The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1904-08-18

legislative departments of some of on,
state governments, as we'll as congress
in the manner already referred to, have,
by legislation encouraged their propo-
cation. What is needed in addition to
the passage of a. statute revising the
tariff duties to a reasonable basis-is
not so much other and different laws, as
officials having both the disposition and
the courage to enforce existing law.
While this is my view of the scope of
the common law, if it should be made to
appear that it is mistaken one, then |
favor such further legislation within
constitutional limitations as will give
the people just and full measure of
protection.
1t is difficult to understand how any
citizen of the United States, much less
a descendant of revolutionary stock,
can tolerate the thought of permanently
denying the right of self-government to
the Filipinos. Can we hope to instill
into the minds of our descendants
reverence and devotion for govern
ment by the people, while denying ulti-
mately that right to the inhabitants of
distant countries, whose territory we
have acquired either by purchase or by
force? Can we say to the Filipinos,
'Your lives, your liberty and your prop
erty may be taken from you without due
process of law for all time,' and expect
we will long glory in that feature of
Magma Charta, which has become incor-
porated, in substance and effect, into
the constitution of every state, as we'll
as into the fourteenth amendment to
the constitution of the United States?
Can we hope for the respect Of the civil
lied world, while proudly guaranteeing
to every citizen Of the United States
that no law shall be made or enforced
which shall abridge the privileges or
immunities Of citizens of the United
States, or deny to any person the equal
protection of the laws, and at the same
time not only deny similar rights to the
inhabitants of the Philippines, but take
away from them the right of trial jury,
and place their lives and the DISPOSE
ton Of their property in the keeping of
those whom we send to them to be their
governors? We shall certainly rule it
as national selfshness, there is no
prospect that the twenty millions Of
dollars expended in the purchase of the
islands and the six hundred and fifty
millions said to have been since disburs-
ed will ever come back to us. The
accident of war brought the Philippines
into our possession and we are not at
liberty to disregard the responsibility
will be best subserved by preparing the
islanders as rapidly as possible for self
government and giving to them the
assurances that it will come as soon as
they are reasonably prepared for it.
There need to be no fear that the asser-
tion so often made of late, that we have
now become world power, will then be
without support. Ours is a world
power, and as such it must be maintain
ed, but deny that it is at all recently
that the United States has attained that
eminence. Our country became world
, power over a century ago, when, having
thrown off foreign domination, the peo-
pie established free government, the
source of whose authority sprung, and
was continuously to proceed, from the
will of the people themselves. 1t grew
as world power as its sturdy citizens
to whose natural increase were added
immigrants from the old world seeking
to obtain here the liberty and prosper
. ity denied them in their own countries
, spread over the face Of the land, reduc.
ed the prairies and forests to cultiva
ton, built cities, constructed highways
, and railroads, till now nation which at
:, the formation of the government mum
!, bered only three million in population
has become eighty millions, and from
ocean to ocean and the lakes to the
: gulf, the country is the abode of free
' and prosperous people, advanced in the
: highest degree in the learning and art:
of civilization. 1t is the liberty, the
: advancement and the prosperity oft!
citizens, not career of conquest, tina
: make the country world power. Thu
condition we owe to the bounty o
Providence, unfolded in the great natur
al resources of the country, to the wis
y dom of our fathers manifested in tn
. form of government established b.
. them, to the energy, industry, mora
character and law-abiding spirit of tn
people themselves.
a. We are not military people, bent o
f. conquest, or engaged in extending on
# domains in foreign lands, or DESTROYS {
~ securing natural advantages, howeve
great by force; but a people lovin