Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1901-12-12
AS TO THE ISLANDS.
LcEsslatiOn Is Urgently Recommend
ed-FrecdOm for Cuba.

e0-FreCOOm Tor S.uDH.
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 homemaker 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 being
administered efficiently and honestly. Its
people are now enjoying liberty and order
under the protection of the United States,
and upon this fact we congratulate them
and ourselves. Their material welfare
must be as carefully and jealousy consid-
cred as the welfare of any other portion
of our country. We have given them the
great gift Of free access for their prod
ucts to the markets Of the United States
I ask the attention of the congress to the
need Of legislation concerning the public
lands of Porto Rico.
q q q q q 80 q q . .
q In Cuba such progress has been .
q made toward putting the Independent q
q government Of the island upon a firm q
q foting that before the present ses- q
q sion Of the congress closes this will .
q be an accomplished fact. .
. ~ = = %<<%.<%<
Cuba will then start as her own mis-
tress, and to the beautiful 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 reciproci-
ty In the case of Cuba, however, there
are weighty reasons of morality and OF
national interest why the policy should be
held to have peculiar application, and
most earnestly ask your attention to the
wisdom, indeed to the vital need, OF pro-
viding for substantial reduction in the
tariff duties on Cuban imports into the
United States. Cuba has in her constltu-
ton affirmed what we desired, that she
should stand in international matters in
closer and more friendly relations with us
than with any other power and we are
bound in every consideration of honor
and expedency to pass commercial meas
ures in the interest of her material we'll
being.
- %>><><
q In the Philippines our problem is =
q larger. They are very rich tropical .
. islands, inhabited by many varying .
. tribes, representing widely different .
q stages of progress toward civiliza- .
. tion. Our earnest effort is to help .
q these people upward along the stony Q
. and difficult path toward self-govern- =
q ment. .
%>>><%<<> >%><<4>>
We hope to make our administration OF
the islands honorable to our nation by
making it of the highest benefit to the
Fllipinos themselves, and as an earnest OF
,hot into m
we have done. Already a greater meas
ure of material prosperity and of gov
ernmental honesty and efficiency has been
attained in the Philippines than ever be-
fore in their history.
1t is no light task for nation to
achieve the temperamental qualities With
out which the institutions Of free govern
ment are but empty mockery. Our peo-
pie are now successfully governing them
selves because for more than thousand
years they have been slowly fitting them
selves, sometimes consciously, sometimes
unconsciously, toward this end. What
has taken up thirty generations to achieve
we cannot expect to see another race ac-
complish out Of hand. especially when
large portions of that race start very far
behind the point which our ancestors had
reached even thirty generations ago. In
dealing with the Philippine people we
must show poth patience and strength,
fo1bearancc and steadfast resolution Our
aim is high. We do not desire to do for
the islanders merely what has elsewhere
been done for tropic peoples by even the
best foreign governments.
80 . y = . o q = = . . q = 80
q We hope to do for them what has o
q never before been done for any peo- q
4 pic of the tropics-to make them fit q
q for self government after the fashion =
q of the really free nations. =
8 . q q . o . q = . . . q q . . = q
History may safely be challenged to
show a single instance in which mas
terful race such as ours. having been
forced by the eXisences OF war to take
nos session of an alien land. has behaved
to its inhabitants with the dis Interested
zeal for their progress that our people
have shown in the Philippines 10 leave
the islands at this time would mean that