The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1906-12-05

ury :s l,s treats funds obtained undes
the internal ven laws. There
should be Il considerable increase IL
bills Of small denominations. Pcrmis.
sion should be given banks, if necessa
~ under settled restrictions, to retire
their circulation to a larger amount
than three millions a month.
Our Outlying Possessions.
l most earnestly hope that the bill to
provide a lower tariff for or else abso.
lutte free trade in Philippine products
will become a law. No harm will come
to any American industry, and, while
there will be some small but real mate
rial benefit to the Filipinos, the main
benefit Will come by the showing made
as to u purpose to do all in our power
for their welfare.
Porto Rican Affairs.
American citizenship should be con
ferred on the citizens of Porto Rico.
The harbor Of San Juan. in Porto Rico.
should be dredged and improved. The
expenses Of the federal court of Porto
Rico should be met from the federal
treasury.
Hawaii.
The needs Of Hawaii are peculiar.
Every aid should he given the islands,
and our efforts should be unceasing to
develop them along the lines of a CON-
munity of small freeholders, not of
great planters with cody titled es.
tates.
Alaska's needs have been partially
met. but there must be q complete re-
organization of the governmental sys-
tenn, as I have before indicated to you.
I ask your especial attention to this.
Our fellow citizens who dwell on the
shores of Puget sound with character
istic energy are arranging to hold in
Seattle the Alaska Yukon Pacific ex-
position. This exposition in its pur-
poses and scope should appeal not only
to the people of the Pacific slope, but
to the people of the United States at
large.
Rights Of Aliens.
Not only must we treat all nations
fairly, but WI must treat with justice
and good will all immigrants who come
here under the law. Whether they are
Catholic Or Protestant, Jew or gentle.
whether they come from England or
Germany, Russia. Japan or Italy, mat
tiers nothing. All we have a right to
question is the mans conduct. II he
Is honest and upright in his dealings
with his neighbor and with the state.
then he is entitled to respect and good
treatment. Especially do we need to
remember u duty to the stranger
within u gates. 1t is the sure mark
of a low civilization, a low morality, to
abuse or discriminate against or In any
way humiliate such stranger who has
come here lawfully and who is con
Quoting himself properly. To m
Der this is incumbent on every Amer
lean citizen, and it Is of course pecul-
larly Incumbent on every government
official, whether Of the nation or of
the several states.
I am prompted to say this by the
attitude Of hostility here and there as
sumed toward the Japanese in this
country. This hostility Is sporadic and
Is limited to n very few places. Never
theless it Is most ~discreditable to us
AS a people, and it may be fraught
with the gravest consequences to the
nation.
l ask fair treatment for the Japanese
as l would ask fair treatment for Ger
mans or E%nglishmen, Frenchmen, Rus
SynnS m Italians 7 nc1- - no 1,,> 30
humanity and civilization. I ask it as
due to ourselves, because we must act
u%prightly toward all men. I recon-
mend to the congress that an act be
passed specifically providing for the
naturalization Of Japanese who come
here intending to become American cit
liens. One Of the great embarrass-
ments attending the performance Of
our international obligations is the
fact that the statutes of the United
States are entirely inadequate. They
fail to give to the national government
sufficiently ample power, through Unit
ed States courts and by the use Of the
army and navy, to protect aliens in the
rights secured to them under solemn
treaties which are the law of the land.
I therefore earnestly recommend that
the criminal and civil statutes Of the
United States be so amended and add,
ell to us to enable the president. acting
for the United States government
which is responsible in our interna
tional relations. to enforce the rights
Of aliens under treaties.
The Cuban Matter.
Last August an instruction brok.
out in Cuba which it speedily grew cvi
dent that the existing Cuban govern
ment was powerless to quell. Thanks
to the preparedness Of our navy.
was able Immediately to send enough
ships to Cuba to prevent the situation
from becoming hopeless. and l fur
thermore dispatched to Cuba the sec
rotary Of war and the assistant secre
tary Of state in order that they Nigh
grapple with the situation on til