The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1900-09-21

Republican party. The future Of the merit
system Is safe in its hands.
During the present administration as &C.
casions have arisen for modification or
amendment In the existing civil service law
and rules they have been made. Important
| amendments were promulgated by executive
order under date Of May 20, 1899, having for
their principal purpose the exception from
competitive examination Of certain places IN
volvlng fduciary responsibilities or duties
| of strictly confidential, scientific or execu-
| tive character, which 1t was thought might
better be filed by noncompetitive examina-
| tion or by other tests OF fitness in the dis
erection of the appointing officer.
Value of Merit System.
| 1t is crafty ing that the experience of more
| than year has INDICATED these changes In
the marked Improvement Of the public ser
| vice.
| The merit system, as far as practicable,
is made the basis for appointments to Of
| flee in our new territory.
The American people are profoundly CRATE.
full to the soldiers, sailors and marines who
| have In every time of conflict fought their
| country's battles and defended its honor.
The survivors and the widows and orphans
Of those who have fallen are justly entitled
to receive the generous and considerate care
! Of the nation.
| Few are now left of those who fought In
| the Mexican war, and while many Of the
veterans of the Civil War are still spared to
us their numbers are rapidly diminishing
and age and nfirmlty are increasing their de
pendence. These, with the soldiers Of the
| Spanish war, will not be neglected by theil
grateful countryment. The pension laws
have been liberal. They should be justly
administered, and will be. Preference
should be given to the soldiers, sailors and
marines, their widows and orphans, with
respect to employment In the public ser
vice.
| Kept Faith with Cuba.
We have been in possession of Cuba since
the first of January, 1899. We have re
stored order and established domestic tran
quillity. We have fed the starving clothed
the naked, and ministered to the sick. We
have improved the sanitary condition of the
| island. We have stimulated industry, in
troduced public education, and taken a full
and comprehensive enumeration of the in
habitants.
The qualification Of electors has been set
| tied and under it officers have been chosen
| for all the municipalities of Cuba. These
| local governments are now in operation, ad
ministered by the people. Our military es
Establishment has been reduced from $4,000
| to less than 5000.
All election has been ordered to be held or
| the 10Th of September under a fair election
| law already tried in the municipal elections
| to choose members of a constitutional con
vention, and the convention, by the same
order, is to assemble on the first Monday OF
November to frame constitution upon
which an independent government for the
| island will rest. All this Is long step In
the fulhlment of our sacred guarantees to
the people of Cuba.
Plans for Porto Rico.
We hold Porto Rico by the same title as
the Philippines. The treaty of peace which
ceded us the one conveyed to us the other
| Congress has given to this island a govern
| ment in which the Inhabitants participate
elect their own legislature, enact their OWE
local laws, provide their own system of tax
alton, ana in these respects have the same
power and privileges enjoyed by other terri
tories belonging to the United States and 8
| much larger measure of self-government
| than was given to the inhabitants Of Louisi
| ana under Jefferson. A district court Of the
! United States for Porto Rico has been estab
\ lished and local courts have been inaugur
ated, all of which are in operation.
| The generous treatment of the Porto
Ricans accords with the most liberal thought
of our own country and encourages the best
i of 81 Of fhn tell
/ While they do not have instant free com
mercial Intercourse with the United States
Congress complied with my recommendation
by removing, on the list day of May last
| So per cent Of the duties and providing fol
| the removal Of the remaining 10 per cent
! on the LIST of March, 1902, or earlier IL the
| legislature Of Porto Rico shall provide loca
revenues for the expenses of conducting the
| government.
IsIani Ia Profited.
| During this intermediate period Porte
Rican products coming into the United
States pay tariff of Is per cent of the rate.
| under the Dingley act and our goods goine
| to Porto Rico pay a like rate. The duties
thus paid and collected both in Porto Rice
and the United States are paid to the gov
is taken by the national government.
| All of the duties from Nov. 1, 1898, to Jun,
| 80, 1900, aggregating the sum of $2,250,
| 1921, paid at the custom houses In tn,
/ United States upon Porto Rican products
| under the laws existing prior to the above
mentioned act of Congress, have gone int
the treasury Of Porto Rico to relieve tn,
destitute and for schools and other public
] purposes. In addition to this, we have ex
| pended for relief, education and improve
ment of roads the sum of s1,513,0S4.9 5.
Military Force Cut Down.
| The United States military force in the
| islands has been reduced from 1000 tC
| 1900 and native Porto Ricans constitute fol
the most part the local cOnstabulary.
| Under the new law and the Inauguration
| of civil government there has been graft
| flying revival Of business. The manufactures
of Porto Rico are developing; her imports
are increasing; her tariff Is yielding in
creased returns: her fields are being cult
waited: free schools are being established
Notwithstanding the many embarrassment
incident to a change of national conditions,
she is rapidly showing the good effects OF
her new relations to this nation.
For the sake of full and intelligent under
standing of the Philippine question and to
give to the people authentic information OF
the acts and aims Of the administration, /
present at some length the events of impor-
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