The sun., 1906-12-05


institutes, of-dairy associations. OF breed
| ers' associations, horticultural associations
and the like. A striking example OF how
the Government and the farmers can CO.
| operate il shown In connection with the
me mace offered to the cotton growers OF
| the Southern States by the advance Of the
| boil weevil. The department il doing all
| II can to organize the farmers in the threat
ened districts, just as L has been doing
all il can to orgsnize them in aid OF its
work to eradicate the cattle fever tick in
| the South. The department can and will
cooperate with all such associations, and
it must have their help IL its own work is
| to be done in the most efficient style.
IRRIGATION AND FOREST PRESERVATION.
| Much is now being done for the States
] OF the Rocky Mountains and great plains
: through the development OF the national
| policy OF irrigation and forest preservation.
No Government policy for the betterm
OF our internal conditions has been
OF the White Mountains and Southern
Appalachian regions should also be pre-
| served, and they cannot be unless the people
| OF the States in which they lie, through their
| representatives in the Congress-, secure
vigorous action by the national Govern
| ment.
MEMORIAL AMPHIrHEArRE AT ARLINGTON.
invite the attention of the Congress to
| the estimate OF the Secretary OF War for an
appropriation to enable him to begin the
u
| memorial amphitheatre at Arlington. The
Grand Army of the Republic in its national
| encampment has urged the erection OF such
| an amphitheatre as necessary for the proper
observance of Memorial Day and as a
| fitting monument to the soldier and sailor
| dead buried there. In this heartily concur
! and commend the matter TO the favorable
consideration of the Congress.
MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE.
am well aware Of how difficult Il is to
| pass a constitutional amendment. Never
| theess in my judgment the whole question
OF marriage and divorce should be relegated
10 the authority Of the national Congress-
| At present the wide differences in the laws
! OF the different States on this subject result
in scandals and abuses; and surely there is
nothing 30 vitality essential to the welfare
| Of the nation, nothing around which the
i nation should 30 bend itself to throw every
safeguard, as the home life OF the average
! citizen. The change would be good from
| every standpoint. In particular it would
be good because 1t would confer on the
Congress the power at once TO deal radically
and efficiently with polygamy; and this
should be done whether or not marriage
and divorce are dealt with. 1t Is neither
safe nor proper to leave the question Of
polygamy 20 be dealt with by the several
States Power to deal with It should be
conferred on the national Government.
When home ties are loosened; when men
and women Ease to regard a worthy family
all its responsibilities lived up to, as the
life best worth living. then evil days for the
commonwealth are at hand. There are
regions in our land, and classes OF our popu-
lation, where the birth rate has sunk below
the death rate. Surely it should need no
demonstration to show that wilful sterility
is, from the standpoint OF the nation, from
the standpoint Of the human race, the one
sin for which the penalty ls national death,
race death; q sin for which there is no atone
ment; a sin which is the more dreadful
exactly in proportion as the men and women
guilty the ereof are in other respects, in
character, and bodily and mental powers,
those whom for the sake OF the state 1t
would be we'll to see the faith and mot hers
Of many he althy children, we'll brought up
in homes made happy by their presence.
No man, no woman, can shirk the primary
duties OF life. whether for love Of ease and
pleasure, or for any other cause, and retain
his or her self-respect.
AMERICAN SHIPPING.
Let me once again call the attention OF
the Congress to two subjects concerning
which 1 have frequently before communi-
Gated with them. One is the question OF
developing Anne rcan shipping. thrust that
a law embodying in substance the views,
or a major part OF the views, expressed in
the report on this subject laid before the
House at it's last session will be passed.
/ am well aware that in former years objec-
tionabIe me easures have been proposed
in reference to the encouragement OF Ameri-
can shipping; but IL seems to me that the
proposed me asure 10 as ne ariy unobJectlon-
able as can be- II will OF course benefit
primarily our seaboard States, such as
Maine Louisiana and Washington; but
what benefits part Of our people in the end
benefits all Just as Cove rnme mt aid to irriga-
ton and forestry in the West is really OF
benefit, not only to the Rocky Mountain
States, but to all our country. III 1t prove
impracticable to enact a Law for the en-
couragement mt of shipping gene rally, then at
least provision should be made for better
communication with South America, notably
for fast mail lines 70 the chief South Ameri-
can ports. It is discreditable to US that our
business people, for lack Of direct commune
cation in the shape of lines OF steamers with
South America. should in that great sister
continent be at a disadvantage compared
to the business people OF Europe.
CURRENCY REFORM.
I especially call your attention TO the
second subject, the condition OF our cur
rency laws. The national bank act has
ably served a great purpose in aiding the
enormous business development OF the
country, and within ten years there has
been an increase in circulation per capita
from s2i Al TO t33.08 For several years
evidence has been accumulating that
additional legislation is needed The re-
currence OF each crop season emphasizes
the defects Of the present laws. There
must soon be a revision Of them, because TO
leave them as they are means to incur liability
of business disaster. Since your body
adjourned there has been a fuctuation in
the interest on call money from per cent.
TO 30 per cent, and the fuctuation was
even greater during the preceding six
months. The Secretary Of the Treasury
had to step in and by wise action put a
stop TO the most violent period Of oscillation.
Even worse than such fluctuations Ia the
advance in commercial rates and the un-
certainty felt in the sufficiency Of credit
even at high rates. All commercial interests
suffer during each crop period. Excessive
rates for call money in New York attract
money from the interior banks into the
speculative field; this depletes the fund
that would otherwise be available for COM
mercial uses, and commercial borrowers
are forced TO pay abnormal rates, so that
each fall a tax, in the shape Of increased
interest charges, is placed on the whole
commerce of the country.
The mere statement Of these facts shows
that our present system Is seriously defective.
There is need Of a change. Unfortunately,
however, many Of the proposed changes
must be- ruled from consideration because
they are complicated, are not easy of COM
prehension and tend TO disturb existing
rights and interests. We must also rule
out any plan which would materially i'm
ir tina value Of the limited States rant