Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1906-12-07

| adoption OF SOME bystoni ""'s" '""''
be automatic and open to all sound
hanks 80 rs to avoid all possibility OF
discrimination and favorltism.
The law should be amended 30 as
specIfically TO provide that the funds
derived from customs duties may be
treated by the secretary OF the treas
nry as he treats funds obtained under
the Internal revenue laws, There
should be considerable increase In
bills OF small denominations. Permis-
sion should be given banks. II necessa
nv under settled restrictions, to retire
their circulation to larger amount
than three millions month,
Our Outlying Possessions.
most earnestly hope that the bill to
provide a lower tariff for or else abso-
Lutte free trade In Philippine products
will become law. No harm VIII come
70 any American Industry, and, while
there will be some small but real mate
rial benefit to the Filiplnos, the main
benefit will come by the showing made
as to our purpose to do all In our power
for their welfare.
Porto Ricnn 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.
The needs OF Hawaii are peculiar.
Every aid should be given the Islands,
and our efforts should be unceaslng to
develop them along the lines OF COM
munity of small freeholders. not OF
great planters with cody TILED es-
| tates.
! Alaskas needs have been partially
met, but there must be q complete re-
organization of the governmental sys-
TEN, as Save before indicated to you.
ask your especial attention to this.
Our fellow citizens who dwell on the
shores of Puget sound with character
lstic 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
10 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 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. II he
is honest and upright in his dealings
with his nelghbor and with the state,
then he Is entitled to respect and good
treatment. Especially do we need to
remember our duty to the stranger
within our gates. 1t Is the sure mark
of q low civilization, low morality, to
abuse or discriminate against or In any
way humilate 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 1t 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 very few places. Never
theless 1t is most discreditable to US
as a people, and 1t may be fraught
with the gravest consequences to the
nation.
ask fair treatment for the japanese
as l would ask fair treatment for Ger
mans or Englishmen, Frenchmen, Rus
slams or Italians. | ask 1t as due to
humanity and civilization. | ask 1t as
due to ourselves, because we must act
uprightly toward all men. | 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
izens. 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
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 secre-
tary of state in order that they might
grapple with the situation ON the
ground.
In accordance with the so clled
platt amendment which was em\ Nod