New-York tribune., 1907-10-28
THE MOHONK PLATFORM
Conclusion of the Conference on De
pendent Peoples.

| the guests of the Conference the Indians and
! Other Dependent Peoples bade goodby yesterday to
their hosts the Smiley brothers. and their places
were quickly taken by two hundred and fifty
! TORS and sophomores from Vassar College, who
spent the day at the Mountain House
| Before adiourning the members of the conference
! unanimously adopted the following platform which
sums up the addresses and discussions concerning
| Indians, Porto Rcdns, Hawaiians and Filipnos:
The Lake Mohonk Conference, at the close of its
twenty fifth annual session. congratuates the peo
pie of the United States upon the progress made
n the education and deyolopmont of the Indians in
the last quarter Of century. The general policy
foWard Indians adopted by the government in these
charsc 1&'h him IN With 4es6sib n f o5 5lS o"n n
! his life and the nanagemen of his own prop
! erty while for d term Of years it protects lis
I citizen OF the state in which he lives.
Recent ieSisaiion which Ieyerses the ord'r con
citizenship to allotted Indian only at the discre
victions of the NIohonk indian t,oafGrence as cH-
pressed in other years and win tend to proIonG
Indefinitely indian bureau which We hope to
We have confidence in the officers OF The govern
smI pnTied nl Win Wiin the GuY OF CARVING out or
greater emphasis now laid upon labor by Indians
citizenship, and tho effective measures adopted to
protect Indians against the OWLS IF illicit liquor
work Of administration which is nov lie chief task
Of the government we look with coaddence To a
coninuance Of hearty cooperation between the ad-
This conference ueEes upon the Christian people
Christian education and the cyangcIization Of tho
:. While the 9 Indian problem longer looms up as
~ once dld, new and pressing problems now
freedom re people of the j'6ited States suddenly
biIities. Several millions of people of different
races and languages of different degrees Of cvii-
under the jurisdiction of this nation. New politi-
ca! economical and educational problems We're thus
created IIle supreme moral responsibility imposed
was promptly recognized by President Mckinley,
plot but to develop. to civilize. to educate and
reant to a great trust Ih" moral duty thus
certed by President Roosevelt The welfare OF the
people Of the PHILIPPINES has never been lost sight
=. We record our high appreciation of the oNccu-
spirit toward the Filipnos which have distin-
gqished the administration Of Secretary Taft
IN, spite OF the great magnitude Of the rcspousi-
s5 he bs o3n5 EIaI"E r ana tPa a, gRf'gf2SnG as re-
Tho currency Of The islands has been paced M On
stable basis without commercial friction. a gen
needs of the islanders has been established under
ana thirty thousand pupils enrolled. Great sani-
Iafy reforms have been Effected The harhor ~
Man Manila has been Permanently improved msular
taken Postal vinss bT bT s ri@d ri4@T
WIN 6@mehgenl IssgltS and an agricultural bank
Iues g"aI2nieed by law have given a new stahi-
community ana the Philippine National Assembly
grateful jha} HsuIar administr%tion has no, been
States and that the insu!ar service has been placed
upon basis OF principle and merit rather than
good morals aId good policy shall make this course
The problems that etiu confron, us IN tho insu-
Jar depcuaencl"s a'e moral educational and eco-
ana Just legislation he people Of our countrv
should rerognize teir duty 10 aid I'm the solution
OF these problems through those methods and
agencies Of Christian eGucauun and cHaugelizatinu
moral character upon which an stable society must
Hy legislation which we regard as directly at
Philippine Islands Congress has imposed uron
them great and unmerItcd burdens. While ali
f@mmo6ities coming 70 the United States from
aud those from Cuba az 20 per cent of the existing
10 be- iDnsod mon ~ t,r ~ ~ 'i5 i rII9 c-onlinaes -
Of The islands while third product produced there
products II the Jnitcd states is admitted fr.e
fleet Tie prevailing spirit of the American people
w nile congress mad" provision for comforting +
islands at the time Of our occupation no provision
s,5za,i ~, IN % 49, @ 'lln'iGIt G persons, q" a'puir F.
net lInr. speciai naturalization laws for Filipino /.
1t We 5 rg5ipgc@,faIy can ,he a,gni@n Of The Iresl
H. W. ,urse tl2,, our government shall stead
sibiiitN which We cannot neglec,. ana which IS +.
ne ,an an & at r21.,drIaao1s rg4uires
th" highest welfare OF the peopl" of these i~lands
LAY lecisate SO as TO cffec radical re,itction &c,
the duties now collected on products OF the philip
3. We advise that the greatest educational en-
plaSIs Dee put upon the primary schools ana
the PREPARATION Of teachers therefor. and that such
instruction shall have special reference To indus i
trial training The utmost effort should DE made /
to secure the enrolment and attendance of an /
children We maintain that il s the duty of Con /
Eross TO provide adequately for SGCu education. {
even If the necessary money We're 10 from 7
now raised In the islands would become available /
thef" for educational purposes bV the increased /
amount Of taxable property which would bc
cumuaied as result of the reduction OF existing /
duties
Education in the duties Of citizenship Is an /
essential element IN social and political progress /
So fast the FipiuOs demonstrate their political /
capacity. powers Of self-govornmcnt should be /
granted and enlarged.
.. We recommend Congressional enactment TO ena- /
Islands to be naturalzed as citizens of said islands /
We believe that provision should be made 10y Con- !
whereby educated and duly qualified Porto /
Ricans may become citizens Of the United states.
to protect the inhabitants Of our usuar possessions
against the great evils OF the opium traffic and the
opium habit. which already threaten them.
:. We recommend thai the application OF the /
with reference the Philippines. and that Con /
eress give serious attention legislation necessary
o relieve Hawaii the disadvantages which !
this law imposes and encourage the industrial de !
vrlOpment Of POrco Rico
8 with clear recognition Of the ability shown In |
the administration Of affairs in the Philippines and |
the conviction that have body OF cOmpetent |
men trained in colonial administration, it stnl |
seems that the bureau of insular AFFAIRS |
whose functions essentially civil, should be |
ultimately committed to some other depattmehL |
than the Department Of War
STRIKE TIES UP RAILROAD.