The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-12-08

this continent |
Porto Rico !
/ earnestly advocate the adoption Of
LEGISLATION which will explicitly confer
american citizenship on all citizens of
Porto REQ. There is. in my Judgment.
mo Gus for failure to do this. The.
iharbor of San Juan should be dredged
land improved. The expenses of the
Federal court of Porto Rico should be
Imet from the Federal Treasury. and
mot from the Porto Rican treasury
THE elections in Porte Rico should
flake place every four years. and the
LEGISLATURE should meet in session ev-s
lery two years. The present form OF
government in Porto Rico. which pro-
lyides for the appointment by the Pres
lident OF the members of the executive,
I~council or upper house OF the legisla-
lture. has proved satisfactory and has
~linsnired confidence In property own-
iers 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 h
political. .
Insular Affairs i'm General.
wish also to call the attention of,
the mgr to n ouest'~ which al
fleets our insular possessions generally
namely. the need of an increased liber-,
PANTY III IhC oi tA1 H1koGS
franchise question in these islands. In
the proper desire to prevent the islands
ibeing exploited by Spectators and to
Ihave them develop in the interest of
their own people an error has been
made in refusing to grant sufficiently
liberal terms to induce the investment
lOf American CAPITAL in the PHILIPPINES
land in Porto Rico. Elsewhere in this
Message I AVE spoken strongly;
iagainSt the jealousy of mere wealth.
land especially of wealth as
lsuch. But 1t is particularly regretta-,
bile to allow any such jealousy to be
developed when we are dealing either
with our insular or witt foreign af-
fairs. The big corporation has achiev-
led its present position in the business
lwOrld simply because it is the most
defective instrument in business conf
petition. In foreign affairs we can
mot afford to put Our people at a dis
ADVANTAGE with their competitors by in
lany way discriminating against the eff
lfciency Of our business organizations.
I'm the same way We can not afford to-
lalIoW our insular possessions to lagI
behind in industrial DEVELOPMENT from
lany twisted jealousy of business suc-
Icess. 1t Is of course. a mere truisml
Ito say that the business interests of the,
islands will only pc developed if it BEL
icones the financial interest of sOme-i
ibOdy to develop them. Yet this deVel-l
IoDment is one of the things most earn-i
testify to be wished for in the interest
lof the islands themselves. We havel
lbeen paying all possible heed to theI
political and educational interests of
the islands. but. important though,
these objects are. it is not less. impor-i
liant that We should favor their mi
tdustrial development. The Govern-I
iment can in certain ways help this dill
jreCt'y. as by building good roads: butt
the fundamental and vital help mustI
he given through the DEVELOPMENT of
the industries of the islands. and al
most efficient means to this end is to-
Encourage big American corporations
Ito start industries in them and this.
imeans to make it advantageous for,
them to do so. To limit the ownership
iof mining claims as has been done inl
1.-THE philippines is absurd. In both thei
Philippines and Porto Rico the limit
Iof holdings of land should be largely
raised.
I earnestly ask that Alaska be givenl
Ian elective DELEGATE. Some personi
SHOULD be chosen who can speak with
AUTHORITY of the needs of the Territory
THE Government should aid in the conf
lstruction of a railroad from the Gulf
lof Alaska to the Yukon River. inl
american territory. In my last tWoI
Messages [ advocated certain additiOn-i
Ial action on behalf of Alaska. I shall
mot now repeat those recommended
Itions. but [ hall Law all my stress
iupOn the recommendation Of giv-i
ling to Alaska some one authorized tol
lsDeak for it. | should prefer that thel
lDelegate vas made elective. but if this
lis not deemed wise then make him ap-l
Ipointive. AT any rate. give AlaskaI
IsOme person whose business it shall bel
to sneak with authority on her behalf,
tfo Con 0s,acc Tho natural roC011rooc off
Alaska are great. Some of the chief
needs of the peculiarly energetic. Se1f-l
reliant. and tvpicallv American whiteI
population 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 areI
competent should receive he full
lrights of American citizenship. 1t isl
for instance. a gross and indefenSiblel
wrong to deny to such hard-WOrkingi
ldecent-living Indians as the MetlakahtI
las the right to obtain licenses asi
Icaptains, pilots. and engineers, theI
right to enter mining claims. and to|
profit by the homestead law. These
particular Indians are civilized. and
are competent and entitled to be putt
on the same basis with the white mem
round about them. |
Admission to Statehood.
[ recommend hat Indian Territory
land Oklahoma be admitted as oneI
Estate and that New Mexico and Ari-I
iona be admitted as one State. Therel
is no obligation upon us to treat terri-j
ltoria1 subdivisions. which are mattersI
of convenience only. as binding us on
the question of admission to statehood.f
Nothing has taken I'D more time in the
iCongress during the past few years.
than the question as to the statehood
to be granted to the four Territories
Iabove mentioned. and after CAREFUL
consideration of all that has been del
Iveloped in the discussions Of the uuesl
ton I recommend that thew be imme-I
ldiately admitted as two States. There
is no justification for further delays
and the ACCESSIBILITY of making the four
Territories into two States has beeni
lclearly established.
In some of the Territories the legis-l
llative assemblies issue licenses for
gambling. The Congress should by law
e--rs 80 AZ $3.50 - I