The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1900-09-10

should be made the subject of prohibitory
or penal legislation. Publicity will be a
helpful influence to check their evil. Uni
| formity of legislation in the several States
| should be secured. Discrimination between
| what is injurious and what is useful and
/ necessary in business operations is essen
| tial to the wise and effective treatment of
/ this subject. Honest cooperation of cap
| ital is necessary to meet new business con-
| ditions and extend rapidly increasing
! foreign trade, but conspiracies and combi-
| nations intended to restrict business, Gre
! ate monopolies and control prices should
| be effectively restrained.
! The best service which can be rendered
| to labor is to afford it an opportunity for
| steady and remunerative employment, and
| give it every encouragement for advance
| ment. The policy that subseryes this end
| is the true American policy.
| Cuba and Porto Rico
We have been in possession of Cuba since
! the first of January 1899. We have restored
order and 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 stimulated industry, intro
duced public education and taken full
| and comprehensive enumeration of the in
habitants. The qualification of electors has
| been settled and under 1t officers have been
| chosen for all the municipalities of Cuba.
These local governments are now in oper-
alton, administered by the people. Our mill
| itary establishment has been reduced from
| a., 900 to less than 5000. An election has
been ordered to be held on the 18th of Sep
| TENDER under a fair election law already
| tried in the municipal elections, to choose
| members of a constitutional convention,
| and the convention by the same order is
| to assemble on the first Monday of Novem-
Der to frame a constitution upon which an
| Independent government for the island will
| rest. All this is long step in the fulfill
| ment 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 govern
ment in which the inhabitants participate,
elect their own Legislature enact their own
local laws provide their own system of tax
alton, and in these respects have the same
power and privileges enjoyed by other ter
ritories belonging to the United States, and
! a much larger measure of self-government
than was given to the inhabitants of Louis
lana under Jefferson. The generous treat
| ment of the Porto Ricans accords with the
most liberal thought of our own country
and encourages the best aspirations of the
people of the island While they do not have
instant free commercial intercourse with
the United States, Congress complied with
lmy recommendation by removing, on the
first day of May last, So per cent OF the
duties and providing for the removal OF the
remaining Is per cent on the LIST oil March,
1902 or earlier If the Legislature of Porto
| Rico shall provide local revenues for the
expenses of conducting the government
| The Philippine Question
For the sake of full and intelligent I'M
| derstanfing of the Philippine question: and
| to give to the people authentic informa-
ton of the acts and aims of the admins
| tration, l present at some length the
events of Importance leading up TO me
| present situation. The purposes of the
| executive are best revealed and can pest
| be judged by what he has done and is do
] ing. 1t will be seen that the power OF the
| government has been used for the liberty,
| the peace and the prosperity of the Phiiip-
| pnee peoples, and that force has been en-
| pioyed only against force which stood In
| the way of the realization of these ends.
On the 25th day of April, 1885, Congress
| declared that a state of war existed be-
tween Spain and the United tSates On
| May 1, 1898, Admiral Dewey destroyed the
| Spanish fleet in Manila Bay. On May 10,
| 1898. Major General Merritt, U. S. A, was
| placed in command of the military expedi-
ton to Manila, and directed among otner
| things to Immediately publish procia-
| nation declaring that we come not to make
| war upon the people of the Philippines nor
| upon any part or faction among them, but
| to protect them in their homes, in their
| empoyments, and in their personal and
| religious rights. All persons who, either
| by active aid or by honest submission,
| cooperate with the United States in its eff
| forts to give effect to this benefcient pur-
| pose, will receive the reward of It's sup
| port and protection
| On July 8, 1898, the Spanish fleet, in at
| tempting to escape from Santiago harbor,
| was destroyed by the American fleet, and
on July II, 1898, the Spanish garrison in
| the city of Santiago surrendered to the
commander of the American forces.
! Following these brilliant Victories on the
| 18th day of August, 1898, upon the initia-
! tive of Spain, hostilities were suspended
| and a protocol was signed with view to
! arranging terms of peace between the TWO
! governments. In pursuance thereof l ap-
J pointed as commissioners the following
DISTINGUISHED citizens to conduct the ne
J gotiations on the part of the United states:
I Hon. William r. Day of Ohio, Hon. Will
/ lam p Frye of Maine, Hon. Cushman X.
| Davis of Minnesota, Hon. George Gray of
Delaware, and Hon. Whitelaw Reid of
| New York.
| The treaty of peace was concluded on
| December 10, 1898. By its terms the archi-
| pelago known as the Philippine Islands,
| was ceded by Spain to the United States
| IT was also provided that 1.-The civil rights
| and political status of the native inhabi-
| tants of the territories hereby coded to the
| United States shall be determined by the
| Congress-" Eleven days thereafter, on
| December q, the following direction was
given to the commander of our forces in
| the Philippines:
:" The military commander of the
| United States is enJoined to make known
| to the inhabitants of the Philippine Islands
that in succeeding to the sovereignty of
| Spain, in severing the former political re-
| lations of the inhabitants and in establish
ing new political power, the authority
of the United States is to be exerted for
| the securing of the persons and property
of the people of the islands and for the
| confirmation of all their private rights and
| relations. 1t will be the duty of the COM
mander of the forces of occupation to an
| nounce and proclaim in the most public
| manner that We come, not as invaders or
| conquerors, but friends, to protect the
| natives in their homes, in their employ
ments and in their personal and religious
/ rights"
The Old Peace Commission
In order to facilitate the most humane,
| pacific and effective extension of authority
throughout these islands, and to secure,
with the least possible delay the benefits