Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1901-12-03


 arid states the only right to water which should be recognized is that of Hse. The president says that the doc trine of private ownership of water apart from land cannot prevail without causing wrong.
 fnsuinr Problems.
 Insular questions are next treated. In Hawaii our aim must be to develop the territory on the traditional Amer jean lines. Porto Rico is declared to be thriving as never before. The atten ton of congress is called to the need of legislation concerning the islands pub lie lands. Tn Cuba it is stated that much progress has been made toward putting the independent government of she island upon firm footing, and it is declared that independence will be an accomplished fact. The president adds:
 Elsewhere I have discussed the Ques- ton of reciprocity. In the case of Gu ba, however there are wei9hty reasons of morality and of national interest why the policy should be held to have a peculiar application. and I most ear nestly ask your attention to the wis dom indeed to the vital need. of pro- =yiding for q substantial reduction in the tariff duties on Cuban imports into the United States.
 In dealing with the Philippine peo- pie we must show both patience and strength, for1earance and steadfast res @!ution. Our ai;u is high. We do not desire to do for the islanders merely what has elsewhere been done for trop- ic peoples by even the best foreign essyernments. We hope to do for them what has never before been done for any people of tue tropies--to make them fit for self government after the fashion of the really free nations.
 The only fear is lest in our overanx- Fety we give them t degree of inds- pendeuee for which they are unfit, thereby inviting reaction and disaster. As fast as there is any reasonable nope that in given district the people can govern themselves self government has been given in that district. There is not Il locality fitted for self govern ment which has not received it. But it may well ne tiaat ill certain cases it will have to be withdrawn because the inhabitants show themselves unfit to exercise it; such instances have already occurred. In other words. there is not the slightest chance of our failing to show sufficiently humanitarian spirit. The danger comes in the opposite direc- tion
 Troubles Ahead Yet.
 There are still troubles ahead in the islands.. The insurrection has become an affair of local banditti and maraud- CTS, who deserve no higher regard thaM the brigands of portions of the oid world. IGncoura agement, direct or indirect, to these insurrectos stands on the same footing as encoura cement to Hostile Indians in the days when we still had Indian wars.
 The president declares that the time has come for additional legislation for the Philippines. He says:
 It is necessary that the congress should pass laws by which the re- sources of the islands can be developed. so that franchises for limited terms of years) can be granted to companies do- ing business in them and every encour- agement be given to the incoming of business men of every kind. 1t is tr- gently necessary to enact suitable laws dealing with general transportation. mining, banking, currency, homesteads and the use and ownership of the lands and timber. These laws will give free al bn commercial development which will surely follow will afford to the people of the islands the best proofs of the sincerity of our desire to aid them. The Cable and the Canal.
 I call your attention most earnestly 10 the crying need of Il cable to Hawaii and the Philippines, to be continued from the Philippines to points in Asia. We should not defer a day longer than necessary the construction of such q cable It is demanded not merely for commercial bat for political and mil- tary considerations Either the con grcss should immediately provide for the construction of q government ca ble or else an arrangement should be made by which like advantages to thos" :;ccruing from a government ca ble may be secured to the government by contract With q private cable com pany.
 No s,.Aelc great material work which remains to be undert,kc0 on this con tinent is ot such consequence to tho American people as the building of I canal across the isthmus connecting North and South America. It's impor- tanc2 to Hc nation k by no means linn