Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-12-08

1AiAs W. VI W iHoNt any NDluHltHL Uli
probable canses. What interests us
just now is not the explanation, but the
fact, and our duty and our opportunity
in the presence Of it. Here are mar.
kets which we must supply and we must
find the means Of action. The United
States, this great people for whom we
speak and act, should be ready, as never
before, to serve itself and to serve
mankind, ready with its resources, its
energies, its forces of production and
its means of distribution.
Willing But Not Fully Able.
1t is a very practical matter, mat
ter Of ways and means. We have the
resources, but are we fully ready to
use Jneml And, if we can make ready
what we have, have we the means at
hand to distribute til We are not fully
ready, neither have we the means Of
distribution. We are willing but we
are not fully able. We nave the wish
to serve and TO serve greatly, gener-
ously; but we are not prepared as we
should be. We are not ready to mobil.
ize our resources at once. We are not
prepared td use them Immediately, and
at their best without delay and with.
out waste.
To speak plainly, we have grossly
erred in the way in which we have
stunted and hindered the development
of our merchant marine. And now,
when we need ships, we have not got
them. We have year after year debat.
ed, without end or conclusion, the best
policy to pursue with regard to the use
Of the GEES and forests and water pow.
er of our nation domain in the rich
states of the west, when we should
have acted, and they are still locked
up. The key is still turned upon them,
the door shut fast at which thousands
Of vigorous men full Of initiative.
knock clamOrnsly for admittance. The
water power of our navigable streams
outside the national domain also, even
in the eastern states, where we have
worked and planned for generations, is
still not used as it might be, because
we viii and we won Z; because the
laws we have made do not intelligent.
~ balance encouragement against re.
straint We withhold by regulation.
To Aid the West.
have come to- ask you to remedy
and correct these mistakes and omis-
slons, even at this short session of a
congress which would certainly seem
to have done all the work that could
reasonably be expected uf it. The time
ana the circumstances are eEtraordi.
nary and no must our efforts be also.
In The senate, two great measures,
timely conceived, the one to unlock,
with proper safeguards, the resources
Of the national domain, the other to
cncouagc the use Of the navigable wa.
ters outside that domain for the gen
Grafton Of power have already passed
the house of representatives and are
ready Tor immediate consideration and
action by the senate. With the deepest
earnestncss ! urge their prompt pass.
age. In them both we turn our backs
upon hesitation and makeshift and for.
mulaie genuine poicy Of use and con.
servation, in the best sense of these
works. We owe the Que measure not
only to the people Of that great west.
en country for whose free ana system.
ntlc development, as II seems to me, our
legislation has done Sc little, but also
TO the nation as whole, and we also
owe them the fulfilmcnt of our re.
peated promises that the water power
Of The country should in fact as well
as n name, be put at the disposal of
great Industries which can make eco.
nomical and profitable use Of il, the
rights Of the public being adequately
guarded the WHILE and monopoly in the
use prevented. To nave begun such
measures and not complete them would
indeed mar the record Of this great con.
gross very seriouslQ, | hope and con.
fidenlly believe that they will be com.
.pletcd,
About the Philippines.
And there tx another piece of lepis.
latiuu which awaits aud should re.
ccive the sanction Of the senate: !
mean the bill which gives larger
measure Of self government to the peo.
pie of the Philippines, How better in
tnis time Of anxious questioning and
perpleNed policy, could we show our
condolences in the principles of liberty
as the source as well as the expression
of life, how better could we demon.
str0tt ur own self possession and
stcadiastucss in the course of Justice
and disiutcrCstcdness than by thus 20.
ing calmly forward to fulfil our prom.
iscs to a dependent people, who will
now look more mXlOusly than ever to
see whether we have indeed the liberal.
ity, the mseliishness, the courage, the
faith We have boostcd aud pro'csscd !
cannot believe that the scnntc will let
this great measure Of constructive ms.
ticc await the action of another con.
gross, It's passage would nobly crown
the record Of these two years of me-
moranle abom.
But ! think that you will agree with
me that this duv not complete the toll
OF our duty How are we 10 carry
our goods to the empty markets OF
whieh have spoken II we have not tho
ships' How Ore we to build mp great
trade " we have not the constant
emans of transportation oi watch all
profitable aud useful commerce de.
|pcndsi To correct the many mistakes
lhy which we have discouraged aud all
hut destroyed the merchant marine Of
the country 10 rctiace the steps by
which we have, Il seems, almost delib.
erntely, withdrawn our flag from the
scas, except where, here aud there, a
ship of war Is hidden carry Il, or some
wandering yacht displays Il, wulld take
Ia long time and involve many detailed
Items of legislation. And the trade
wnich we ought Immediately TO handle
Would disnuppnr az fina nthpt nhnnu,ts