Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1899-12-05


faster than the expenditure, ID there
every indication that short period wi! wit
ness the OBJ iteration of the annual deficit
The President indor;es the reform suggeste
by the Postmaster General, who complains o
the wrongful exercise of the piivl 'ge of tn
pound rate, which if rectifed. would hav
turned the six million detcit Of the last fscs
year into handsome surplus.
The Navy" the Presidents message aays
"has maintained the spirit and high cfficienc,
| which have always characteriza ID that service
and has lost mono of the gall .ntry in he
roic action which has sigualized its brilliant
and glorious past The people will justify
liberal appropriations for its maintenance ar(
Improvement unite in the recommends
tion Of the Secretary of the Navy that tht
Congress enact such special Legislation as may
be necessary to enablo the Department /:
make contracts early in the coming year fo
armor of tho best qutlt that can be oh
taiued in this couL try for the Maine, Ohio ana
Missouri and that tho provision OF the ac
limiting the price OF armor II $500 per tor
be removed heartily coucur in the rccom
mendstions for the increase of thc nav"
Il believe this 10 be II simpe act of justice
and heartily recommend it, he saTs, on The
recommendation of the interior and Tension
Department that the am utt Of income al
loved as pension 10 d pendent widows oi
| ex-sodiers independei oi the proceeds OF hel
| d4ily labor, be not less than $3.50 er annum
| This is the Gu coma of the agitation of the
subject begun by the Grand Army of the Re
public.
II recommend that Congress at an early
date make liberal appropriations for edqcs-
tiona purposes in the Indian Territory.
"ihe agreement Of set loment of the In
de5:ednes5 to the govtr growing out OF
the issue of bonds to aid in the construction Of
( thu Central Pacific and Western Pacific raj
roads, which secures to tho government the
principal and interest of said bonds, amount
ing t, $58, ,612,716, has my approx j.
Congress should increase tho appropra-
tions for the work of prot citing the forests
The work Of the Dep4r ment of Agr!cul-
tuIe is commended "The people of Hawai-,
Porto Rico and the Philippine islands should
| be helped by the Establishment OF experiment
stations to more scientific know edge OF
1 the production of coffee ind u rub or and
| other tropical products for which there is a
Z demand in the United Ststes."
4 About 5000 words are devoted to dis
| cussion OF the peace treaty and It; result .
1 rhe transfer Of sov.rsignty in the Philip
/ pines have every reason 10 believe. and
l still believe. was in acct rd tnce with the
| wishes ana tho aspirations of the gre mass
O. the Filipino people," The President 81 al
ly outlines thu policy which was he'd To-
wards the Philippines which was TO protect
| the iuhabit ants i'll their homes and their
rights. Tho military command ri were IL
| ST .utted that there shouli be no conil!ct W 4
| the insurgents. tho peace commissioner
wero appoint d to serve on mission OF good
| Will and hbtr tion. But before their ar
/ -, l,ttc nf frNp
leader; OF tie Filipnos had created situa-
| tion full OF embarrassment FOR us and mos,
| prieyous in its consequences TO themselves.
The claim of the rabcl leader that he was
promised indepen lence By any officer of the
| U nit ID tites in return for his assistance mas
/ no foundat on on fact" The Presi!ent taen
goes in 20 the history of the conflict which ol
| lowed. The rebellion he Gays, mutt b.
| put down. Civil gov ramsrt. cen I be
thorough established until order IS restored
| With devotion and galantry worthy of 1t
most brilliant history. the army, ably and
| loysly assist, ID by the navy, mas Carried Oh
| this unwelcomo but most righteous Campaign
| with richly deserved success. Although the l
| oper atoms have been somewhat lnte rnptad
| and checked by rilny seasol OF uausual du-
Fat % and violence, they have gained ground
| ,teadilv in every direction nd now look fer
ward confidently to a speedy completion OF
| their task.
"a notable beginning has been made in the
| establishment of government i'll the Island
of Negros which is deserving OF spccisl cen
| sideration. This was the first Island 70 &C
cept American sovereignty. It, peoEl ADOPT
| ed constitution. Tho COVER ment actua
set up eventually proved unsatisfactory 10 the
| natives themselves and new syst IN was
put into force, the appr,val Of which c, N i
exclusively within the jur.sdict on OF Con
gres.."
The President makes public the III st i'm
| portant elemeuti of this new syst III OF gov
ernm sut with which the peopl, arc already
| familisr.
The President trsnsm Il tieag teement ne
| gotiat.d with the Sultan of sulu and his
principal chiefs by General Bates. Il have
confirmed said agreement, subject to the ao-
tion OF the Congress, and with the reserv =
tiop. which 1 have directed shall be COMM :
nicated t, the Sultan of Jolo, tast this agree
| m ent is not to be deemed in any way to au-
tnorize or give tho consent of the Unit Nd
| STATES TO the existsnce of s'avsry in tle Suiu
archipelago.
everything indicstes that with the speedy
sunpresslon of the Tagslo rebil ioD, life in
tho archipelago will soon resume its ordinary
L
| eighty, and tho people of those favor d isl
ands will enjoy prosperity and freedom
| which they have never before known. The
futurs gov. rnment of the PHILIPPINES rest
VITA the Congress OF the United statss. Few
Qraver responsible ties have ever been co =
ided to Us. A freat opportunity CONES W u
them. The islands srs ours by every tl9 OF
law and equity. They can not bo absL do lec
If we desert them we leave them at once to
anarchy and finally to barbarism Tho sng-
gestion has been made that We could renounce
our authority over the islands and, giving
them independence, could retain protecto-
rate over them. This proposition will not be
found, am sure worthy of your serious at,
tention. Such an arrangement Toul1 pl 1ce
the pesceable and loyal majority, VINO ask
nothing better than to accept our authority
at the mercy of tho minority Of armed insur-
gents. 1t woul1 tike from the Congress OF
the United States the power of deol ring war
and vest that tremendous prerogatlve IN the
Tagal leader of the hour. If does not seem
desirable that I should recommend ~ this
time specific and final form o. government
for these islands. When peace shall be re-
stored it will be the duty OF Congress - con-
struct plan of government which shall es-
tablish and maintain freedom and order
and peace in the philippines. AS long as the
insurrection continues the military arm must
necessarily be supreme. But there Is no rea'
son why steps should not be taken from time
to time to insugurate governments essential ;
popular in their form as fss: as territory is
taken and held by our troops. To this end
am considering the advisability Of the return
of the peace commission Reconstruction
should not begin by the establishment OF one
central civil government for all tins islands
but rather by first establishing municipal