The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-12-05

Iuncuon. ont mere seems 20 uc mvu
Of better safeguards against the de
ranging influence Of commercial crises
and hnanclal panics Moreover. the
currency Of the country should be
made responsive to the demands Of our
domestic trade and commerce.
Economy in expenditures Is urged
Amendment of the interstate commerce
act is advised To insure the cardinal
provisions uf that act. The work car
ried Oh by the department of agricul
ture is next considered aud praised
highly. The president then turns to
forest preservation and irrigation OF
arid lands saving that both are highly
necessary lie would put all the work
In connection with the forest reserves
I'm charge ~ the bureau OF forestry
irrigation.
The president continues by tracing
the connection between the forest r..
serves and the water supply lie says.
The forests are natural reservoirs.
BY restraining the streams In flood
aud replcnishing them IN drought they
make possible the use of waters other
wise wasted They prevent the soil
from washing and So protect the stor-
age reservoirs from hlling up with
silt Forest conservation Is. therefore,
an essential condition of water conscr-
walton.
The forests alone cannot. however,
fully regulate aud conserve the waters
Of the arid region Great storage works
are necessary to cqualizc the flow of
streams and TO save the food waters.
Their construction has been coucln-
sivcly shown Ia Ice am undertaking
too vast for private effort. Nor can IL
bc-hcSt accomplished by the individual
states acting alone The government
should construct and maintain these
reservoirs 90, il 'locs other public works
Where their purpose is to regulate the
flow of streams the water should be-
turned freely into tine channels iu the
dry season to take the same course
under the same laws as the natural
dow
Insulhr Problems.
lnsular question. are next treated.
In Hawaii ON aim must bc 60 develop
the territory ON tine traditional Amer
lean lines. Porto Rico is declared 10 be-
thriving as never before The atten-
ton OF congress is called to The need OF
legislation concerning the islands pub
lic lands lu cuba 10 is stated that
much progress has been made toward
putting the independent government II
the island upon firm footing, and 10 IL
declared that independence will he an
accomplished fact. The president
adds.
Elsewhere | have discussed the ques-
ton II reciprocity Ia the ease Of Gu
la. however. there are vcishty reasons
of morality and Of national interest
why the policy should be- held to have
peculiar applications and / most ear
nc,tly ash your attention 20 the wis
dom. indeed To TIE vital need. OF pro
viding FOR substantial reduction in
the tariff duties on Cuban imports into
the United states.
In dealing with the Philippine poo
pie we must show both patience and
strength. forbearance and stcadfast res
olution. our aim Is high. We do not
desire 70 do for the ISLANDERS merely
what has elsewhere been done FOR trop-
f. peoples 10y even the best foreign
governments We hope 10 do for them
what has never before been done for
any people Of the tropics TO make
them iii for SELF government after the
fashion Of the really free nations.
The only fear Is lest In our overanx-
lcty We give them a degree of indie
pendence for which they are unfit.
thereby inviting reaction and disaster.
As fast ~ there is any reasonable hope
that in given district the people can
govern themselves self government
has been given IN that district There
Is not a locality fitted for self govern
ment which has not received IL. But IT
NAV we'll be that in certain cases II
will have 10 be withdrawn because the
inhabitants show themselves unit 10
exercise II: such instances have already
occurred. In other words. there Is not
the slightest chance Of our failing to
show a sufficiently humanitarian spirit
The danger comes in the opposite drec-
ton.
Troubles Ahead Yet.
There are still troubles ahead in the
islands. The instruction has become
an affair OF local bandits and maraud-
ers, who deserve no higher regard
than the brigands Of portions Of the
old world Encouragement. direct or
Indirect. to these insurrectos stands on
the same footing as encouragement 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 he 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 ur-
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
play to industrial enterprise. and the
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 Gable and the Canal.
| call your attention most earnestly
to the crying need Of a cable to Hawaii
and the Philippines, TO he continued
from the Philippines TO points in Asia.