already been
made among farmers by the creation
of famers' Institutes, Of dairy assocla-
lions, Of breeders associations horti-
cultural associations, and the k A
striking example of how the govern
ment and the farmers can cooperate
is shown in connection with the men
ace offered to the cotton growers or
the southern states by the advance or
the boil weevil. The department is
doing all it can to organize the TAR
mers in the threatened districts, just
as it mas been doing all it can to Or
ganize them in aid o fits work to
eradicate the cattle fever tick in the
south. The department can and Will
cooperate with all SUCH ASSOCIATIONS,
and it must nave their nelp il it's own
work is to be done l n the o ell
cient style.
IRRIGATION AND FOREST PRE-
SERvATION.
Much is now being done for the
states of the Rocky Mountains and
Great Plains thru the development
OF the national policy of irrigation
and forest preservation; no govern
ment policy for the betterment of ou1
internal conditions has been more
fruitful of good than this. The forests
of the White mountains and Southern
Appalachian regions shold also be pre-
served; and they can not be unless
the people of the states IN Whlch the>
lie, thru their representatives IN tne
congress secure vigorous action by tne
national government.
MEMORIAL AMPHI-THEATRE Al
ARLINGTON.
| invite the attention of the congress
to the estimate Of the secretary n
war for an appropriation to enable MN
to begin the preliminary work for thu
construction of a memorial amphl
theatre at Abingdon. The Grand Army
Of the republic in it's national encamp
ment has urged the erection of sucf
an a~mphitheater as necessary for the
proper observance of day
and as a fitting monument to the sol
dier and sailor dead buried there. II
this I heartily concur and commend
the matter to the favorable considera'
ton Of the congress.
MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE.
I am we'll aware of nov difficult i
is to pass a constitutional amendment
Nevertheless in my judgment the
whole question Of marriage n oil
vorce should be relegated to the au
thOrity of the national congress. A
present the wide differences in tn
laws of the different states on thl;
subject result in scandals n abuses
and surely there is nothing so v1tall!
essential to the welfare of the nation
nothing around which the natio1
should SO bend itself to throw ever!
safeguard, as the home life o fthe av
erage citizen. The change would b.
good from every standpoint IN par
ticular it would be good because /
would confer on the congress the pow
er at once t deal radically and Ell
fciently with polygamy; n Thu
should be done whether or not mar
riage n divorce are dealt with. L
is neither safe nor prope to leave tn
question of polygamy TO be dealt VIII
by the several states. Power to dea
with it should be conferred on the ma
tional government.
When home ties are loosened; Whe1
men and women cease to regard
worthy family life, with all it's dutie
fully performed. and all its response
biities lived UP to, as the life bes
worth living; then evil days for tn
commonwealth are at hand. Their
are regions in our land, and elasse
of our population, where the brit
rate has sunk below the death rate
Surely it should need no demonstra
ton to show that wilful sterility is
from the standpoint of the nation
from the standpoint OF the humal
race. the one sin for which the enalt
is national death, race death; a ST
for which there is no atonement; is sr
which is the more dread
fuI eyactlv in proportion a