The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-10-02

hundred thousand cubic yards OF earth
and rock, a greater amount than in
any previous month. II We are able
TO keep up substantially the rate OF
progress that now obtains We sahll
finish the actual digging within five
or six years; though whom we come 10
the great Gatun dam and locks, while
there is no question as to the work
being feasible, there are several ele.
ments entering into the time problem
which make 1t unwise ut present TO
hazard prophecy in reference there.
to.
The American Navy.
Now. gentlemen, this leads me up
TO another matter for national eoasid.
Grafton, and that is our navy. The
navy is not primarily of Importance
only to the coast regions. 1t is every
bit as much the concern OF the farmer
who dwells a thousand miles from sea
water as OF the fisherman who makes
his living on the ocean, for # is the
concern OF every good American who
knows what the meaning of the word
patriotism is. This country is definite.
y committed to certain fundamental
policies--to the Monroe doctrine, for
instance, and 10. the duty not only OF
building, but. when 1t is built, of pc.
llchg and defending the Panama Ca.
nal. We have definitely taken our
place among the great world powers,
and it would be a sign of ignobie
weakness, having taken such place,
to shlrk its responsibilities. Where
fore, unless We are willing to aban-
don this place. to abandon our insist
ence upon the Monroe doctrine, to give
up the Panama Canal, and to be con.
tent 10 acknowledge ourselves weak
and timid nation, We must steadily
build up and maintain great fighting
navy. Our navy is already so efficient
as to be matter Of Just pride to ev.
cry American. So long as our navy
Is no larger than ut present, 1t must
be considered as an elementary prin,
ciple that the bulk OF our battle fleet
must always be kept together. When
the Panama Canal is b-ilt II can be
transferred without difficulty from one
part of our coast to the other; but
even before that canal Is built II ought
10 be thus transferred to and fro from
time to time. In couple OF months
our feet OF great armored ships starts
for the Pacific. California. Oregon.
and Washington have a coast line
which is our coast line just rs empha.
ically MS the coast line OF New York
and Maine, OF Louisiana and Texas.
Our fleet is going TO its own home wat
ers In the Pacific, and after stay
there 1t will return to It's own home
waters In the Atlantic. The best place
for naval officer 10 learn his duties
Is at sea. by performing them, and
only by actually putting through voy-
age OF this. nature, voyage longer
than any ever before undertaken by
as large fleet OF any nation. can we
find out Just exactly what Is neccs.
s1y for us to know as to our naval
needs and practice our officers and.
ehli. led men In the highest dniies OF
their profession. Among all our citi-
ger. there Is no body Of equal size to
whom We owe quite as much as TO
the officers and enlisted men OF the
army and navy Of the United States.
AMI I bespeak from you the fullest
, and iteartfcst support, In the name OF
ol,r nation and OF our flag, for the
services TO which these men belong.
In conclusion | wish TO say word
2 this body. containing as 1t does so
many business men, upon what is pre-
emirently business proposition. and
that is the proper national supervision
and control of corporations. At, the
injecting OF the American Bar Associa.
ton in this last August, Judge Charles
F. Anliion. of North Dakota, read
paper on the Nation and the Constitu-
ton so admirable that 1t is descrY-
ing Of very wide study; for what he
said was, as all studies Of law In Its
hi.nest form ought to be, a contribu-
ticn to constructive jurisprudence as
1t should be understood not only by
Judges but by-leglslators, not only by
those who interpret and decide the
law. but by those who make 1t and
Who administer or execute 1t. He
quoted from the late Justice Miller. Of
the Supreme Court, to show that even
in the Interpretation of the constitu.
tioh by this. the highest authority
of the land. the courts successive de-
cisions must be tested by the way
they work In actual application 10 the
national life: the court adding to its
thought and study the results OF ex-