The Globe-republican., 1904-08-04
I'VE have enacted a tariff law under

which during the last few years the
country has attained height Of ma.
terial well-being never before reached.
That whenever TIE need arises there
SHOULD be a readjustment Of the tar.
if schedules is undoubted; but such
changes can with safety be made only
by those whose devotion to the prin.
ciple of protective tariff is beyond
question; for otherwise the changes
would amount not to reimbursement
but to repeal. The readjustment
when made must maintain and not
destroy the protective principle. To
the farmer, the merchant, the manu-
facturer this is vital; but perhaps no
ether man is 60 much interested as
the wage-worker in the maintenance
of our present economic system, both
as regards the finances and the tariff.
The standard of living Of our wage.
workers Is higher than that Of any
other country, and 1t cannot so re.
main unless we have protective tar
iii which shall always keep as a mini
mum a rate of duty sufficient to cover
the difference between the labor cost
here and abroad.
"We believe In reciprocity with for
eign nations on the terms outlined in
President McKinleys last speech,
which urged the extension Of our for.
eign markets by reciprocal agreements
whenever they could be made with.
out injury to American industry and
labor.
"We recognize the organization Of
capital and the organization of labor
rs natural outcomes Of our industrial
system. Each kind Of organization
Is to be favored so long as 1t acts
in a spirit Of justice and of regard
for the rights Of others. Each is
to be granted the full protection Of
the law, and each in turn is to be
held to a strict obedience to the law;
for no man is above it and no man
Fellow 1t.
I'm inauguratlng the great work Of
irrigation in the west the administra-
ton has been enabled by congress
to take one Of the longest strides ever
taken under our government toward
utilizing our vast national domain for
the settler, the actual homemaker
Ever since this continent was dis.
covered the need Of an isthmian
canal to connect the Pacific and the
Atlantic has been recognized; and
ever since the birth of our nation such
canal has been planned. The 18TH
milan canal Is now being built by the
government Of the United States. We
conducted the negotiation for its con.
struction with the incest and most
scrupulous honor, and in a spirit Of
the largest generosity toward those
through whose territory 1t was to run.
"Our foreign policy has been so
conducted that, while not one of our
just claims has been sacrificed, our
relations with all foreign nations are
now of the most peaceful kind; there
is not a cloud on the horizon. The
last cause Of irritation between us
and any other nation was removed by |
the settlement Of the Alaskan bound
airy.
I'm the Caribbean sea we have
made good our promises Of independ.
ence to Cuba and have proved our as
sertion that our mission in the island
was one of justice and not of self
aggrandizement; and thereby no less
than by our action in Venezuela and
Panama we have shown that the Mon.
roe doctrine is living reality, design
ed for the hurt of no nation, but for
the protection Of civilization on the
western continent and for the peace
of the world. Our steady growth in |
power has gone hand in hand with a
strengthening disposition to use this
power with strict regard for the rights |
of others and for the cause of inter-
rational justice and good will.
"Our foothold in the Philippines |
greatly strengthens our position in
the competition for the trade of the
east; but we are governing the Philip
pines in the interest Of the Philippine |
people themselves. We have already |
given them large share in their
government, and our purpose Is to in
crease this share as rapidly as they !
give evidence Of increasing fitness for
the task. To have gone faster than
we have already gone in giving the
islanders a constantly increasing
measure Of self-government would
have been disastrous. We have estab-
lished in the islands government by |
Americans assisted by Filipinos. We |
are steadily striving to transform this
self-governmeht by the Filipinos as
sisted by Americans.
During the seven years that have |
Just passed there is no duty, domestic
or foreign, which we have shirked;
no necessary task which we have fear
ed to undertake, or which we have
not performed with reasonable effici-
ency. We face the future with our
past and our present as guarantors OF
our promises, and we are content to
stand or to fall by the record which
we have made and are making"