Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-12-05

ing could be more unwise than to dis
turb the business interests of the
country by any general tariff change
at this time.
Reciprocity must be treated as the
hand maiden of protection. Our first
duty is to see that the protection
granted by the tariff in every case
where it is needed is maintained, and
that reciprocity be sought for SO far
as it can safely be done without in
jury to our home industries
American Merchant Marine.
The condition of the American
merchant marine is such as to call
for Immediate remedial action by the
congress. 1t is discreditable to us as
nation that our merchant marine
should be utterly Insignificant in com
parison to that of other nations which
We overtop in other forms of business
We should no longer submit to condi
tons under which only trifling por-
ton of our great commerce is carried
in our own ships.
The Gold Standard.
The act of March IA, 1900, intended
unequivocally to establish gold as the
standard money and to maintain at
a parity Herewith all forms of money
medium in use with us, has been
shown. to be timely and judicious.
The price Of our government bonds in
the worlds market when compared
with the price of similar obligations
tribute to our public credit. This
condition ic,
maintain.
In many respects the national bank
ing law furnishes sufficient liberty for
the proper exercise of the banking
functions; but there seems to be need
of better safeguards against the de-
ranging influence of commercial crises
and financial panics. moreover. the
currency of the country should be
made responsible to the demands of
our domestic trade and commerce.
The Railways.
The Inter State Commerce act
should be amended The railway is a
public servant. Its rates should be
just to and open to all shippers alike.
The government should see to it that
within it's jurisdiction this is so, and
should provide a speedy, inexpensive,
and effective remedy to that end. AT
the same time, it must not be forgot,
! ten that our railways are the arteries
through which the commercial life
blood of this nation flows. Nothing
could be more foolish than the enact.
ment of legislation which would un
necessarily interfere with the devel
opment and operation of these com
mercial agencies.
Forest and Arid Lands.
The preservation of our forests is
an imperative business ~ecessity We
have come to see clearly mat whatever
destroys the forests except to make
way for agriculture, threatens on,
wellbeing.
Great storage works are necessary
to equalize the flow of streams and tc
save the flood waters. The storing OF
the floods in reservoirs at the head
waters of our rivers is but an enlarge
ment of our present policy of river
control under which levees are bull
on the lower reaches of the same
stream. The government should con
struct and maintain these reservoirs
as it does other public works.
The reclamation and settlement o.
the arid lands will enrich every por
ton of our country, just as the settle
ment of the Ohio and Mississippi val
leys brought prosperity to the Allan
tic states.
Hawaii, Cuba, the Philippines.
In Hawaii our aim must be to de
4 American lines. Porto Rico is thirty
iro hot hn
ment there is being administered eff
progress has been made toward put
ting the independent government o
the island upon a firm footing tina
before the present session of the con
gress closes this will be an accomp
lished fact. | most earnestly asl
your attention to the wisdom, indeed
to the vital need of providing for
substantial reduction in the tariff dut.
on Cuban imports into the United
States. In the Philippines our prob
lem is larger. Already greater mea
Isure of material prosperity and OF gov
ernmental honesty and efficiency ha
been obtained than ever before il
this history. The time has come whel
there should be additional Legislation
for the Philippines.
call your attention most earnestl
to the crying need of q cable to Ha
wall and the Philippines. to be contir
ued from the Philippines to points il
Asia. We should not defer a day long
er than necessary the construction O
such q cable.
). Isthmian Canal.
No single great material wor
) which remains to be undertaken O.