Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1905-12-14

| California has done as regards the Iosem-
lite. Nothing should be allowed TO interfere
| with the preservation or Niagara Faiis IN
| all their beauty and majesty.
The Philippine Islands.
| During the past year the Philippine ISL
ands have been slowly recovering from
the series of disasters which, since Ameri-
can occupation, have greatly reduced the
| amount of agricultural products below
what produced in Spanish times The
| war, the rinderpest, the locusts, the
drought, and the cholera have been united
| as causes to prevent return or the pros
perity much needed in the islands. The
income of the Philippine government has
necessarily been reduced by reason of the
business and agricultural depression in the
islands. and the government has been
obliged to exercise great economy, to cut
down its expenses. to reduce salaries, and
in every way TO avoid deficit Ii
has adopted an internal-revenue law
imposing taxes on cigars, cigarettes,
and distilled liquors, and aboushing
the old Spanish industrial taxes. The
| come derived from it has partly made up
for the reduction in customs revenue. There
has been a marked increase in the number
| OF Filipinos employed in the civil service,
and a corresponding decrease in the num-
| Der OF Americans
| improvements Of harbOrs. roads, and
bridges continue, although the cutting down
of the revenue forbids the expenditure OF
any great amount from current income for
| these purposes. Disturbances have all now
been suppressed, and it is hoped that with
| these lessons local governments can be
| formed which will secure quiet and peace
| to the deserving Inhabitants. The Incl
dent is another proof OF the fact that IL
| there has been any error as regards giving
self-government in the Philippines it has
| been in the direction of giving it too quick
| ly not too slowly.
The agricultural conditions Of the islands
| enforce more strongly than ever the argu-
ment in favor Of reducing the tariff 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 ISL
ands be entirely removed except the tariff
on sugar and tobacco and that that tariff
| be reduced to % per cent of the present
rates under the Dingley act; that after
July /, 1909. the tariff upon tobacco and
| sugar produced in the Philippine Islands
| be entirely removed and that free trade
between the Islands and the United States
in the products of each country then be
provided for by law.
Problems of Hawaii.
In my Judgment immediate steps should
be taken for the fOrtifcatiOn of Hawaii
This is the most important point in the Pa
cilic to fortfy in order TO conserve the in
tcreStS of this country. Hawaii is too heaY-
lily taxed. She has serious commercial and
industrial problems to reckon with; but no
measure of relief can be considered which
looks to legislation admitting Chinese and
restricting them by statute to field labor
and domestic service. The status of ser
Witty can never again be tolerated on Amer
lean soil.
Porto Ricnn Affairs.
! earnestly advocate the adoption Of leg
islation which will explicitly confer Amer
lean citizenship on all citizens Of Porto
Rico. The problems and needs of the island
are industrial and commercial rather than
political.
Insulnr Affairs in General.
I wish also to call the attention Of the
Congress to one question which affects
our insular possessions generally; Name
~. the need OF an Increased lberaiity i'm
! the treatment of the whole franchise
question in these islands. In the proper
desire to prevent the islands being ex-
plotted by spectators and to have
| them develop in the interest Of their
own people an error has been made in re-
fusinG to grant sufficiently liberal terms to
induce the investment of American capital
in the Philippines and in Porto Rico. We
have been paying all possible heed to the
political and educational interests Of the
islands. but, important though these OBJ
jects are, it is not less important that we
should favor their industrial development.
Admission to Statehood.
recommend that Indian Territory and
| Oklahoma be admitted one State and
that New Mexico and Arizona be admitted
rs one State. There is no Justification for
further delay and the ACCESSIBILITY OF max
ing the four territories into two States has
been clearly established.
The Panama Canal.
. | ne 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 it's
ratification by the United States Senate
on Feb. 3D. 1904. The canal properties of
the French Canal Company were trans
ferrcd 10 the United States on April %.
1904, on payment Of $4O,CO0,OC0 TO that
company. Active work in canal cOustruc-
/ ton. mainly preparatory, has been in
progress for less than year and q 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 or the Isthmus of Panama. Sec
Ond, the question of feasibility; there are
no physical obstacles on this route that
American engineering skill will not be able
! 10 overcome without serious difficulty, or
that VIII prevent the cOmp.etiO4 u tne
canal within 4 reasonable time and at q
reasonable cost.
/ The point which remains unsettled is the
question of type, whether the canal shall
be one of several locks above sea level,
at sea level with single tide lock. ON
this point | hope 10 lay before the Con
| gress III early day the findings of the
| advisory board of American and European
engineers tAaJ III luy invitation h.t.. o.. 81
! considering the subject. together with the
report o. the commission thereon; and such
comments thereon or recommendations in
reference thereto as may seem necessary.
| The American people are pledged to the
spectliest possible construction of 4 canal
adequate to meet tie demands which the
commerce of the world will make upon it,
and l appeal most earnestly to the Con-
GrCss 20 aid in the fulfillment Of the
pledge Gratifying progress has been
made during the past year and especially
during the past four months. The greater
part Of the necessary preliminary work
has been done. Actual work of excavation
could be begun only a limited scale till
the canal zone was made healtbfui place
To live in and 10 work in. The isthmus had
to be sanitated first This task has been
so thoroughly accomplished that yellow
fever has been virtually extirpated from
the isthmus and general health conditions
vastly improved.
In addition to sanitatng the isthmus,
satisfactory quarters being provided
for employees and adequate system
of supplying them with wholesome
food at reasonable prices has been
created. Hospitals have been estab-
lished and equipped that are with
out superiOrs of their kind anywhere.
| During the past year large portion OF
the plant with which the work rs to be
done has been ordered. 1t is confidently
believed that by the middle of the APP
preaching year sufficient propoctf9n OF
this plant will have been installed to en-
able MS to resume the work Of excavation