Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1902-12-04

.,so % much have our people felt this
that In the Plat amendment we oelnissly
took the ground that Cuba must nerS-
after have closer polittcaf relata0ns w.
us than with any other power. mus :
sense Cuba has become a part or our ~.
ternationnl political system. lhls ia No
Ii necessary that in return she shou.u
given some of the beneILs OF g from
mart OF our economic system. AZ y, lrona
our w standpoint, q short.sign.sa Ny
m~ischievous policy to fan 10 rscoknI1e
this need. Moreover, IL Is Unworthy 80
mighty and generous nation, itseli INC
greatest and most successful republic "a
history, to refuse to stretch out q menus
hand to a young and weak sister sspuaOa
just entering upon us carer ~ insist
upon our lights In the face OF the strohS,
and we should with ~ungrudging mana uo
our generous duty BY the Weak; I urse
only because il is ~eyinently for our own
interests to control the cuban marAet
and BIZ every means TO roster oui -
premacy in the tropical lands anu "s..
south OF us, but also because we, Of the
giant. republic OF the north, should nake
all our sister nations OF the Americah1
continent feel that whenever tnty viii
permit N we desire to show ourselves ais
fnttrestedly and effectively their friend.
The congress has wisely provided that
we shall uild at once an istnnliah canai,
IL possible at Panama. The attorney sen-
eraI reIorts that we can undoubtedly ac-
quire good title froIn the french Panana
Canal company. Negotiations are now
pending with Colombia TO secure her az,
sent TO our building the canal. rms cahaI
will be one a the greatest engineering
feats OF the twentieth century; a gceater
engineering feat than has yet been ac-
compiished during the history 81 ~ ma "a
a continuing policy without regard ~
change OF administration; X SnolId
be be under circumstances whlcn VIII
make IL a matter OF pride Tor AL auMin
istrations TO continue the nolicy
OF Porto Rico IL Is only necessary 70
say that the prosperity or the lsIaha arl
the wisdom with which II mas Deen
governed have been such as TO make lt
serve as an example OF all that Is besf N
insular ADMINISTRATION. -
feace au.J SNppInc ss.iu FhtNpP
ON July4 last. on the one huadred ana
twenty-sixth anniversary of the declaFa-
ton Of INDEPENDENCE, peace ana amnesty
were promulgated in the EnhaPrlIs Ist
ands Some trouble, has slnes tr9 s,sramo
medan Moros, but with the late ir5nrrec-
tionary Filipinos the war has entirety
ceased.
civil authorities together. IL may be qaeSr
toned whether n y here else IN mo-
ern times the world has seen a better 80
ample OF real constructive stateshian-
ship than our people have given in tne
Philippine islands. High praise shouId
also be given those Filipinos, In the ag-
gregate very numerous, who nave az
cepted the new conditions and joined VITA
our representatives TO work with hearty
good will for the welfare OF the ISLANDS,
An EsicRent Navy nrure Peace.
For the first time in our history naval
maneuvers on a large scale are being
held under the immediate command OK
the admiral of the v Constantly IN
creasing attention is being paid TO the
gunnery of the nayy. but II is yet lar
from what il should be. l earnestly urge
that the increase asked for by the secre-
tary of the navy In the appropriation Tor
improving the craftsmanship be granted.
In battle the only shots that count are
the shots that hit. II Is necessary to pro-
vide ample n for practice with the
great guns in time Of peace. These funds
must provide not only for the purchase OF
to encourage the gun crews, and especial
y the gun pointers, and for perfecting an
Intelligent system under which alone IL Is
possible to get good practice.
There should be no halt in the work Of
building up the navy, providing every
year additional fighting craft. We are a
very rich eGfit-yrvast in extent OF terri
tory and great in population; a country,
moreover, which has an army diminuttve
indeed when compared with that of any
other 8rst-class power. We have delib-
erately made our own certain foreign
policies which demand the possession OF
a first-class navy. The isthmian canal
will greatly increase the efficiency Of our
nav IL the navy is OF sufficient size; but
IL we nave an mdueQuate navy, IDen. the
building of the canal YOU be merely Civ
ing a hostage to any power of superior
strength. The Monroe doctrine should be
treated as the cardinal feature Of Amer
lean foreign policy; but ii would be worse
than idle to assert 1t unless we intended
to back 1t up, and 10 can be- backed mo
only by a thoroughly good navy. A good
navy IS not a provocative of war. II Is
the surestf guaranty of peace.
Rural free delivery is no longer In the
experimental stage: IL has become a hxed
policy. The results following its intro
duction have fully Justified the congress
in the large appropriations made for its
establishment and extension. The aver
age yearly increase In postoffice receipts
In the rural districts Of the country Is
about 2 per cent. We are now able. BY
actual results, TO show that where rural
free delivery has been established to such
an extent as TO enable US 70 .aGlss com
parsons the yearly increase has been up
IL Is to be hoped tha the congress will
max liberal appropriations for the Soa-
t%inuance OF the service already estab-
Iished and or its further extension
Irrigation and Protection of Forests.
Few subjects Of more Importance have
been taken up by the congress in recent
years than the inauguration OF the sys-
tenn of nationally-aided irrigation for the
arid regions of the Far West. A good
beginning therein has been made. Now
that this policy Of national irrigation has
been adopted, the need OF thorough and
A0AN& WAL 1ASNN AAAOAN
rapidly than ever throughout the pubic
land states.
In view OF the capital Importance .of
these matters, ] commend them to the
earnest consideration of the congress. and
IL the congress finds difficulty IN dealing
with them from lack OF thorough knowl-
edge Of the subject. ! recommend that
provision be made for . commission OF
experts specially to Investigate and re-
port upon the complicated questions in
volved.
solution of the Indian Problem.
In dealing with the Indians our aim
should be their ultimate absorption into
cases this absorption must and should
be very slow. In PORTIONS of the Indian
Territory the mixture of blood has gone
on at the same time with progress in
wealth and education, so that there are
plenty OF men with varying degrees Of
purity of indian blood who are absolutely
indisIinguishable in point Of social. poIiti.
cal. and economic ability from their white
associates. There are other tribes which
have as yet made no perceptible advances
toward such equality. TO try to force
such tribes too fast Is to prevent their
going forward at all. Moreover the
tribes live under widely different condf-
tions. Where a tribe has made consider
able advance and lives on fertile farmino
soil 1t Is possible TO allot the nomhers
lands in ~severalty much as is the case
with white settlers. There are Other
tribes where such a course Is not desir.
able. On the arid prairie lands the efsor,
should be to induce the Indians RI iead
pastoral rather thar agrlcLltural 49,