Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-07-30

10 pc favored so long as it acts in
spirit of justice and Of regard for the
rights Of others. Each is to be grant
ed the full protection OF the law, and
each in turn is to be held in strict
obedience to the law; for no man is
above 1t and no man below it. The
humblest individual is to have his
rights safeguarded as scrupulously as
those of the strongest organization, for
each is to receive justice, no more, no
less. The problems with which we
nave to deal in our modern industrial
and social life are manifold; but the
spirit in which 1t is necessary to ap-
proach their solution Is simply the
spirit of honesty, of courage 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
utlllzlng our vast national domain for
the settler the actual home-maker.
The Isthmlan Canal.
Ever since this continent was dis.
covered the need of an isthmian canal
to connect the Pacific with the Allan
tic has been recognized; and ever
since the birth of our nation such
canal had been planned. At last the
dream has become reality. The 18th.
mlan canal is now being built by the
government of the United States. We
conducted the negotiation for its con.
struction with the incest and most
scrupulous honor and in spirit of the
largest panQr0cifv fouord those
through whose territory it was to run.
Every sinister effort which could be
devised by the spirit of faction or the
spirit of self interest was made in or
der to defeat the treaty with Panama,
and thereby prevent the consumma-
ton of this work. The construction
OF the canal is now an assured fact;
but most certainly it is unwise to en-
trust the carrying out of so moment
GUS policy to those who have en-
deavored to defeat the whole under
taking.
Americas Foreign Policies.
"Our foreign policy has been so con-
Quoted that, while not one of our just
claims has been sacrificed. our rela-
lions with all foreign nations are now
of the most peaceful kind; there is
not cloud on the horizon The last
cause OF Irritation between us and any
other nation was removed by the set
Element of the Alaskan boundary.
In the Caribbean Sea We have made
good our promises of independence to
Cuba, and have proved our assertion
that our mission in the island was one
of justice and not of self-aggrandize-
ment; and thereby no less than by our
action in Venezuela and Panama we
have shown that the Monroe Doctrine
| is living reality, designed for the
hurt of no nation, but for the protec-
ton of civilization on the western con-
tinent, and for the peace of the world.
Our steady growth in power has gone
hand in hand with Strengthening dis
position to use this power with strict
regard for the rights of others, and
for the cause Of International justice
and good will.
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
reciprocal advantage instead. of hos
tility. We hold that the prosperity of
each nation is an aid and not hind
rance to the prosperity of other ma
tions. 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.
American interests in the Pacific
have rapidly grown. American enter
prise has laid cable across this, the
greatest of oceans We have proved in
effective fashion that we wish the
Chinese Empire we'll and desire its
integrity and independence.
Trade With the East.
"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 peo-
pie themselves. We have already CIV
en- them a large share in their gov.
ernment and our purpose is to increase
this share as rapidly as they give evil
dence of increasing fitness for the
task. The great majority of the Off
Gals of the islands, whether elective
or appointive, are already native Flip
mos. We are now providing for a leg
islative assembly. This is the first
step to be taken in the future; and
1t would be eminently unwise to de-
clare what our next step will be until
this first step has been taken and the
results are manifest. To have gone
faster than we have already gone in
giving the islanders a constantly in
creasing measure of self-government
would have been disastrous. At the
present moment to give political indie
pendence to the islands would result
in the immediate loss Of civil rights,
personal liberty and public order, as
regards the mass of the Filipinos, for
the majority of the islanders have been
j given these great boons BY us, and