The suburban citizen., 1901-12-07
Insular Possessions.

velop the territory on the traditional
American lines. We do not wish a
region of large estates titled by cheap
labor; we wish healthy American COM
munity of men who themselves till the
farms they own. All our legislation for
the islands should be shaped with this
end in view
1t is a pleasure to say that it is
hardly more necessary to report as to
Porto Rico than as to any State or
territory within our continental limits.
The island is thriving as never before,
and it is being administered efficiently
and honestly Its people are now en-
joying liberty and order under the pro-
lection Of the United States and upon
this fact we congratulate them and our
selves. | ask the attention of the Con-
gress to the need of legislation concern
ing the public lands of Porto Rico.
In Cuba such progress has been made
towards putting the independent gov
ernment of the island upon firm foot
ing that before the present session Of
the Congress closes this will be an ac-
complished fact, Cuba will then start
as her own mistress and to the beauti-
full Queen of the Antilles, as she unfolds
this new page OF her destiny we extend
our heartiest greetings and good wishes.
Elsewhere l have discussed the question
of reciprocity. In the case of Cuba how
ever, there are weighty reasons of NOR
aity and of national interest why the
policy should be held to have a pecu
liar application, and | most earnestly
ask your attention to the wisdom, in
deed to the vital need, of providing for
a substantial reduction in the tariff du-
ties on Cuban imports into the United
States
In the Philippines our problem is
larger They are very rich tropical is
lands, inhabited by many varying tribes,
representing widely different stages of
progress toward civilization. Our earn
est effort is to help these people upward
along the stormy and difficult path that
leads to self-government We hope to
make our administration of the islands
honorable to our Nation by making it of
the highest benefit to the Filipinos them
selves and as an earnest of what we in
tend to do, we point to what we have
done. Already greater measure OF
material prosperity and of governmental
honesty and efficiency has been attain
ed in the Philippines than ever before in
their history.
There are still troubles ahead in the
islands. The insurrection has become
an affair of local banditti and maraud-
ers, who deserve no higher regard than
the brigands of portions of the Old
World Encouragement, direct or in
direct to these insurrectos stands on the
same footing as encouragement to hos
tile Indians in the days when we still
had Indian wars Exactly as our aim
is to give to the Indian who remains
peaceful the fullest and amplest consid-
Grafton. but to have it understood that
we will show no weakness if he goes
on the warpath, so we must make it
evident, unless we are false to our own
traditions and to the demands of civil
ization and humanity, that while we
will do everything in our power for the
Filipino who is peaceful, we will take
the sternest measures with the Fill
pino who follows the path of the in
surrecto and the ladrone.
The heartiest praise is due to large
numbers of the natives of the islands
for their steadfast loyalty The Maca-
bebes have been conspicuous for
their courage and devotion to the flag
The time has come when there
. should be additional legislation for
the Philippines Nothing better can
be done for the islands than. to intro
duce industrial enterprises. Nothing
would benefit them so much as throw
ing them open to industrial development.
/ call your attention most earnestly
to the crying need of a cable to
Hawaii and the Philippines, to be con-
tinued from the Philippines to points
in Asia. We should not defer a day
: longer than necessary the construc-
| tion of such a cable 1t is demanded
Z not merely for commercial, but for
l political and military considerations.
e Either the Congress should imme-
5 diately provide for the construction
e of a government cable or else an ar
r rangement should be made by which
r like advantages to those accruing from
r. government cable may be secured to
the government by contract with a pri-
vate cable company.
r No single great material work which
z remains to be undertaken on this con-
/ tinent is of such consequence to the
American people as the building of a
e. canal across the Isthmus connecting
North and South America Its import
ance to the Nation is by no means lin
| itNA lIClNly " llo llldlClldl CllCClS upon
, our business prosperity; alone it would
8 be to the last degree important for us
= Immediately to begin it.
am glad to be able to announce to
you that our negotiations on this subject
= with Great Britain, conducted on both
: sides in a spirit Of friendliness and mu-
tual good will and respect, have resulted
|, in my being able to lay before the SEN
. ate treaty which if ratified, will enable
: us to begin preparations for an Isthmian
: canal at any time, and which guarantees
a to this Nation every right that it has
y ever asked in connection with the canal
The signed treaty will at once be laid
before the Senate, and if approved, the
Congress can then proceed to give effect
to the advantages it secures us by pro-
f yiding for the building of the canal.
I The Monroe Doctrine.
+ Our people intends to abide by the
d Monroe Doctrine and to insist upon it
r as the one sure means of securing the
+ peace of the Western Hemisphere. The