Omaha daily bee., 1907-02-24
Philippines an Illustration.

During the last few years much good
has been. done to the people of the Phil
those who merely INDUCED in the personal
luxury of advocating for the islands a
Ser oerty which would have meant
] by those who have faced facts as they
actually were. remembering the proverb
that teaches us that in the long run even
| the most uncomfortable truth Is a safer
| companion than. the pleasantest faisehDod
II is these men. the men who with short
| eomings and stumblings yet did the duty
/ OF the moment, though that duty was hard
| and often dsagreeable. and not the men
who confined themselves To idle talk OF
no matter how htgh-sounding a nature
who have done real good to the islands
| These are the men who have brought JUS
! building roads, who have introduced
schools; who. gradually, with patience and
firinness, are really fitting the Islanders for
So 1t Is with the great questions which
! group themselves round the control of cor
| porauopS Inc the interest of the public.
| There has been curious revival OF the
| doctrine OF state rights In connection with
these questions by the people who know
] that the states cannot with justice to both
sides practically control the corporations
and who therefore advocate such control
because they do not venture to express
their real wish, which is that there shall be
| no control at all Honest and fair dealing
railway corporations will gain and not lose
phatically it is both the duty and the in
| terest Of our people. to deal fairly with
COTpOTdtlOHS ana TO see that
MUM is put upon the honest management
OF them. and that those who invest In
them are amply protected. But those who
tect state corporate creations In predatory
activities extended through other states are
as shortsighted as those who once invoked
the same doctrine to protect the special
lslaveholding interest. The states have shown
that they have not the ability TO curb the
power OF syndicated wealth, and therefore
In the interest of the people II must be
done by national action.
Our present warfare is against special
privilege. The men-many OF them, I am
sorry to say. college men-who are prompt
70 To- speak against every practical means
, object we have in viewNthe proper r
eral government OF the great corpora
] are, nevertheless, themselves power
? less to so much outline any plan OF
constructive statesmanship which shall
these men; both those In public and those
: In private life. and though they are prompt
have yet to see one of them lift a finger
70 remedy the wrongs that exist. So IL is
IN every field Of public activity. States
rights should be preserved when they mean
the peoples rights, but not when they mean
the peoples Erongsi not. for Instance
] ton Of child labor, to break the force
: OF the laws which prohibit the Importation
OF contract labor 20 this country; in short
sion OF any kind or for national weakness.
or Importance at home or abroad.
3 Years of Achievement.
2 II IL 10 the men who work In practice
fashion with their fellows and not 20 thos.
who, whether because they are impractica
? or incapable, cannot thus work, that we ow
what success We have had in dealing with
I every problem which we have either soNeS
I or started on the path OF solution during
the last decade.
, The last ten years have been years o
. great achievement for this nation. During
! that period We have dealt and are dealinI
I with many different matters OF great mo
a ment We have acquired the right TO build
6 and are now building, the Panama canal
7 We have givep-wise government 10 tn
' Philippines. We have dealt with exceed
o ingly complex, diff1cult and important cues
Q lions In Cuba and Santo Domingo. w
U guard OF peace and of national honor. w
! are making great progress In dealing Wit
the questions OF irrigation and forestry, o
2 preserving 70 the public the rtghtful US
q OF the public lands and OF the minera
5 wealth underlying them; and with tina
e group OF vital questions which concer
e the proper supervision OF the immense cor
Q proper control OF the great highways OF In
i terstate commerce. the proper regulatiO
:, OF industries which, II left unregulatec
d threaten disaster to the body polite. w
Z securing the settlement OF the Aiask
Z boundary. We have made progress 4
70 securing better relations between capita
n and labor, justice between them and a
o regards the general public: and adeauat
n protection for wage-earners. We have don
4 much la enforcing the law alike againa
- great and small; against crimes OF gree
n and cunning no less than against crime
! nightly for the peace OF righteousness
d both among the nations and In social an
. industrial life here at home. Much IA