The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-12-20
Political Comment.
ON Domestic Issues.

&S&SS&&S&SS&%S &%S&S%SS%%&
Roosevelt on Domestic Issues.
On the strictly domestic issues Pres
ident Roosevelt in his message has out
lined policy which, if adopted, the
st. Louis Globe-Democrat thinks, would
keep Congress busy through the long
est and the busiest session which We
could have. He recommends the pass
age of law prohibiting corporations
from contributing to the campaign
funds of any party, and he gives this
the first place in his message. Per-
haps an act ON this line may be passed
during the session, but this is a ques-
ton on which the average person is not
getting excited. The President renews
his old recommendations for board Of
arbitration to settle labor disputes, he
urges shorter hours for employees on
railways engaged in Interstate COM
merce, and he is against abuses in the
granting Of injunctions. This portion
of the message needs to be read with a
good deal of care, for an attempt is
made in it to hold the balance even be-
tween capital and labor. He gives
more space to this subject in its many
phases than to any other question. He
wants the country to retain the coal
lands which are still part of the public
domain, which is a proposition that
will find favor through the West, ex-
cept among the combines which are
seeking to buy those lands at the pres
ent rates. The inheritance and the
income tax propositions which were ex-
pected in the message are there in en-
phatic shape, but neither tax has any
chance for enactment this winter Nor
will the currency question on which he
urges legislation get any attention from
the present Congress. This is too big
an issue to be dealt with in tee short
time at the disposal of the present law
makers, and there is hopeless diyerg
ence among the currency experts as to
the sort of legislation which should
be had. 1t will be noticed that the
President says nothing about the tar
if. No attempt will be made by any
Republican to take up that question In
the present Congress or previous TO the
presidential election. Mr. Roosevelt
takes the entire globe into his survey,
which is perhaps appropriate, for the
interests of the United States touch
every part of the world these days.
Caba's Destiny Manifest.
The Senate Committee on Foreign
Relations decided not to take Up ut
this session of Congress the treaty deal
ing with the question of sovereignty
over the Isle of Pines. For this de-
cision there are two kinds of reasons,
both practical.
In the first place, it has become evil
dent that the effort to hand over the
American Isle of Pines, and its Ameri-
can residents who settled there in faith
that their own government would keep
its promises to them, would fail in the
Senate or could succeed only through
destructive struggle.
In the second place, it has become
manifest that the annexation of Cuba
is only question of time. Many Sen
ators believe 1t will occur within
year. Our recent Intervention in Cuba
encouraged the revolutionary method
in Cuban politics and made future in
terventions inevitable unless the situa-
ton be wholly changed by annexation
The title of the Palma government
was attacked by armed force, OH The
ground that its possession of the Offices
was obtained by fraud The insurgents
could. however, show no title whatever
in themselves. They presented no le-
gal counterclaim. They offered no evil
dence but guns. The Palma govern
ment ended because it could not hold
itself up and the United States would
not hold it up, because to do so meant
the destruction Of the cane crop and
industrial bankruptcy for Cuba
Cuban turbulence has been shown
an easy way to get rid Of any govern
ment which fails so to distribute pat
ronage as to keep Cuban patriotism"
quiet. 1t is to pull off an instruction
at the proper season. when the United
States must intervene to save the cane
fields from the torch. With such peo-
pie only one course is possible. 1t Is
to put them under government too
strong to be attacked. And that can be
done only by annexation to the United
States.-Chicago Inter Ocean.
Judge Parker has a sublime faith in
himself and a stupendous lack of faith
In his party IL he thinks the money