Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1905-12-05


f0infmenf by the president 81 the mem
beers Of the executive council OF up-
per house Of the legislature, has proved
satisfactory and has inspired confdence
n property owners and investors. /
do not deem 1t advisable at the present
time to change this form III any mate
rial feature The problems and needs
OF the island are industrial and COM
mercial rather than political.
insuIar Affairs In General.
wish also to call the attention Of the
congress to one question which affects
our fnsular possessions generally
namely, the need Of an increased liber-
atty in the treatment of the whole
franchise question In these islands. III
the proper desire to prevent the islands
being exploited by spectators and to
have them develop In the interest q
their own people an error has been
made In refusing to grant sufficiently
liberal terms to induce the investmenE
OF American capital In the Philippines
and In Porto Rico. Elsewhere In thiE
message / have spoken strongly
against the jealousy OF mere wealth
and especially Of corporate wealth az
such, but it Is particularly regrettabl1
to allow any such Jealousy to be de-
veloped when we are dealing either
with our insular or with foreign at
fairs. The big corporation has achiev-
ed its present position In the business
world simply because it is the most
effective instrument In business COM
petition. In foreign affairs we cannot
afford to put our people at a disad-
vantage with their competitors BY In
any way discriminating against the
efficiency Of onr business organize
lions. In the same way we cannot at
ford to allow orr insular possessions
to lag behind In Industrial development
from any twisted jealousy of business
success. It Is Of course q mere truism
to say that the business interests OF
the islands will only be developed IL It
becomes the financial interest Of some
body to develop them, yet this develop
ment Is one OF the things most ear
nestly to be wished for IN the interest
OF the islands themselves. We have
been paying all possible heed to the
political and educational interests Of
the islands, but, important though
these interests are, It is not less inn
portant that we should favor their In
dustrial development. The government
can in certain ways help this directly,
as by building good roads, but the
fundamental and vital help must be
given through the development Of the
industries Of the islands, and most
efficient means to this end is to encour-
age big American corporations to start
industries in them, and this means to
make it advantageous for them to do
80. To limit the ownership Of mining
claims as has been done in the Philip
pines is absurd. In both the Philip
pines and Porto Rico the limit Of hold
ings Of land should be largely raised.
Alaska.
I earnestly ask that Alaska be given
an elective delegate. Some person
should be chosen who can speak with
authority Of the needs of the territory
The government should aid in the con-
struction of a railroad from the gulf
Of Alaska to the Yukon river, in Amer
lean territory. In my last two mes
sages advocated certain additional
action on behalf of Alaska. shall not
now repeat those recommendations,
but I shall lay all my stress upon the
one recommendation of giving to Alas
ka some one authorized to speak for it.
1 should prefer that the delegate was
made elective, but If this is not deem
ed wise, then make him appointive.
At any rate, give Alaska some person
whose business it shall be to speak
with authority on her behalf to the con-
gress. The natural resources of Alaska
are great. Some of the chief needs Of
the peculiarly energetic, self reliant
and typically American white popula-
ton Of Alaska were set forth in my
last message I also earnestly ask your
attention to the needs Of the Alaskan
Indians. All Indians who are compe-
tent should receive the full rights Of
American citizenship. 1t is, for in
stance, gross and indefensihle wrong
to deny to such Woodworking, decent
living Indians as the Metlakahtlas the
right to obtain licenses as captains,
pilots and engineers, the right to enter
mining claims and to profit by the
homestead law. These particular In
dams are civilized and are competent
and entitled to be put on the same ba-
sis with the white men roundabout
them
Admission to Statehood.
I recommend that Indian Territory
and Oklahoma be admitted as one state
and that New Mexico and Arizona be
admitted as one state There is no OBJ
legation upon us to treat territorial
subdivisions, which are matters of con-
venience only, as binding US on the
question Of admission to statehood.
Nothing has taken up more time in the
congress during the past few years
than the question as to the statehood to
be granted to the four territories above