The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-12-04
New Possessions.

AN~ W - OSSSSSASA@Ss
 In Hawaii our aim must be to develop the Territory on the traditional American lines. We do not wish a region of large estates titled by cheap labor; we wish a healthy American community of men who themselves till the farms they own. All our Legislation for the islands should be shaped with this end in view; the we'll being of the average home maker must afford the true test of the healthy devel- opment of the islands. The land policy should as nearly as possible be modelled on our homestead system.
 It 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 be- ing administered efficiently and honestly. Its people are now enjoying liberty and order under the protection of the United States and upon this fact we congratu- late them and ourselves. Their material welfare most be as carefully and jealous ly considered as the welfare of any other portion of our country. We have given them the great gift of free access for their products to the markets Of the United States. I ask the attention of the Congress to the need of legislation con- corning the public lands of Porto Rico.
 III Subd SuCh piobicSS HdS OSSh AioNO toward putting the independent govern ment of the island upon firm footing that before the present session of the Congress closes this will be an accom- plished fact. Cuba will then start as her own mistress; and to the beautiful Queen of the Antilles, as she unfolds this new page of her destiny, we extend our hear tiest greetings and good wishes. Else where I have discussed the question of reciprocity. In the case of Cuba. how ever. there are weighty reasons of moral ty and of national interest why the policy should be held to have peculiar appli- cation, and most earnestly ask your at- tention to the wisdom, indeed to the vital need of providing for a substantial re- duction in the tariff duties on Cuban inn ports into the United States. Cuba has in her constitution affirmed what we de- sire that she should stand, in interna- tional matters, in closer and more friendly relations with us than with any other power; and we are bound by every con- sideration of honor and expediency to pass commercial measures in the interest of her material well-being.
 In the Philippines our problem is larg- CT They are very rich tropical islands, inhabited by many varying tribes. repre- senting widely different stages of progress toward civilization. Our earnest effort Is to help these people upward along the stony and difficult path that leads to self- government. We hope to make our ad- ministration of the islands honorable to our Nation by making it of the highest benefit to the Filipinos themselves; ana as an earnest of what we intend to do, we point to what we have done. Already A greater measure of material prosperity and of governmental honesty and ef- ficiency has been attained in the Philip pines than ever before in their history. No Light Task
 It is no lght task for nation to achieve the temperamental qualities with out which the institutions of free gov ernment are but an empty mockery. our neople are now successfully governing themselves because for more than thousand years they have been slowly nt- ting themselves, sometimes consciously sometimes uncOnsciously. toward this end What has taken us thirty generations to achieve we cannot expect to see another race accomplish out of hand, especially when large portions of that race start very far behind the point which our ancestors had reached even thirty gen. erations ago. In dealing with the Philip pines people we must show both patience and strength, forbearance and steadfast resolution. Our aim is high. We do not desire to do Tor the lSlanuerS meTely what has elsewhere been done for tropic peoples by even the best foreign gov ernments. We hope to do for them what has never before been done for any peo- ple of the tropics-to make them fit for self-government after the fashion of the really free nations.
 History may safely be challenged to show single instance in which master full race such as ours, having been forced by the exigencies of war ts take posses sion of an alien land, has behaved to it's inhabitants with the dsinterested zeal for their progress that our people have shown in the Philippines. To leave the islands at this time would mean that they would fall into a welter of murderous anarchy. Such desertion of duty on our part would be crime against humanity. The character of Governor Taft and of his associates and subordinates is proof. if such be needed, of the sincerity of our effort to give the islanders a constantly increasing measure of self-government exactly as fast as they show themselves fit to exercise 1t. Since the civil gov ernment was established not an appoint ment has been made in the islands with any reference to considerations of politi- cal influence, or to aught else save the fitness of the man and the needs of the | service.
 | In cur anxiety for the welfare and progress of the Philippines, 1t may be l that here and there we have gone toe | rapidly in giving them local self-goVern-