Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1905-12-14

. 1er cent Of the internal revsnu. and custom.
n receipts from Hawaii as q special fund 10 -
y expended In the islands for educational anl
t public buildings and for harbor improve
ments and military and naval detenses. II
Z cannot be too often repeated that our aim
|. must be to develop the Territory Of Hawaii
y on traditional American lines That territory
= has serious commercial and Industrial prob
Q lens to reckon with: but no measure Of relief
can be consdered which looks to legislation
, admitting Chinese and restricting them by
statute to field labor and domestic service.
; The status OF servility can never again -
! tolerated on American soil. We cannot con-
! cede that the proper solution OF Its problems
J Is special legislation admitting to Hawaii .
t class OF laborers denied admission to the other
} states and territories. There are obstacles
! and great obstacles. in the way Of building
; up a representative American community in
the Hawaiian Islands; but It IS not in tho
American character to give up in the face Of
, difficulty. Many an American commonwealth
has been built up against odds equal to thoss
that now confront Hawaii
Porto Rico.
: I earnestly advocate the adoption Of leg
islation which will explicitly confer Ameri-
can citizenship on all citizens Of Porto Rico.
There is. in my judgment. no excuse for
failure to do this. The harbor Of San Juan
should be dredged and improved The
penses Of the Federal Court of Porto Rico
should be met from the Federal Treasury.
and not from the Porto Rican treasury. Tho
elections in Porto Rico should take place
meet in session every two years. The pres
ent form of government In Porto Rico. which
provides for the appointment by the Presi-
dent Of the members OF the executive coun-
ell or upper House OF the Legislature, has
proved satisfactory and has inspired conf
dence in property-owners and investors
do not deem IT advisable at the present time
to change this form in any material feature
The problems and needs of the island are
industrial and commercial rather than po-
Iitical.
Alaak
I earnestly ask that Alaska be given an
| elective delegate. Some person should be
| chosen who can speak with authority of tho
needs OF the territory. The Government
| should aid In the construction OF a railroad
from the Gulf Of Alaska to the Yukon River.
in American territory. In my last two
messages / advocated certain additional
| ton behalf Of Alaska. l shall now
repeat those recommendations, but 1 shall
lay all my stress upon the one recommen-
dation Of giving to Alaska
thorized to speak for 1t. / should prefer that
the delegate made elective, but II this
is not deemed wise then make him ap-
pointive. At any rate, give Alaska some
person whose business II 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 pecul-
| iarly energetic. self-reliant, and typically
American white population of Alaska were
set forth in my last message. l also ear
nestly ask your attention to the needs Of tho
Alaskan Indians. All Indians who COM
| petent should receive the full rights Of
American citizenship. 1t is, for instance. a
gross and indefensible wrong to deny to such
nara working, decent-lving Indians the
Metlakahtlas the right to obtain licenses as
captains pilots and engineers. the right to
enter mining claims. and to profit by tho
homestead law. These particular Indians
are civilized, and competent and en-
| titled to be put the same basis with the
white men round about them.
Admission to Statehood.
1 recommend IT, ( Indian Territory and
Oklahoma be admitted as one state and that
New Mexico and Arizona be admitted ono
state. There is no obligation upon to
treat territorial subdivisions, which are mat
ters of convenience 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 mentioned. and
after careful consideration of all that has
Deer developed in the discussions of the
question i recommend that they be imme-
diately admitted as two states. There is no
justification for further delay; and the ad-
| visibility Of making the four territories into
two states has been clearly established.
The Panama Canal.
The treaty between the United States and
the Republic OF Panama, under which tho
construction of the Panama Canal was made
possible, went into effect with its ratification
by the United States Senate on February %.
1904 The canal properties Of the French
Canal Company were transferred to the
United States April 23. 1904 payment
| of $40, 900, 900 to that company. On April 1.
1905 the Commission was reorganized, and
chairman; Charles E. Magoon. benjamin M
Harrod. Rear-Admiral Mordeca T. Endicott,
Brgadier- General Peter C. Hams, and Colo
mel Oswald H. Ernst John f. Stevens was
appointed chief engineer on July last.
Active work in canal construction. mainly
preparatory, has been in progress for less
than year and half During that period
two points about the canal have ceased to
be open to debate, First, the question Of
route; the canal will be built on the Isthmus
of Panama. Second, the question of feasi-
blity; there are no physical obstacles this
route that American engineering skill will
not be able to overcome without serious diff
fculty. or that Will prevent the completion
of the canal within a reasonable time and
at a reasonable cost This is virtually tho
unanimous testimony of the engineers who
have investigated the matter for the Gov
Necessity Of Dispatch.
The point which remains unsettled is the
question of type. whether the canal shas be
one Of several locks above sea-level. or at
sea-level with a single tide lock. On this
point l hope to lay before the CONGRESS at
an early day the findings of the advisory
beard of American and European engineers.
that at my invitation have been considering
the subject, together with the report of tho
commission thereon: and such comments
thereon recommendations in reference
thereto as may seem necessary
The American people is pledged the
speediest possible construction Of canal
adequate TO meet the demands which the
commerce of the world will make upon II.
and appeal most earnestly to the Congress
o aid in the fulfllment OF the pledge. Grat-
flying progress has been made during tho
'ast year and especially during the past four
months. The greater part of the necessary
preliminary work has been done. Actual
work Of excavl:'or could be begun only on
limited rca" till the Canal Zone was
made healtAtul place TO live in and to
work in. Tho istnmus had to be sanitated
rst. This task ha. been so thoroughly
accomplished sthat yellow fever has been
irtually exttpated from the Isthmus and
eneral health conditions vastly improved
he me;t DDS which converted tho
sland Of cuba from pest hole. which men,
Ced the health Cf the world, into a health
ul place Of abode. have been applied on tho
Sthmus with satisfactory results. There Is
o reason TO doubt that when the plans Tor
-ater supply, paving. and sewerage Of Pan
ma aid Colcn and the large labor camps
ave beer fuly carried out. the Isthmus Will
e. for the Tropics. unusually healthy
lace OF abode. The work is so far ad-
anced now that the health of all those en-
loYed in canal work is as well guarded as
is on similar work in this country and
sewhere.
What IS needed now and without delay IS
n appropriation by the Congress to meet
le current and aCcruinC expenses Of tho
on mission. The first appropriation Of sl0-
20 600. out Of the Sl35. 600 ooo authorized
y the Spooner act. made three years
90. Il is nearly exhausted. There is bare
enough of It remaining to carry the
ommission to the end Of the year. Unless
le Congress shall appropriate before that
me all work must cease. To arrest prog
IS for any length Of time now. when mat