Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1904-08-03

tory Of the last twelve years, down to
| this very month is there justification
for believing that under similar cir
| cumstances and with similar initial
differences OF opinion. our opponents
would have achieved any practical re-
suit?
Labor Problem.
| Eve recognize the organization OF
| capital and the organization Of labor
| as natural outcomes Of our industrial
system. Each kind Of organization Is
to be favored so long as 1t acts In
spirit of justice and Of regard for the
rights Of others Each Is to be granted
each In turn is to be held to strict
obedience to the law; for no man is
above 1t and no man below 1t. The
humbest individual is to have his
rights safeguarded as scTupulously as
| those of the strongest organization.
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 are manifold;
but the spirit in which II is necessary
to approach their solution is simply
the spirit OF honesty, Of coura sc, and
Of common sense.
| The Panams Canal
ever since this continent was dis
covered the need OF an isthmian canal
to connect the Pacific and the Allan
tic has been recognized; and ever since
the birth OF our nation such a canal
has been planned At last the dream
has become a reality. The isthmian
canal is now being built by the gov
eminent OF the United States. We
conducted the negotiation for its con-
struction with the incest and most
scrupulous honor. and In spirit Of the
largest generosity toward those
through whose territory 1t was to run
Every sinister effort which could be
devised by the spirit Of faction or the
spirit OF self-interest was made in or
der to defeat the treaty OF Panama
and thereby prevent the consummation
Of this work. The construction OF the
canal is now an assured fact; but
most certainly 1t Is unwise to entrust
the carrying out OF so momentous a
policy to those who have endeavored
to defeat the whole undertaking.
Foreign Policy.
"Our foreign policy has been so con-
Quoted that, while not one OF our just
claims has been sacrificed. our re-
lations with all foreign nations are
now Of the most peaceful kind; there
Is not q 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. We earnestly desire friendship
with all the nations Of the new and
old worlds: and we endeavor to place
our relations with them upon a ba sis
OF reciprocal advantage Instead Of hos
tility. We hold that the prosperity OF
each nation is an aid and not a hind
rance to the prosperity OF other ma
tons. We seek international amity
for the same reasons that make us be-
lieve 10 peace within our own borders;
and we seek this peace not because we
are afraid or unready. but because we
think that peace is right as well as ad-
vantageous.
! In the Pacific.
american interests in the Pacific
have rapidly grown. American enter
prise has laid a cable across this. the
greatest OF oceans We have proved
! In effective fashion that we wish the
Chinese empire well and desire its in
tegrity and independence. Our foot
hold In the Philippines greatly
strengthens our position in the compe-
tition for the trade of the east; but
we are governing the Philippines in
the interest OF the Philippine people
themselves We have already given
them a large share In their govern
ment, and our purpose is to increase
this share as rapidly as they give evil
dence Of increasing fitness for the task.
The great majority of the officials Of
the islands, whether elective or ap-
pointive, are already native Filipinos.
We are now providing for legislative
assembly. This is the first step to be
taken in the future; and it would be
eminently unwise 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 already gone in giving the ISL
anders a constantly increasing meas
ure Of elf-government would have
been disastrous. At the present mo-
ment to give political independence
| to the islands would result in the i'm
mediate loss Of civil rights. personal
liberty and public order, as regards the
mass of the Filipinos for the major
| ity of the islanders have been given
these great boons 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 free
dom. We have established in the ISL
ands government by Americans as
sisted by Filipinos. We are steadily
striving to transform this into self
government by the Filipinos assisted