The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-12-05

| Promise to take action in this case
whether special power is conferred. as
recommended, or not.
Recital of Cuban history and acton
taken i'm Cuba, with advice to the Gu
bans as to their future behavior.
Discussion of pan-American confer
ence at Rio de Janeiro, and report OF
Secretary Roots participation therein,
| Promise of special message ON Pa
mama; recommendation as to Alseciras
conference and the convention adopted
| by it.
Report on destruction of fur seals by
| pelagic hunters; need of new laws gov
erning them.
The approaching peace conference at
The Hague.
Need of construction Of new ships to
maintain strength of navy, and for i'm
provements in army and navy regula-
lions affecting promotions and general
conditions of the service.
1t is obvious from the variety and
nature of the recommendations made
by the message that this is likely to be
che of the Iiveliest short sessions con-
gress has ever known. While the mes
sage makes no reference to the dis
missal of negro troops for the Browns
vile affair, the introduction of resOlu-
tons on the subject, even before the
message was received makes it evident
that this matter will be threshed out
most vigorously.
The promise TO use all the powers of
the federal government in behalf of the
San Francisco Japanese is also full of
portent, because it involves more than
the Japanese and will arouse the in
slant ire of every senator and congress-
man who has any decided views as to
the limitations of the federal govern
ment in what have been regarded here
tofore as purely local and state affairs.
1t has been pointed out already, that
under the presidents Interpretation. a
negro citizen of another nation having
a treaty with the United States could
appeal for federal aid to force his ad-
mission to public schools in the south
o. elsewhere-with what results may
easily be foreseen.
The renewal of the effort to secure
free trade or a lower tariff FOR the Phil
ippines will invite another discussion,
with the same result as attended the
presidents first attempt. In any event
the proposal is apt TO precipitate a
tariff discussion on general lines if any
serious effort is made to push the bill
he recommends. Incidentally. the ques-
ton of citizenship for the Porto Ricans
is fruitful theme for debate and may
be expected to invite controversy.
=
1t may be taken for granted that the
injunction question will be handled
with gloves, since Speaker Cannon is
committed against any modification of
existing practices or laws. and many Of
the Republican leaders are in the same
position. Other labor legislation re-
commended Will get Just as much con-
sideration from congress as the Re
publican leaders are compelled to give
it by force of public opinion, and no
more.
The proposed uniform marriage and
divorce laws would involve an abdica-
ton Of state jurisdiction which makes
their adoption extremely doubtful Even
those states which admit the desirable
ity of uniformity are unwilling to yield
further TO the incessant. persistent en-
cTuachments of the present administra-
ton upon the rights of state and local
governments. Even if an agreement
could be reached as to the text of
law. there would be 10 possibility of
securing the consent of congress TO it,
and the objections to it would be quite
as strenuous in the north as in the
south
Currency reform is another perennial
subject and one on which agreement is
next to impossible. although there is
no doubt but that the present system
with its annually recurring pressure on
the money market when the crops
move, is antiquated and unsatisfactory.
The difficulty usually lies in the fact
that the systems devised have originat-
ed in a desire for a currency that will
provide for speculative crises rather
than for the varying demands Of gem
uine commercial activity. FleXibility
without imitation is next 10 impossible.
and what would please Wall street
would not meet with the approval of
the Kansas farmer. II is to be hoped
some action can be achieved which VIII
improve the national system, but it viii
be difficult to devise plan that would
be satisfactory to the whole country.
Utah is vitality interested i'm tie coal
lands problem, and it will watch the
course of congress in this particular
with anxiety. The present, or rather
the suspended, land laws were an invi-
tation to fraud, since they made it i'm
possible To acquire honestly tracts of
c-al land large enough IN Onarste. st1c-