Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-12-05
Presidents Message
Continued from page s.,

The government can In certain ways
help this directly, as by building good
roads; but the fundamental and vital
help must he given through the de.
velopment Of the Industries of the Is.
lands, and IA most efficient means to
this end Is to encourage big Ameri.
a corporations to start industries In
them and this means to make II nd
vantaeeous for them To do SO. To
limit the ownership Of mining claims
as has been done In the Philippines
Is absurd. In both the Philippines
and Porto Rico the limit OF holdings
OF land should he largely raised.
Alaska.
earnestly ask that Alaska be civ.
en- an elective delegate, Some person
should be chosen who can speak with
authority OF the needs OF the territory.
Tne government should aid In the con.
struction of a railroad from the Gulf
or Alaska to the Yukon River. In
american territory. In my last two
messages advocated certain add.
tlonal action on behalf of Alaska. I
shall not now repeat those recommen.
cations, but ] shall lay all my stress
upon the n recommendation of civ.
Ing to Alaska some one authorized to
speak for It. ! should prefer that the
delegate was made elective, but II
this Is not deemed wise then make
him appointive. At any rate, give
Alaska some person whose business
II shall be to speak with authority on
her behalf to the congress. The natur.
al resources OF Alaska are great. Some
OF the chief needs of the peculiarly
energetic. %seif.reliant, and typically
American white population Of Alaska
were set forth in my last message. I
do earnestly ask your attention to the
needs of the Alaskan Indians. All
Indians who r competent should re.
ceive the full rights Of American citi.
zenship. It is, for instance, a gross
and indefensible wrong to deny to
such Woodworking, decent living In.
dams as the Metlakahtlas the right to
obtain licences as captains, pilots. and
engineers, the right to enter mining
claims. and to profit by the home.
stead law. These particular Indians
arc civilized, and are competent and
entitled to be put on the same basis
with the white men round about them.
Admission to Statehood.
recommend that indian Territory
and Oklahoma Re admitted ~ one
sra,e and that New Mexico and Ari-
roma be admitted 40 state. There
Is no obligation upon us to treat terri
torial subdivisions, which are matters
of convenience only. as binding nj on
the question OF admission to state
hood. Nothing has taken up more
time in the congress curing 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 been developed in the discussion
AHkhe qnestion4L recommana- that they
be Immediately admitted as two
states. There is no justification for
further delay; and the advisability Of
making the four territories into two
states has been clearly established.
In some of the territories the legis.
lative assemblies issue licences for
gambling. The congress should by
iaw forbid this practice, the harmful
results OF which are obvious at q
glance.
The Panama Canal.
The treaty between the United
States and the Republic of Panama
under which the construction Of the
Panama Canal was made possible
went into effect with its ratification
by the United States senate on Feb
ruary %, 1904. The canal propertiei
Of the French Canal company were
transferred to the United States OF
April %, 1904, on payment Of $4,000,
900 to that company. On April /
1905, the commission was reorganized
and It now consists Of Theodore P
Shonts, chairman, Charles e. Magoon
BENJAMIN M. Harrod, Rear-Admira
M0rdecai T. Endicott, Brig. Gen
leter C. Hams and Col. Oswald H
Ernst. John F. Stevens was appoint
Ell chief engineer on July / last. Ac
tive work In canal construction, main
ly preparatory, has been in progress
for less than a year and q hall. Dur
ms that period two points about tn,
canal have ceased to be open to de
late. First. the question Of route; tn
canal will be built on the Isthmus o
Panama. Second. the question Of feas
Utility: there are no physical oil
stacles on this route that American
engineering skill will not be able L
overcome without serious difficulty
or that will prevent the completion
| OF the canal within a reasonable tim
and at n reasonable cost. This Is vii
tually the unanimous testimony Of tn
engineers who have investigated tn
matter for the government.
The point which remains ~unsettle
Is the question Of type, whether tn
canal shall be one Of several lock
above sea level, or at sea level wit
a single tide lock. On this point
hope to lay before the congress at a
early date the findings of the advisor
board Of American and European er
gineers, that at my invitation hav
been considering the subject, togethe
with the report Of the commissio
thereon; and such comments thereo
or recommendations In referenc
thereto as may seem necessary.
The American people is pledged
the ~speediest possible construction ,
a canal adequate to met the demand