Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-12-06

wealth. The capitalist who. alone or
in conjunction with the fellows. per-
forms scme great industrial feat by
which he wins money is welldoer.
not a wrongdoer, provided only ne
works in proper and legitimate lines.
We wish To favor such man whcr he
does well. We wish TO supervise aud
control his actions only to prevent
him from doing ill., Publicity can DO no
harm to the honest corporation: 0Ed
We need not be overtender about
sparing the dishonest corporation.
One way in which the reimbursement
sought can be reached is by reciproV;-
ty treaties. 1t is greatly to be desired
that such treaties may he adopted.
They can be used to widen our mar
kets and to give a greater field for the
activities OF our producers on the one
hand. and on the other hand TO secure
in practical shape the lowering 81
duties when they are nc longer need
ed for protection among our own PEG
pie. or when the minimum OF damage
done may be disregarded for the
sake of the maximum of good accom-
plished. If il prove impossible to rati
~ the pending treaties, and if there
seem TO be no warrant for the en-
deavcr to execute others. or to amend
the pending treaties so that they can
be ratified. then the same end--to
secure reciprocity-should be met 1y
direct legislation.
In continuing his discussion of the
trust question the President argues
that we should not in any way inter
fero with the legitimate combination OF
capital which often results al cheapen-
ing production. He further argues
that such conditions as are hurtful TO
tine public should be throttled, even if
il should become necessary 10 adopt
an amendment to the constitution TO
meet the case.
PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.
On July last. on the one hundred
and twenty-sixth anniversary of the
declaration of our independence. peace
and amnesty were promulgated in the
Philippine Islands. Some trouble has
since from time to time threatened
with the Mohammedan Moros. but
with the late lnsurrectionary Filipinos
the war has entirely ceased. Civil
government has now been intro
duced. Not only does each Filipino
enjoy such rights to life. liberty. and
the pursuit of happiness as he has
never before known during the re-
corded history of the islands. but the
people taken as whole now enjoy
measure of self-government greater
than that granted to any other
Orientals by any foreign power and
greater than that enjoyed by any
other Orientals under their own gov
ernments. save the Japanese alone.
We have not gone too far in granting
these rights of liberty and self-govern-
ment: but we have certainly gone 10
the limit that in the interests of the
Philippine people themselves it was
wise or just to so. To hurry matters,
to go faster than We are now going,
would entail calamity on the people
of the islands. No policy ever entered
into by the American people has viE-
dictated itself in more signal manner
than the policy of holding the Philip
pines. The triumph Of our arms. above
all the triumph of our laws and prin'
ciples, has come sooner than We had
any right to expect. Too much
praise can not be given to the
Army for what it has done in the
Philippines both in warfare and
from an administrative standpoint.
in preparing the way for civil govern
ment: and similar credit belongs to the
civil authorities for the way in which
they have planted the seeds of self
government in the ground thus made
ready for them. The courage. the I'M
fiinching endurance. the high Soldierly
efficiency. and the general kind-heart-
edness and humanity o. our troops
have been strikingly manifested. There
now remain only some fifteen thousand
troops in the islands. All told. over
one hundred thousand have been sent
there. OF course. there have been indi-
vidual instances of wrongdoing among
them. They warred under fearful diff
culties of climate and Surroundings;
and under the strain Of the terrible
provocations which they continually
received from their foes. occasional
instances of cruel retaliation occurred.
Every effort has been made to prevent
such cruelties. and finally these efforts
have been completely successful. Every
effort has also been made to detest and
punish the wrongdoers. After making
all allowance for these misdeeds, II
remains true that few indeed have
been the instances In which war has
been waged by civilized power
against semicivilized or barbarous for
ces where there has been so little
wronedoing by the victors as in the
Philippine Islands. On the other hand
the amount of difficult. important. and
beneficent work which has been done
is well-nigh incalculable.
Taking the work OF the Army and
the civil authorities together, 1t may be
questioned whether anywhere else in
modern times the world has seen a
better example OF real constructive
craftsmanship than our people have
given in the Philippine Islands. High
praise should also be given those Fill
pinos. in the aggregate very numerous,
who have accepted the new conditions
and Joined with our representatives to
work with hearty good will for the
welfare OF the islands.
The question of Alaska occupies a
well written paragraph of the mes
sage in which are a number of good
suggestions.
LABOR AND CAPITAL.
The relations OF labor and capital are
discussed in the message in lucid
MAI ner. 1t is a delicate question.
Neither party should have it's legiti-
mate rights invaded. 1t is suggested
that whatever legislation is needed to
adjust any present or prospective diff