Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-10-03
THE PRESIDENT.
Continued from Page Onc1

safe and commodious, SO it is 10 the in.
terest of the jewellers on the coast thar
the interior should possess ample facil
ties for the transportation of it's products.
Our interests are all closely interviewer.
and i'll the long run it will be found that
we go up or go down together.
Take, for instance, the Panama Canal
If the Mississippi is restored to its former
place of Importance as "a highway of com
merce. then the building OF the Panou,
canal will be felt as an immediate advan-
tase to the business of every CITY and
country district in the Mississippi Valley
think that the building of that canal viii
be of especial advantage to the States that
lie along the Pacific and the States that
lie along the Gulf; and Vet, after all.
feel that the advantage will be shared in
an only less degree by the States of tho
interior and Of the Atlantic coast. In
other words. it is Il thoroughly national
the advantage of all of us--to the adyau-
tase of the Nation as a whole Therefor,
l am glad to be able to report to you
how well We are doing with the canal.
Ihere IS bound to be a certain amount Of
experiment, certain amount of
feeling our way. in task so gi.antic-a
task greater than any of its kind that has
ever hitherto been undertaken in the
whole history of mankind: but The sue
cess so Ear has been astonishing and
we have not met with a single one Of the
accidents or drawbacks Which freely
confess | expected VIC should from tiuln
to time encounter. We. in the first place.
lald the foundation for the WGr.- bv So
cning the most favorable possible con-
ditions as regard the health, comfort. ami
safety of the men who were to do it. and
now the Canal Zone is in point of health
better off than the average district of tIn
same size 1T home. Then we went at TN !,
problem of the actual digging and dam
building. For over a year past we have,
been engaged III making the dirt lv in
good earnest, and the output of the giant
ShOEplS
is now the rainy season, when work is
most difficult on the Isthmus. Vet in the
NORTH of August last we eXcaVated Owe
Il million and two hundred thousand ,u-
bic yards of earth and rock, greater
amount taan III any previous month Ii
we are able to keep up substantially TIN,
rate of progress hat now obtains we shall
finish the actual digging within five az.
six years: though when we come to til
great Gatun dam ana locks. " lille TIER.
is no question as to the work being feas-
lille. there are several elements entering
into TIE time problem which make it un-
wise at present to hazard a prophecy in
reference thereto.
Now gentlemen. this leads me up to
anOther matter for national consideration
and that is our Navy. The Navy is not
primarily of Importance only to the coast
regions 1t is every bit as much the con
Germ of the farmer who dWells a thousand
miles from st a water as of the fisherman
who makes his living on the ocean, for it
is tie concern of every good American
who knows what the Gaming of the wor.I
patriotism is. This country is d.iiuitcl>-
committed to certain fundamental POI
icie S-tO tie Monroe doctrine. for instance.
and to the duty not only of building, but
when ii is built, of policing and defend
ing the Panama Canal. We have definite
ly taken our place among the great Worll
powers and it would be IL sign of ignoble
weakness, having taken such a place. t.
silirl its responsibilities. Therefore. IN
less We are willing to abandon this place"
to abandon our insistenc" upon the Mon
roe doctrine. to give up the Panama
Canal, and to he content to acknowledge
oul selves weak and timid nation. we
must steadily build up and maintain I;
great fighting Navy. Our Navy is already
so efficient to be Il matter of lust prid.
to every American. So long rs our Navy
is no larger than at present, it must b:
considered an elementary principle
that the bulk Of our battle fleet must
always be kept together. When the Pan
anna Canal is built il can be transferred
without difilC ulty from one part of GU.
coast to the other; but even before that
canal is built it ought to be thus trans
ferred to and fro from time to time. In
a Coupl" of months our feet Of great
ships starts for the Pacific Cali
fornia. Oregon. and Washington have :,
coast line Which is our coast line just as
cmphatically as the coast line of New
J ork and Maine. of Louisiana and Tex
rs. our fleet is going to its own home wa
ters in the Pacific. ana after Il stay there
IT Will return to its own home waters i'll
the Atlantic. The hest place fOr Il nava!
officer to learn his duties is ut sea, by
performing them. and only 10y actually
putting through q voyage of this nature.
Il voyage longer than any ever befor"
by as large q fleet of any
nation, can VIC find out just exactly what
is necessary for us to know as to o"r
naval needs ard practice our office rs an !! !
enlisted men in the highest duties Of thri' ,
profession. Among all our citizens Their,
pf n w ON. !
quite as much as to the Officers an
enlisted men of the Army and Navy Of
the United States. and l bespeak from
you the fullest and he3rtieSt support. III
the name of our Nation and OF our flag,
for the services to which these men b.
long.
In conclusion I wish to say a word ,
this body, containing as it does SO MANY !
business men. upon what is precminentlv
4 business proposition, ana that is the
proper national supervision and contro! |
Of corporations. At the meeting of thu
American Bar Association in tins last |
Judge Charles r Amidon. Of
North Dakota, read Il paper on the Ma !
tiori and the Constitution so admirable |
that it is deserving Of very wide study; |
for what he said was, as all studies OF |
law in it's highest folm ought to he. Il !
to constructive iiiriSprud- |
ance as it should b" understood not only |
by judges but by legislators. not only nv |
those who interpret and decide the law, |
minister or execute it. He quoted from the |
ate Justice Miller. of the Supreme Court. !
to show that even III tn" Interpretation |
IF tho Constitution 10y this. the highest |
lut hority Of the land. the courts success |
sivc d. cisirnS must I've tested by the way |
they work in actual application to tn" !
life; the court adding to its (,
Thought and study tie results Of eXre-
renee and 81 Scrvation until the ty1I" So |
Etinn is evolved by n process both Of IT, j
rusior ana exclusion. said justice Mil |
er: Tho meaning Of til" Constitution is |
10 he sought as much in the National lifr !
us in the dictionary" for as has been !
we'll said, government purely out of Y !
law library can l,eVer he really good gov !
Now that the questions Of government |
are Incoming 50 largely economic the ma |
10, itv of our SO called constitutional cases |
really turn not upon the Interpretation of i
tic Instrument itself, but upon the con- !
structior. the right apprehension of tn" /
living conditions to which it is to I've an- |
rli d. The Constitution is now and must ,
remain hat il always has b en-; but il !
ran only be interpreted rs tho Interests Of !
the whole people demand. if Interpreted
as living ors-a niSm. desiGncd to meet
the conditions of life and not of ,ierth: in
other words. il interpreted as Marshall
interpreted it. rs Wilson declared it |
should "" interpreted. The Marshall |
theory, the theory Of life and rot of !
death. allows to tho Nation. that il II
H. nj