Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-12-07
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
[continued From First Page. ]


have accepted the succession of thu
and our flag floats over that territory
A Cheerful Prediction.
Everything indicates that. with thu
speedy suppression of the Tagalo re
bellion, life in the archipelago will
soon resume its ordinary course undel
the protection of our sovereignty, anC
the people of those favored islands
will enjoy prosperity and a freedom
which they have never before known
Already hundreds of schools are opeI
and filled with children. Religion:
freedom is sacredly assured and en-
joyed. The courts are dispensing JUS
tice Business is beginning to circu
late in its accustomed channels. Man
lila, whose inhabitants were fleeing tt
the country a few months ago, is nov
a populous and thriving mart of com
merce.
The future government of the Phil
ippines rests with the congress of tht
bilities have ever been confided to us
If we accept them in spirit worthy o.
our race and our traditions, a great
opportunity comes with them. The
islands lie under the shelter of oul
flag. They are ours by every title
of law and equity They cannot BIZ
abandoned. If we desert them we leave
them at once to anarchy and finally tC
barbarism. We fling them a COLDER
apple of discord, among the rival pow.
ers, no one of which could permit an
other to seize them unquestioned.
The suggestion has been made that
we could renounce our authority over
the islands and. giving them indie
pendence, could retain protectorate
over them. This proposition will not
be found, | am sure. worthy of your
serious attention. Such an arrange.
ment would involve at the outset a
cruel breach of faith. It would make
us responsible for the acts of the in
surgent leaders and give us no power
to control them
Until congress shall have made
known the formal expression of its
will | shall use the authority vested
in me by the constitution and the
statutes to uphold the sovereignty OF
the United States in those distant ISL
ands as in all other places where our
flag rightfully floats Every step of
the progress of our troops has been
marked by humanity which has sur
prised even the misguided insurgents.
The truest kindness to them will be
a swift and effective defeat of their
present leader. The hour of victory
will be the hour of clemency and re-
construction.
Needed Legislation for Hawaii
The president urges speedy action
on the bill creating 1.-THE Territory of
Hawaii" and calls attention to the
necessity for immediate legislative re-
lief for Alaska. He believes it would
be advantageous to confer greater
executive power upon the governor and
to establish. as was done in the case
of the territory of Louisiana, an ex-
ecutive council having power to adopt
ordinances which shall extend to all
the rightful subjects of local legisla-
ton, such ordinances not to take eff
feet until reported to and approved
by the congress if in session, and if
that body is not in session, then by
the president"
The president also recommends sim
liar action for the government of Porto
Rico, calling attention to the necessity
Of establishing federal courts, ports
Of entry and delivery, the extension OF
education, etc, and declares further:
1t must be boroe in mind that since
the cession Porto Rico has been denied
the principal markets she had long en-
joyed and our tariffs have been con-
tinued against her products as when
she was under Spanish sovereignty.
The markets of Spain are closed to
her products except upon terms to
which the commerce of all nations is
subjected The Island of Cuba, which
used to buy her cattle and tobacco
without customs duties, now imposes
the same duties upon these products
as from any other country entering her
ports. She has therefore lost her free
intercourse with Spain and Cuba with
out any compensating benefits in this
market.
Anent lynchers the president says:
Those who. in disregard of law and
the pension ONCE TO grant pensIonaDie
status to widows whose income aside
from the proceeds of daily labor is not
in excess of $3.50 per annum.
OAA LOS- W. lCOo3 thC tACtts VI PCcAkC
between the United States and Spain
was signed. 1t provided, among other
things, that Spain should cede to the
United States the archipelago known
as the Philippine Islands, that the
United States should pay to Spain the
sum of $2O00O,0O0 and that the civil
rights and political status of the ma
tive inhabitants of the territories thus
ceded to the United States should be
determined by congress.
From the earliest moment no oppor-
tunity was lost of assuring the people
of the islands of our ardent desire for
their welfare and of the intention of
this government to do everything pos
sible to advance their interests. That
there should be no doubt as to the
paramount authority there, on the 18th
of August it was directed that there
must be no joint occupation with the
insurgents"
Our Philippines Mission.
-