The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-08-31

sion to killing increases with the years. |
Surely the Creator did not SO plan the
as to make tire progress of 1
the race dependent upon wholesale |
war, instead of being on agency for |
good, IS rather an evidence Of mans |
surrender to his passions. and that one !
of the tests of civilization is mans |
willingness to submit his controver- |
sizes 20 the arbitrament of reason rather !
than of force.
Smaller Nations Afraid.
another subject connected with our
foreign relation: / venture to suggest
that we may not only promote peace
but also advance our commercial inter
ests by announcing as a national policy
that our navy will not be used for the
collection of private debts. While pro-
tecting the lives of our citizens every
where and guaranteeing the personal
safety of II who owe allegiance TO our
flag, We should in my judgment. an
nounce that persons engaEing in bus
mess and holding property in other
lands for business purposes must be
subject to The laws of the countries in
which they engage in business enter
priseS.
Many profitable fields Of investment
are now closed because the people of
the smaller nations are afraid that an
investment of foreign capital will be
made an excuse for q foreign invasion.
Several times on this trip this fact has
been brought TO my attention and | am
convinced that for every dollar we
could secure to America investors by
an attelnp. 70 get the government back
of their private claims we would lose
many dollars by closing the door to in
VeStment
MARK the distinction between the
protection of the lives of our citizens
and the use of the navy to guarantee
a profit on investments. We do not i'm
prison for debt in the United States,
neither do we put men to death because
Of their failure to pay what they owe,
and our moral prestige as well as our
commercial interests will be conserved
by assuring all nations that American
investments depend for protection upon
.he laws of the country TO which the
investors go.
Liberty for Filipinos.
Before leaving international poll
tics, let me add that our nation has lost
prestige, rather than gained il, by our
experiment in colonialism. We have
given the monarchist a chance to ridi
Guile our declaration of independence,
and the scoffer has twitted us with the
inconsistency. A tour through the Phil
ippine Islands had deepened the con-
Yiction that we should lose no time in
announcing our purpose to deal with
the Filipinos as we dealt with Cubans-
Every consideration, commercial and
political, leads to this conclusion. Such
ground aS>we may need for cOaling sta
tons or for naval base VIII be gladly
conceded by the Filipiros, who simply
desire an opportunity to work out their
own destiny. inspired by our example
and aided by our advice. Insofar as
our efforts have been directed toward
the education of the FilipinOs we have
rendered them a distinct service, but IN
educating them we recognize that we
are making colonialism impossible. If
we intended to hold them as subjects
we would not dare to educate them
Self-government with ultimate indie
pendence must be assumed If we con-
template universal education in the
Philippines. As soon as opportunity Of
fers L shall discuss the Philippine ques-
ton more at length, and 1 shall also
refer to English rule i'm India for it
throws light upon our own problems in
the Philippines but these subjects must
be reserved until ! can speak more in
detail
Defect in Our System.
I'm several Of the nations of Europe
the Legislative department of govern
ment is more quickly responsive to
public sentiment than is our congress.
In England, for instance, where the
ministry is formed from the dominant
party. when an election is held upon
any important issue the government
proceeds to put into law the will Of the
people expressed at the polls. While
our system is superior in many respects
it has one defect, viz, that congress
does not meet in regular session until
thirteen months after the election. Dur
ing this period there is uncertainty,
| long drawn out. which to the business
community is often more damaging
than a change of policy promptly car
ried into effect. Would not the situa-
ton be improved by a constitutional
amendment converting the first session
of congress within a few months after
the election and compelling the second
congress to adjourn several days before
the following election? Such a change
would not only serve legitimate bust
| ness interests and give the public the
benefit of more relief through remedial
| legislation, but it would protect the
people from the jobs that are usually
reserved for the short session, and
when many members feel the less re-
sponsibility because of their defeat at
| the polls
Popular Election of Senators.
Il return more convinced than before
| OF the Importance OF change in the
methods of electing United States SEN
ators. There is noticeable everywhere
distinct movement toward Democracy
/ in its broadcast sense. In all the coun-
/ tries which L have visited, there is a
/ demand that the government be
brought nearer 10 the people. In China
| constitution Is under consideration
In Japan the people are demanding
| that the ministry, instead of being
chosen by the emperor, from among his
particular friends shall be selected
| from parliament and be in harmony
with the dominant sentiment: in India
there is agitation for native congress;
/ in Russia, the car has BEEN compelled
/ to recognize the popular voice in tine
establishment of douma and through
out Europe the movement manifests it.
/ self in various forms. In the United
! States this trend toward Democracy
has taken the form of growing de-
mand for the election of United States
senators by popular vote of the peo-
pie. 1t must he difficult to overesti.
mate the strategic advantage Of thi:
reform for since every bill must re.
ceive the sanction of the senate as wei
as of the house OF representatives. be-
=