Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-09-26

mckinley. and expressly sanctioned in
the fourth section of the Dingley
act is discouraging exhibit
ton of bad faith. AS already
mentioned by me. the cXorbitant duty
imposed on many an imported article
by the Dinsley tariff was ayowedly in
tended by its author not to be perma-
nent. but to serve temporarily as n
maximum. from which the federal gov
eminent was empowered to offer re
duction in return for an equivalent
concession on the part of n foreign
country President Mckinley under
took honestly to carry out the purpose
of this section of the act. \
number of reciprocity agreements
were negotiated within the prescribed
limitation of two years. which. if
ratified. would have had the twOfold
result of cheapening many imported
products for American consumers and
Of opening ana charging foreign mar
kets to American producers. Not one
Of those agreements has met with the
approval of the Republican masters OF
the senate. Indeed they did not even
DcEulll lilSlT COuSlueEdllOn. III view
of the attitude of the present execu-
tive. no new agreement under the gen
eraI treaty power need be eX-
pected from him. Nor does the Re
publican platform contain Il favora BILE
reference to one of the suspended
treaties. This section of the Dingley
act stands forth as a monument of
legislative cozenage and political bad
faith.
independence For the Fiipnos.
In some quarters it has been assum-
ed that in the discussion of the Philip
pine question in my response the
phrase self government" was intend
ed to mean something less than indie
pendence. 1t was not intended that it
should be understood to mean nor do
l think as used il does mean less than
independence. However. to eliminate
all possibility for conjecture | now
state that | am in hearty accord with
that plank in our platform that favOrs
doing for the EillpinOS 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
enjoy cannot he prudently granted to
the Filipinos at this time. the promise
that it shall come the moment they
are capable of receiving it will tend to
stimulate rather than hinder their de
velopment. And this should be done
not only in justice to the I'ilipinos. but
to preserve oar own rights. for a free
another people and themselves remain
free. The federation of tyranny over
others will soon breed contempt for free
dom and self government and weaken
our power of resistance to inSidiouS
usurpatiOn of our constitutional rights.
American Citizenship.
The pledge of the platform to secure
to our citizens, without distinction of
race or creed, whether native born or
naturalized, at home and abroad, the
equal protection of the laws and the
enjoyment of all the rights and privi-
leges opez to them un-ier the covenants
of our treaties, as their just due, should
be made good to them. In the accom-
pliShmcnt of that result it is essential
that Il passport issued by the govern
ment Of the United States to an Amer
lean citizen shall be accepted the world
over as proof of citizenship.
Civil Service.
The statute relating to civil service
is the outcome of the efforts OF thought
full. unselfsh and public spirited citi-
Zens. Operation under it has frequent
~ been of such character as TO Of
fend against the spirit of the statute,
but the results achieved. even under
partial enforcement of the law. have
been such as u both deserve and COM
mand the utteranCe of the Democratic
party that il stands committed to the
principle of civil service reform and
demands its just and impartial ell
fOrcement.
Reclamation of Arid Lands.
y vast eXpanse of country in the
west. portions of which are 10 be found
II each Of the sixteen states ana terri
tories. mentioned in the law. is direct
iy affected by the national statute-the
outcome OF intelligent and persistent
efforts OF leading citizens. providing
for the reclamation of the arid lauds
for the benefit of home seekers. Dur
Ing the years of the development of the
measure which finally received the vote
Of every member Of the upper house
of congress it encountered opposition,
based to Il large extent upon the view
that the aim of its promoters was to
secure the benefits of irrigation to
private owners 1T government expense.
The aim OF the statute is. however. to
enable this vast territory TO reclaim
its arid lands without calling upon the
taxpayers Of the country at large TO
pay for il. Whether the purposes Of
the bill will be fully accomplished must
depend in large measure upon the abil-
ity. sobr.ety of judgment. independ-
ence ana honesty of the officers of the
interior department having this great
work in charge.
In 1892 the main canals and bitches
in the region affected aggregated more
than $1,000 miles and the work Of rec
lamatiOn is but in its Infancy. The to-