The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-08-04

successful government We who have
been entrusted with power as public
servants during the past seven years cs
administration and legislation now
come before the people content to be-
judged by our record of achievement.
In the years that have gone by we have
made the deed square with the word;
and if we are continued in power We
shall unswervingly follow out the great
lines of public policy which the Repuh-
lican party has already laid down; a
public policy to which we are giving.
and shall give, united, and therefore
an efficient, support.
In all Of this we are more fortunate
than our opponents, who now appeal
for confidence on the ground, which
some express and some seek to nave
conidentially understood, that II trl-
umphant they may be trusted to prove
false to every principle which in the
last eight years they have laid down
as vital, and to leave undisturbed those
very acts of the administration because
of which they ask that the administra-
ton itself be driven from power. Seem
ingly their present attitude as to their
past record is that some Of them were
mistaken and others insincere. we
make our appeal in wholly different
spirit. We are not constrained to keep
silent on any vital question; we are d.
vided on no vital question; our policy
Is continuous, and is the same for all
sections and localities. There Is moth
ing experimental about the government
we ask the people to continue In power,
for our performance in the past, our
proved governmental efficiency, Is a
guarantee as to our promises for the
future. Our opponents, either openly
or secretly, according to their several
temperaments, now ask the people to
trust their present promises in consi-
deration of the fact that they intend to
treat their past promises as null and
void. We know our own minds and we
have kept Of the same mind for suf-
flcient length of time to give to our
policy conference and canity. In such
fundamental matter as the enforcement
Of the law we do not have to depend
upon promises, but merely to ask that
our record be taken as an earnest or
what we shall continue to do. In deal
ing with the great organizations known
as trusts, we do not have to explain
why the laws were not enforced, but
to point out that they actually have
been enacted to increase the effective
ness of their enforcement. We do not
have to propose to turn tn rascals
out" for we have shown in very deed
that whenever by diligent investigation
public official can be found who has
betrayed his trust he will be punished
to the full extent OF the law without
regard to whether he was appointed
under a Republican or Democratic
administration. This Is the efficient
way to turn the rascals out and to keep
them out, and it has the merit Of sim
cereity. Moreover the betrayals of trust
in the last seven years have been in
significant in number when compared
with the extent of the public service.
Never has the administration OF the
government been on cleaner and
higher level; never has the public
work Of the nation been done more
honestly and efficiently.
The President then discussed the is
sues of protection, reciprocity and our
foreign policy at some length.
He said further:
1--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 re-
ciprocal advantage instead Of hostility.
We hold that the prosperity Of each
nation Is an aid and not a hinderance
to the prosperity OF other nations. We
seek international amity for the same
reasons that make us believe in 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 we'll as advantageous.
American interests in the Pacific
have rapidly grown. American enter
prise has laid cable across this, the
greatest Of aceans. We have proved In
effective fashion that we wish the
Chinese Empire we'll and desire its In
tegrity 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 Philippines in
the interest Of the Philippine people
themselves. We have already given
them large share in their government
and our purpose is to increase this
share as rapidly as they give evidence
Of increasing fitness for the task. The
great majority Of the officials OF the
islands, whether elective or appointive,
are already native Filipinos. We are
now providing for legislative assem-
bly,. This is the first step to be taken
in the future; and it would be eminent
ly unwise to declare what our next
step will be until this first step has
been taken and the results are mani
fest. To have gone faster than we have
already gone in giving the islanders
constantly increasing measure Of self
constantly increasing measure OF SELF
government would have been d!sas-
trous. At the present moment to give
political independence to the islands
would result in the immediate loss OF
civil rights, personal liberty and pub
lie order, as regards the mass OF the
Filipinos, for the majority OF the is
landers have been given these great
hoons by us, and only keep them be-
cause we vigilantly safeguard and
them. To withdraw our