The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1899-09-01
it could be put in the manner in which
1t presents itself to him.
sELF-GovERNMENT FOR CUBANs

1t could be put In the manner in which
1t presents itself to him.
sELF-GOvERNMENT FOR CUBANs
AS to Cuba. This is the subject Sec
ond in interest. The President recog-
nizes the necessity of beginning very
soon to give to the Cubans the govern
ment of their own island. There is no
intention however, of making sudden
change. of calling constitutional cons
vention for the purpose of arranging at
once a general scheme of government
for the island The movement will
probably begin in cities like Santiago
and Matanzas, where municipal govern
ments, resting upon the suffrage of the
citizens, will be established. These
governing localities will be increas-
ed as the experiment justifies itself I'm
til all the cities are included. A census
is now being taken as preliminary
step to giving the islanders a govern
ment. Side by side with this process of
establishing municipal self-government,
an experiment in public schools will be
made. General Wood has plan of his
own for the beginning of free school
system, which he is soon to put in opera
ton in Santiago. After the local gov
ernments have been established and
sufficiently tried there will be an enlarge
ment or extension of the political func-
tons of the Cubans. Perhaps they will
be charged with the task of establishing
governments for the provinces, and at
last for the island. Perhaps the expert
ments in municipal administration will
justify the government in turning over
the whole island to it's people without
the preliminary Intervention of provin-
cial rule. At any rate the idea is that
the new government shall develop from
the bottom to the top and shall not be
turned out ready-made by constitu-
tional convention. 1t is the confident
belief of the administration that con-
gress is solely responsible for the gov
eminent of all our new possessions,
that they come within the purview of
the constitutional provision which gives
to congress alone the right to make all
rules and regulations for the govern
ment of the territories of the United |
States, so that we are likely t o have |
renewal of the discussion as to whether |
congress in doing so is bound by all the |
limitations of the Constitution.
The establishment of a government |
for Puerto Rico presents another prob
lem. The people of the island have al
ready local self government as far as
practicable, but no plan is likely to be
reached until General Davis, in whom
the President justly reposes great conf
dence, makes his report. He will do
this after careful observation and study
of the people and conditions in Puerto
Rico.
SLIGHT TARIFF AND CURRENCY CHANGES
have left small space for an inter-
probation of the Presidents views on
domestic questions. Briefly, he expects
of course, that no change will be made
in the principal of our tariff policy, but
there is no doubt that he believes that
mark in duties has been
reached, and that changes will be in the
other direction, although they will be
slight and will be made only when the
advocates of protection themselves re-
gard them as helpful. The internal
revenue taxes are doubtless here for
good. They may be slightly modified,
but the taxes are necessary, because
revenue from the tariff, high as it has
become, will not support the govern
ment. The tariff itself now makes the
internal tax necessary. Its adoption
was becoming urgent before the war,
out the war enabled congress to do
what no party would have taken the
of doing under ordinary
conditions.
In conclusion, the President expects
hat congress will pass a bill making
he maintenance of the gold standard
more certain, although nothing is likely
o be done for the reform or change of
'ur banking system. The President be-
ieves that the present national bank {
ystem is an dinstitution, and {
therefore, that congress cannot be pre-.
'ailed upon to change it radically.
Ii. l.. N.
Hotel Champlain, August 5.