The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1905-11-03


moved, except the tariff on sugar aud tobacco
and that that tariff be reduced to % per cent
OF the present rates under the Dingley act;
that after July l. 1909. the tariff upon to-
bacco and sugar produced in the Philippine is
lands be entirely removed, and that free trade
between the islands aud the United States In
the products OF each country then be provided
for by law.
statute in force, enacted April IS, 1904
suspends the operation of the coastwise laws
of the United States upon the trade between
the Philippine islands and the United States
until July l, 1906. l earnestly recommend that
this suspension be postponed until July l, 1902
thihk II OF doubtful utility to apply the coast
wise laws TO the trade between the United
States and the Philippines under any circum-
stances, because am convinced that 1t will
do no good whatever to American bottoms, and
will only interfere and be an obstacle to the
trade between the Philippines and the United
States; but If the coastwise law must be thus
applied, certainly 1t ought not to have effect
until free trade is enjoyed between the peo
pie of the United States and the people Of the
Philippine islands in their respective products
l do not anticipate that free trade between
the islands and the United States will produce
revolution in the sugar and tobacco produc-
ton of the Philippine islands. So primitive"
are the methods of agriculture in the Philip
pine islands, so slow is capital In going to the
islands, 50 many difficulties surround large
agricultural enterprise in the islands, that it
will be many, many years before the products
of those islands will have any effect whatever
upon the markets Of the United States. The
problem of labor Is also formidable one with
the sugar and tobacco producers In the islands,
The best friends of the Filipino people and the
people themselves are utterly opposed to the
admission of Chinese cooie labor. Hence the
| only solution is the training Of Filipino labor,
and this will take long time. The enactment
of law by the Congress of the United States
| making provision for free trade between the
| islands and the United States, however, will be
of great importance from political and senti-
mental standpoint; AID while its actual bene-
| ut has doubtless been exaggerated by the peo-
pie of the islands, they will accept this meas
ure of Justice as an indication that the people
| pie of the Philippine islands in every way,
| and especially in the agricultural development
| of their Archipelago. 1t will aid the Filpinos
| without injurng interests In America.
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 In order to conserve the interests of
| this country. 1t would be hard to oveistate the
| Importance of this need. Hawaii is too heavily
| taxed. Laws should be enacted setting aside
| for period Of, say, twenty years 10 per cent
| of the internal revenue and customs receipts
| from Hawaii as Il special fund to be expended
| in the islands for educational and public build
| ings. and for harbor improvements and military
| and naval defenses. 1t can not be too often
| repeated that our aim must be to develop the
Territory of Hawaii on traditional American
| and industrial problems to reckon with; but
| no measure of relief can be considered which
| looks to legislation admitting Chinese and re-
| stricting them by statute to field labor and
domestic service. The status of servility can
never again be tolerated on American soil We
| can not concede that the proper solution Of its
| problems is special legislation admitting to
| Hawaii 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 COM
munity in the Hawaiian tsleuas, hut 1t is not
A American n
face of difficulty. Many an American common
wealth has been built up against odds equal to
those that now confront Hawaii.
No merely half-hearted effort to meet its
problems other American communities have
met theirs be accepted final. Hawaii
shall never become a Territory In which gov
ernng class Of rich planters exists by means
of coolie labor. Even If the rate of growth of
the Territory is thereby rendered slower, the
| growth must only take place by the admission
of immigrants fit in the end to assume the
duties and burdens of full American citizen
ship. Our aim must be to develop the Territory
on the same basis of stable citizenship as ex-
lists on this continent.
Porto Rico.
earnestly advocate the adoption of legisla-
ton which will explicitly confer American citi-
enship 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 expenses Of the Federal
court of Porto Rico should be met from the
Federal treasury and not from the Porto Rican
treasury. The elections in Porto Rico should
take place every four years, and the legisla
ture should meet In session every two years.
The present form of government in Porto Rico
which provides for the appointment by the
President of the members Of the executive coun-
ell or upper house of the legislature, has proved
satisfactory and has inspired confidence in
p.operty owners and investors. / do not deem
1t advisable at the present Ntfme to change this
form in any material feature. The problems
and needs of the island are industrial and COM
mercial rather than political.
InsuIar Affairs in General.
I wish also to call the attention of the Con-
gress to one question which affects our insular
possessions gene. ally; namely, the need Of an
increased liberality in the treatment of the
whole franchise question in these islands. In
the proper desire to prevent the islands being
exploited by spectators and to have them de-
velop in the interest Of their own people
error has been made in refusing to grant
sufficiently liberal terms to induce the invest
ment of American capital in the Philippines and
in Porto Rico. Elsewhere In this message ]
have spoken strongly against the Jealousy of
mere wealth, and especially of corporate wealth
as such. But 1t Is particularly regrettabe to
allow any such Jealousy to be deyeoped which
dealing either with our insular or with
foreign affairs The big corpora on has achieved
its present position in the business world simply
because it is the most effective Inst ument in
business competition. In foreign affairs we can
not afford to put our people at disadvantage
with their competitors by In any way discrim-
mating against the efficiency of our business
CARNATIONS. In the same way we can not afford
to allow our insular possessions to lag behind
in industrial development ON any twisted jeal-
ousy of business success. 1t is, of course, Il mere
trusm to say that the business interests Of the
islands Will only be developed If 1t becomes the
financial interest of somebody to develop them.
Yet this development is one of the things most
earnestly 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