The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-12-07

The needs of Hawaii are peculiar.
Every aid should be given the islands,
and our efforts should be unceasing to
develop them along the lines of COM
munity of small freeholders. not of
great planters with cody titled es-
tates.
Alaska.
Alaska's needs have been partially
met but there must be a complete re-
organization of the governmental sys-
tenn, as I have before indicated to you.
1 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 it's pur-
poses and scope should appeal not only
to the people of the Pacific slope, but
large.
Rights of Aliens.
Not only must we treat all nations
fairly, but we 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. If he
is honest and upright in his dealings
with his neighbor and with the state,
no &c 70 nd
treatment. Especially do we need to
remember our duty to the stranger
within our gates. 1t is the sure mark
Of low civilization, 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 remem-
Der this is incumbent on every Amer
lean citizen, and it is of course pecul-
iarly incumbent on every government
official, whether of the nation or Of
the several states.
/ 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 a very few places. Never
theless it is most discreditable to us
as people, and it may be fraught
with the gravest consequences to the
nation.
l ask fair treatment for the Japanese
as 1 would ask fair treatment for Ger
mans or Englishmen, Frenchmen. Rus
slams or Italians. 1 ask it as due to
humanity and civilization. l ask it as
uprightly toward all men. l 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
edSStates 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.
l therefore earnestly recommend that
the criminal and civil statutes of the
United States be so amended and add
ed to as 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 broke
out in Cuba which it speedily grew evil
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 fur
thermore dispatched to Cuba the Sec
rotary of war and the assistant score
tary of state in order that they might
grapple with the situation on the
ground.
In accordance with the so called
Platt amendment, which was embod-
led in the constitution of Cuba, there