The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1905-12-05

legislative assembly for the islands will
be held. On the sanity and self-restraint
OF this body much will depend SO far as
the future self government OF the islands
is concerned.
AN ENCOURAGING FEATURE.
The most encouraging feature of the
whole situation has been the very great
interest taken by the common people In
education and the great increase I'm the
number OF enrolled students In the public
schools. The Increase was from 100000
To half a million pupils The average
attendance Is about 20 per cent The only
limit upon the number OF pupils seems 10
be the capacity or the government TO fur
nish teachers and schoolhouses.
The agricultural conditions OF the ISL
ands enforce more strongly than ever the
argument In favor OF reducing Inc tarif
on the products OF the Philippine Islands
entering the United States. ] earnestly
recommend that the tariff now imposed
by the Dingley bill upon the products OF
the Philippine Islands he entirely re-
moved. except the tariff on sugar and to-
bacco, and that the tariff be reduced 10
% per cent OF the present rates under
I, the Dingley act: that after July !, 1902
tho tariff upon tebacco and sugar pro-
duced I'm the Philippine Islands be entire
ly removed, and that free trade between
products OF each country then be provided
! Tor by law.
statute in force. enacted April IS,
| 1904. suspends the operation OF the coast
wise laws OF the United States upon the
| trade between the Philippine Islands and
the United States until July /, 1906. l
| earnestly recommend that this suspension
! be postponed until July I. 1909.
| I think It OF doubtful utility 10 apply
| the coastwise laws 10 the trade between
! the United states and the Philippines un-
! der any circumstances, because am con
| vinced that II will do no good whatever
! 10 American bottoms. and will only inter
| fere and be an obstacle TO tho trade be-
| tween tho Philippines and the United
States; but IL the cosstwise law must be
thus applied. certainly II ought not Ia
! have effect unti fretrade is enjoyed
between the people OF the United States
and the people OF the Philippine Islands
In their respective products.
| do not anticipate that free trade be-
tween the islands and the United States
will produce a revolution I'm the sugar and
J tobacco production OF the Philippine ISL
! ands. So primitive arc the methods OF
agriculture IN the Philippine Islands. so
| slow Is capital In going 10 the islands so
| many difficulties surround n large agri-
| cultural enterprise I'm the islands that II
/ will be many. many years before the pro-
/
! feet whatever upon the markets OF the
! United States. The problem OF labor Is al
so formidable one with the sugar and
tobacco producers I'm the islands The
! best friends Of the Filipino people and the
people themselves are utterly opposed TO
the admission OF Chinese coolie labor
Hence the only solution Is the training Of
Filipino labor. and this will take a long
time
TIC PTTaCtr1CUt or q INV by ttIr CUUgrpvS
OF the United States making provision for
| free trade between the islands and the
| United States. however. will be OF great
! Importance from "A political and senti-
| mental standpoint and while its actual
/ benefit has doubtless been exaggerated by
| the people OF the islands. they will ac-
| cept this measure OF justice as an ind-
! cation that tho people Of the United
/ States are anxious 10 aid the people OF
| the Philippine Islands I'm every way. and
| especially I'm the agricultural development
| OF their Archipelago. II will aid the Fill
\ pinos without injuring interests in Amer
| lea.
FoRTlFY HAWAII.
In my Judgment immediate steps should
be taken for the fertilization OF Hawaii
| This is the most important point In the
/ Pacific To fortify I'm order TO conserve the
| interests OF this country. II would be hard
To overstate the Importance OF this need
Hawaii is -tnn- heavily taxed. LAWS should
| be enacted setting aside for a period Of.
| say, twenty years 20 per cent OF the inter
| nal revenue and customs receipts from
| Hawaii as a special fund TO he expended
| In the islands for educational and public
| buildings. and for harbor improvements
| and military and naval defenses. II car
| not he too often repeated that our aim
| must be to develop the territory OF Ha-
wall on traditional American lines. That
| territory has serious commercial and In
| dustrlsl problems 10 reckon with: but no
| measure Of relief can be considered which
| looks to legislation admitting Chinese and
! restricting them by statute 10 field labor
I and domestic service. The status Of SER
| vil-v can never again he tolerated on
! American soil We can not concede that
| the proper solution or it's problems is spe-
! cial legislation admitting 10 Hawaii n
| class OF lahorers denied admission 10 the
other states and territories There are OBJ
| stacles. and great obstacles. In the way
| OF building up a representative American
| community I'm the Hawaiian Isle nds: bu,
/ Il IL not In the American character 20
| give up In the face OF difficulty. Many an
! American commonwealth has been built
] up against odds equal 10 those that now
! confront Hawaii
No merely half-hearted effort TO meet
! its problems as other American Commu-
| mites have met theirs can be accepted as
| final. Hawaii shall never become terri
! tory in which a governing class rich
! planters exists by means OF coole labor.
| Even n the rate Of growth OF the terri
| tory Is thereby rendered slower the
! growth must only take place by tho ad-
| mission Of immigrants az I'm the end to as
! sumo tho duties and burdens OF fun Amer
| lean citizenship Our aim must be 10 de-
! velop tho territory on the Same basis OF
stable citizenship as exists on this CONT
/ neut.
CITIZENSHIP FOR PORTO RIcANs.
| 7 earnestly advocate tho adoption OF
! legislation which will explicitly confer
! American citizenship on all citizens OF
/ Porto Rico. There is. in my judgment. no
/ excuse for failure 10 do this. The harbor
| of San Juan should he dredRed and i'm
! proved The expenses Of the Federal court
| OF Porto Rico should he met from the
! Federal treasury, and not from the Porto
! Rlcan treasury. The elections in Porto
/ Rico should take place every four years.
ana the legislature should meet in ses