The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-09-26


 prisals. Reciprocity treaties are in har- | mony with the spirit of the times; meas ures of retaliation are not"
 This argument was made in the inter est of our manufacturers, whose pro ducts, he urged, have so multiplied, that the problem of more markets re- quires our urgent and immediate atten- tion." He had come to realize that the so-called stand pat policy must give | way-that there must be a reduction of duties to enable our manufacturers to cultivate foreign markets. The last words of this Presdent-who had the affection of his country men--ough1 to be studied by every man who has any doubt of the necessity of reduction in tariff rates in the interest of the manufacturer. They present with clearness a situation and proposed remedy that prompted the pro vision in our platform which declares that, "We favor liberal trade arrange ments with Canada and with peoples of | other countries where they can be en- l tered into with benefit to American agri- l culture, manufactures. mining or com merce."
 The persistent refusal of the republican majority in the federal senate to ratify | the reciprocity treaties negotiated in pur- 1 suance of the policy advocated alike by MT. Blaine and MT. Mckinley, and ex- l of the Dingiey act, is a discouragng ex- hibition of bad faith. As already mem toned by me, the exorbitant duty inn posed on many an imported article by the l Dingley tariff was avowedly intended by l it's author not to be permanent. but to serve temporarily as a maximum, from which the federal government was em- l powered to offer a reduction, In return for an equivalent concession on the part or a foreign country President McI<in- ley undertook honestly to carry out the purpose of this section of the act. A number of reciprocity agreements were negotiated within the prescribed lmita- ton Of two years. which, if ratified, would have had the two-fold result of 1 cheapening many imported products for American consumers, and of opening and enlarging foreign markets to American producers. Not one of those agreements has met with the approval of the repub- hcan masters of the senate. Indeed they did not even permit their consideration. In view of the attitude of the present executive, no new agreement under the general treaty power need be expected from him. Nor does the republican plat form contain favorable reference to one or the suspended treaties. This section of the DngleJ act stand forth as a monu- ment of legislative cozenage and politica! bad faith.
 INDEPENDENCE FOR FlLlPINoS.
 In some quarters 1t has been assumed that in the discussion of the Philippine question in my response, the phrase 'self-government," was intended to mean something less than independence It was not intended that 1t should be understood to mean, nor do l think as used it does IT can less than independence. However, to eliminate all possibility for conjecture, l now state that l am in hearty accord with that blank in our platform that fa- vors doing for the Filipinos what we have already done for the Cubans; and favor making the promise to them now that we shall take such action as soon as they are reasonably prepared for it. If independence, such as the Cubans en- joy, cannor be prudently granted to the Filipinos at this time. the promise that it shall come the moment they are cap- able of receiving it will tend to stim- ulate rather than hinder their develop n ent And this should be done not only in justice to the Filipinos, but to preserve our own right for a free people cannot withhold Freedom from another people and themselves remain free. The tolera- tion of tyranny over others will soon breed contempt for freedom and self
 
 resistance te insidious usurpation of our constitutional rights.
 AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP.
 The pledge of the platform to secure to our citize1s, without distinction of race or creed, whether native born or natural ized, at ncme and abroad the equal pro- lection of the laws and the enjoyment of all the tights and privileges open to them ha ,f t;a as their just due, should be made good l 10 them. In the accomplishment of that ! result 1t IS essential that a passport is- sued by the government of the United | states to an American citizen shall be ac- | cepted the world over as proof of citizen | ship
 CIVIL SERVICE.
 The statue relating to civil service s tba outcome of the efforts of thoughtful. nm selfish and public spirited citizens. Oper alton under 1t has frequently been of such character as to offend against the spirit oe the statute, but the results achieved. .,ven under a partial enforoo- ment of the law, have been such as to both desery, and command the utterance of the democratic party that it stands committed ;o the principle of civil service reform and demands its just and impar- tial enfor cement.
 RECLAMATION OF ARID LANDS.
 A vast expanse of country In the west. portions of which are to be found in each of the sixteen states and territories, men tioned in the law, is directly affected by the national statute-the outcome of intel ligent and persistent efforts of leading citizens. providing for the reclamation of the arid lands for the benefit of home seekers. During the years of the develop ment of the measure which finally re- ceived the vote of every member of the upper house of congress, it encountered opposition, based to a large extent upon