The Bourbon news., 1904-08-02

1y as those of the strongest organiza-
tion, for each is to receive justice.
no more and no less. The problems
with which we have to deal in our
modern Industrial and social life ara
manifold; but the spirit in which it is
necessary to approach their solution Is
simply the spirit of honesty, of cour-
age, and of common sense.
In inaugurating 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 home maker.
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 a canal
has been planned. AT last the dream
has become reality. The Isthmian
Canal is now being built by the gov
ernment 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 it was to
run. Every sinister effort which could
be devised by the spirit of faction or
the spirit of self-interest was made
in order to defeat the treaty with
Panama and thereby prevent the con-
summation of this work. The con-
struction of the canal is now an as
sured fact; but most certainly it is
unwise to entrust the carrying out of
so momentous a policy to those who
have endeavored to defeat the whole
undertaking.
Our foreign policy has been so con-
Quoted that while not one of our just
claims has been sacrificed, our rela-
tiOnS with all foreign nations are now
of the most peaceful kind; there is
not cloud on the horizon. The last
cause of irritation between us and
any other nation was removed by the
settlement of the Alaskan boundary.
In the Caribbean Sea we have made
good our promises of independence to
Cuba, and have proved our assertion
that our mission in the island was
one of justice and not of self-aggran-
diZement; and thereby no less than
by our action in Venezuela and Pan
anna we have shown that the Monroe
Doctrine is living reality, designed
for the hurt OF no nation, but for the
protection of civilization on the west
ern continent, and TOR the peace of
the world. Our steady growth in
hoe
Strengthening disposition to use this
power with strict regard for the
rights of others, and for the cause of
international justice and goodwill.
We earnestly desire friendship with
all the nations of the new and old
worlds; and we endeavor to place
our relations with them upon basis
of reciprocal advantage instead of
hostility. We hold that the prosper
ity of each nation is an aid and not
hindrance to the prosperity of other
nations. We seek international amity
for the same reasons that make us
believe in peace within our own bor-
ders; and we seek this peace not be-
cause we are afraid or unready, but
because we think that peace is right
as well as advantageous.
American interests in the Pacific
have rapidly grown. American en-
terprise has laid cable across this,
the greatest of oceans. We have
proved in effective fashion that we
wish the Chinese empire we'll and de-
sire its integrity and independence.
Our foothold in the Philippines
greatly strengthens our position in
the competition for the trade of the
east; but we are governing the Phil
ippines in the interest of the Philip
pine people themselves. We have al
ready given them large share in
their government, and our purpose is
to increase this share as rapidly as
they give evidence of increasing fit
ness for the task. The great majority
of the officials of the islands, whether
elective or appointive are already
native Filipinos. We are now pro-
viding for legislative assembly This
is the first step to be taken in the
future; and it would be eminently un-
wise to declare what our next step
will be until this first step has been
taken and the results are manifest.
To have gone faster than we have al
ready gone in giving the islanders a
constantly Increasing measure of self
government would have been disas-
trous. At the present moment to
give political independence to the
islands would result in the immediate
loss of civil rights, personal liberty
and public order, as regards the mass
of the Filipinos, for the majority of
the islanders have been given these
great b0ons by us, and only keep
them because we vigilantly safeguard
and guarantee them. To withdraw
our government from the islands at
this time would mean to the average
native the loss of his barely-won civil
freedom. We have established in the
islands a government by Americans
assisted by Filipinos. We are steadily
striving to transform this into self
government by the Filipinos assisted
by Americans.
The principles which we uphold
should appeal to all our countrymen,
I