The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-08-02

SlNe pTtSluGDlS anu TWO successive
congresses. This is an illustration of
the governing capacity which entities
us to the confidence of the people not
only in our purposes but in our prac-
tical ability to achieve those purposes.
Judging by the history of the last
twelve years. down to this very
month, is there justification for be-
lieving that under similar circum-
stances and with similar initial diff
ferences of opinion, our opponents
would have achieved any practical
result?
We have already shown in actual
fact that our policy is to do fair and
equal justice to all men, paying no
heed to whether a man is rich or
poor: paying no heed to his race, his
creed, or his birthplace.
We 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
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
strict obedience to the law; for no
man is above II and no man below il.
The humblest individual is to have
his rights safeguarded as scrupulous-
ly as those of the strongest organiza-
ton, 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 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 a reality. The Isthmian
Canal is now being built by the gov
ernment of the United States. We
conducted the negotiation for it's 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. 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 a cloud on the horizon
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 basis
of reciprocal advantage instead OF
hostility. We hold that the prosper
ity of each nation is an aid and not a
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.
Our foothold in the Philippines
greatly strengthens our position in
the competition for the trade of the
east; but we are governing the Phil
fppines in the interest of the Philip
pine people themselves. We have al.
ready given them a large share in
their government, and our purpose is
to increase this share as rapidly as
they give evidence of increasing fit.
mess 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 a legislative assembly. Thi:
is the first step to be taken in the
future; and il would be eminently un
wise to declare what our next steI
will be until this first step has beer
taken and the results are manifest
To have gone faster than we have al
ready gone in giving the islanders {
constantly increasing measure of self
government would have been disas
trous. At the present moment Il
. give political independence to tn,
islands would result in the immediat,
loss OF civil rights, personal liberty
= and public order, as regards the mas
of the Filipinos, for the majority o
the islanders have been given thes,
great boons by us. and only keel
them because we vigilantly safeguar,
and guarantee them. To Withdraw
, our government from the islands n
this time would mean to the averag
native the loss of his barely-won civi
freedom. We have established in tn
2 islands a government by American
assisted by Filipinos. We are steadil
> striving to transform this into self
: government by the Filipinos assistel
by Americans.
: The principles which we uphol
i should appeal to all our countrymeI
!, in all portions of our country. Abov
= all they should give us strength wit
= the men and women who are tn
e spiritual heirs of those who uphel
y the hands of Abraham Lincoln: 70
I we are striving to do our work in tn
= spirit with which Lincoln approache
s his. During the seven years that hav
e Just passed there is no duty, domesti
y or foreign, which we have shirked
= no necessary task which We hav
k feared to undertake, or which we hav
d not performed with reasonable eff
). cheney. We have never pleaded i'm
e potence. We have never sough
S refuge In criticism and complaint in
e stead of action. We face the futur
d with our past and our present as guar
@ antors of our promises; and we ar