Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-09-15

cohtfOl prices shouid pc eIlFStiF'tS ~
The best service which can be rendered
/ to labor is to afford II an opportunity TOT
steady and remunerative employment
and give IL every announcement Tor dd-
/ Vancement The policy that supsefNes
1 this end is the true American policy. Inc
i past three years have been more satlslac-
i tory TO American WoTklngnen thdh many
4 preceding years. Any change o. the
/ present industrial or financial poHcy Of
the government would be dIsdsuota 70
/ their highest interests. with prosperity
/ at home and an increasing Foreign mar
/ ket for American products, employmeni
! should continue 70 wait upon iaD"F, dild
1 with the present gold standard the work
ingman IL secured against payments loF
/ his labor In a deprecated currency z ~
/ labor a short day is better tnau "a snort
/ dollar. one win tighten the burdens me
/ other lessons the rewards OF toil; ne
| one VIII promote contentmcnt ana lnd@~
! pendence; the other perjury ana want.
/ The wages Of labor should be adequate
! to keep the home In comfort educate the
/ children and, with thrift and economy
! lay something by for the days Of IN
Practical civil Service reform has al
/ ways uad the support ana encourage
| ment of the Republican party. Inc ~
| ture Of the merit system is safe in its
hands.
| Gratitude to the Soldiers.
! The American people are profoundly
/ grateful 10 the soldiers, sailors ana ma
/
| fought their Countrys battles and de-
| Tended its honor. The survivors ana the
| widows and orphans Of those VINO nave
fallen are Justly entitled TO receive the
| generous and considerable care of the ma
| lion. Few are now left OF those VINO
| fought in the Mexican war, and while
| many Of the veterans Of the clvil war are
| still spared 10 us. their numbers are rap
| idly diminishing and age ana inIFmty
! are Increasing their dependence. Ihese,
| with the soldiers Of the spanish war,
b. ft.1 BsF flgaiV of
| countrymen.
We have been in possession of Cuba
| since the first of January, 1893. We have
restored order ana established domestic
| tranquility. We have fed the starving,
| clothed the naked and ministered to the
/ sick, We have improved the sanitary
| condition Of the island. We have slim
/ ulated industry, introduced public educa-
/ ton, ana taken.a fun ana comprehensive
enumeration Of the inhabitants. Inc
| qualification OF electors mas been settled
! and under il officers have been chosen for
| all the municipalities Of Cuba. These
! local governments are now in operation.
! Administered by The people. our MILF
! tary establishment has been reduced from
! Sl3 0G0 to less than S. 900. An election has
! been ordered 10 be held on the 18th of
! September, under a fair election law al
| ready tried in the municipal elections to
| choose members of constitutional con-
/ Vention. and the convention of the same
! order is to assemble on the first Monday
| Of November to frame constitution
for the island will rest All this is a
| long step in the fuldllment Of our sacred
| guarantees to the people OF Cuba.
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 government in which the inhab-
| tants participate, elect their own legisla-
ture, enact their own local laws, provide
their own system of taxation. and in
these respects haN" the same power and
privileges enjoyed by other territories be-
longing to the United States and a muCn
larger measure of self government than
was given to the inhabitants of Louisiana
under jefferson.
| All of the duties from Nov. /, 1898, TO
| June 80, 1890, aEEregattng the sum of 81
| $50, 523.21, paid at the custom houses in the
+! United States upon Porto Rican products.
| under the laws existing prior TO the re-
! cent act Of congress, have gone into the
| treasury OF Porto Rico To relieve the des-
! utute and for schools and other public
| purposes. In addition to this we have
| expended for relief, education and inn
| provement of roads the sum OF 81, 5l3,
| osl.95. The United States military force
in the island has been reduced from II 0U1
| to 1,JO0. and native Porto RiCans consti-
| tute for the most part the local con-
! stabulary. Under the new law and the
Inauguration Of civil government there
! has been gratifying revival of business.
| The president then enters into an ex-
haustiVe discussion of the events pre-
ceding and during the war with Spain,
| the appointment of the various commits
sions and quotes at length from his in
structions to the commissioners and thei.
| reports. Addressing the Paris peace COM
mission on Nov. 13, 1885, the president
said:
Our Obligations to the Filipinos.
From the standpoint Of indemnity both
the archipelagoes porto Rico and the
| Philippines are insufficient to pay our
war expenses, but aside from this do we
not owe an obligation to the people of the
! Philippines which will not permit us to
Could we justify ourselves in such
course or could we permit their barter
to some other power? Willing or not we
have the responsibility Of duty which we
! cannot believe any division of the arch
! ipelago can bring us anything but en-
barrassment in the future. The trade and
! commercial side, as well as the indemnify
/ for the cost of the war. are questions we
might yield. They might be waived or
| compromised, but the questions of duty
! and humanity appeal to the president so
| strongly that he can tind no appropriate
answer but the one, he has here marked
| out.
! Referring to the commission appointed
| in January, 1899. consisting of Jacob c.
| Schurman, Admiral Dewey, Charles Den
! by, Dean G, Worcester and Major General
! Otis, the president says:
a. tsIlV is April 1899, the Philippine
! commission, of which DIR. Schurman was
/ president endeavored to bring about
/ peace in the islands by repeated confer
! enCes with leading Talalogs representing
! the so-called insurgent government, TO
the end that some general plan of gov
eminent might be offered them which
| they would accept. So great was the sat
! isfaCtiOn of the insurgent commission
ers with the form Of government pro-
! posed by the American commissioners
| that the latter submitted the proposed
scheme to me for approval, and my ac-
/ tion thereon is shown by the following
/ cable message of May g. 1888:
You are authorized TO propose that UNI
/ der the military power of the president.
/ pending action Of congress- government OF
the Philippine Islands shall consist OF "a
governor general appointed by the presi-
! dent. cabinet appointed by the governor
/ general; "a general advisory council elect
| ed by the people, the qualifications OF
| electors 10 be carefully considered and
! determined and the sQJcrnOr general to
nave --Suiute veto; Judiciary strong and
independent. principal judges appointed
| by the president, the cabinet and judges
TO be chosen from natives or Americans.
! or both having regard for fitness. The
! president earnestly desires the cessation
| of blou5shed and that the people of the
| Philippine islands at an early date Will
| have The large measure of local self gov
| eminent consistent with peace and good