Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1898-10-06
GOVERNORS 5 MESSAGE
Full Text Of the Document Delivered
Before tho Jeint session Of the Ore
gon Legislature.

| Pet$fsAht Viz OtBts Sf.--ftt ksOy tDuAgf III
the hall Of representatives. in the pres
ence OF the members OF both houses OF
the legislature. Judges OF the supreme
court, and other state officers, Governor
Lord delivered his message to the special
session. Its delivery occupied half an
hour, and 1t was closely listened to. The
full text OF tho document follows:
/ Gentlemen OF the Legislative Assembly
4 Tho constitution authorizes the governor,
on extraordinary occasions, 10 convene
the legislative assembly by proclamation,
ard, when assembled deyolves upon him
| the duty 70 state to both houses the pur-
| poses for which ne has convened them.
| by virtue OF such authority. and in com
| piiance with this requirement, / shall en-
1 Geavor briefly to state the reasons which
| have induced me to summon your body In
| special session.
We arc at a critical period in the history
| OF our country. The next few years will
| mark an advance or retrograde movement
1 IN our national destiny. Not since the
| war OF tho rebellion has the statesman
! ship or our country been confronted w!th
| Questions OF such transcendent Importance
| as those which have grown out OF our
victorious contest with Spain. They ere
| questlons Involving considerations OF such
various sort and far-reachng effect that
|
ton the best brains and wisest heads OF
| our country. Cuba and Porto Rico IN the
| wesl, and the Philippine islands I'm the
| iar east, have been wrested from their
| Spanish oppreseor by our victorious arms,
| are now In the possesaion OF the United
states, to be dealt with on those en-
| lghtened principles OF Justice and tluity
waich animate the conduct Of free gov
| erhments. Hawaii has gravitated 10 uF,
| by the law OF political affinity. and by an
icSaton has become a permanent part Of
| our territory. All these islands lie within
| The tropical regions; their climate IS mild
and their soil fruitful to cxuberance, rem
dering tho struggle for existence free from
that constant labor and effort exacted by
the rigor of the temperate zones. Their
| people are OF an allen race, whose habits
| and customs, modes Of thought and civll-
| Eation, form OF government and instItu-
| lions, are different from our own, and
whose condition OF poverty, ignorance and
Wretchedness is the result OF pltilese taxa
ton and merciless tyranny. AS a conse-
| quence OF these causes, and OF blood adul-
teration, deteriorating the quality OF their
| people, and weakening their mental and
| moral nber, these Islands, though richly
| endowed by nature, have been only par
tialiy developed, their civilization Is sta
uonary or backward, and in some OF the
| Philippines a condition prevails that yerVes
on standardization.
To meet these complex conditions and
undertake their general Improvement: 10
institute regulations aiming to revive
trade. improve sanitary conditions. Induce
social reform. and aid In the educational
and political advancement Of these people;
70 win their loyalty by providing a govern
ment that shall tighten the burden of taxa
ton. add to the wealth Of the country by
| development OF Its natural resources and
the interchange OF trade and commerce
protect rights OF property, and secure
the blessings OF civil and religious liberty
IS herculean task. demanding for tts
proper performance our best thought and
wisest Craftsmanship. II we must retain
these Islands. or any part OF them, con-
siderations OF this kind must confront us
Tor determination. We are In legal pos
session OF them, and cannot shlrk the re-
sponsbillty OF our position. Can we give
them back TO Sapin7 Would not such an
act be crime, and turn the glory OF our
battles into victories OF dishonor7 All
commercial nations now are fighting for
trade, ana In their race OF cupldlty and
lnordinate ambition China Is threatened
with Partition. We need the business OF
these islands. Exchange of products nat
ural and ARTIFICIAL would be mutually ben-
eficial to them and to u.s. We must find an
outlet for the surplus product OF our
heids and forests. our factories and work.
all other nations the opportunity for trade
In the Orient which our possession Of the
Philippine Islands affords us. Their loca-
ton is said to be the key to the Orient
and now to throw away the opportunItv
u affords would be worse than a blunder
lit would be a calamity What then.
shall we do with these islands7 Shall we
retain them as naval stations, or as d
permanent part of our territory? And II
the latter. what form OF government shall
be devised for them7 Shall II be a pro-
tectorate. or dependency or what9
These are some of the important ques-
tions which will confront our national
Legislature at Its next session. In Decem-
Der. and demonstrate the need OF full
representation In that body. Already.
commissioners to agree upon terms Of
peace have been appointed by the United
States and Spain, and have received their
instructions from their respective govern
ments, and the strong probability Is that
they Will close their labors and mako their
report before the meeting OF the United
States congress In December.
II ia important, then, to our state and
tho nation. that we should have a sena-
tor present to assist in the discharge OF
tho onerous and responsible duties OF the
senate. II his election be delayed until
tho regular session. he will not be likely
to reach Washington until near the end OF
the session In February: but his election
now win afford him opportunity not only
to ascertain the win OF his constituency,
but TO study the situation and acquaint
himself with Its environments so as to
be ready to render intelligent and faithful
service when the session of congress be-
gins In December, and when the country
needs his service and the administration
his support.
There Is another matter incidentally
connected with these considerations, which
furnishes additional reason for the cleo
tion OF senator at the present time.
refer 10 the early construction OF the
Nicaragua canal. The wonderful voyage
OF the battle-ship Oregon has Demon
strated the necessity of its construction,
TO protect our coast from depreciation
and our commerce from spoliation. Its
building ought to be undertaken without
further delay; 1t should be built, owned
ana operated exclusively by the United
States, The canal should be In name and
fact an American canal, under American
control No corporation should be allow
cd to construct It, or supervise Its opera
tions. The building, though, Of this 18TH
mian waterway, uniting two great oceans,
will necessarily affect the interests OF all
commercial nations, and give rise TO
many conflicting questions OF public pol
icy and International relations which our
country cannot ignore, and which will re-
dulre tho wisdom of its best statesmen to
solve on principles of justice and equity.
But built this canal must be, whatever the
responsibility lt imposes to meet the de-