The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-03-04
PRESIDENT Taft
ON GREAT
ISSUES
Continued from page one.)

remedied at once. Having assured
to other countries by treaty the
protection of our laws for such Of
their subjects or citizens as we
permit to come within our jurisdic-
ton, we now leave to state or a
city. not under the control of the
federal government, the duty Of
performing our international obliga-
tions in this respect. By proper
legislation we may, and ought to,
place in the hands of the federal
executive the means of enforcing
the treaty rights of such aliens in
the courts of the federal govern
ment. 1t puts our government in a
pusillanimous position to make
definite engagements to protect
aliens and then to excuse the fail
ure to perform those engagements
by an explanation that the duty to
keep them is nstates or cities, not
within our control. II we would
promise, we must put ourselves IN
a position to perform our promise.
1--WE cannot permit the possible
failure of justice due to local pre-
judice in any state or municipal
government to expose us to the
risk. of a war which might be
avoided If federal jurisdiction was
asserted by suitable legislation by
congress and carried out by proper
proceedings instituted by the exec.
utive in the courts of the national
government"
One of the reforms named by
Taft to be carried out during his
administration is change Of the
monetary and banking laws and in
accomplishing this he places con-
fidence in the work of the monetary
commission appointed to investi'
gate the financial systems OF
Europe and formulate plan for
the United States.
In other respects Taft's an
nouncement Of policy closely fol-
lows the ideas of Roosevelt. He
urged conservation of natural re-
sources: upbuilding of the army
and navy to a degree that will give
all possible assurance of peace and
find the nation prepared for war if
war comes; and noninterference
with the work of completing the
Panama canal. At the present rate
of progress he prophesied that this,
the greatest undertaking of modern
times. would be completed early in
the next administration If not be-
fore.
The incoming congress, the new
president declared. should fulfill
the republican promise of passing
postal savings bank, arguing that
the promise to repay by the govern
ment will furnish an inducement to
savings deposits which private en-
terprise cannot supply. at such low
rates as not to withdraw custom
from existing banks. and will sub
stantially increase the funds avail
able for investment as capital In
useful enterprises.
The result of Taft's recent visit
to the south is evident in the great
amount of attention devoted to that
section, especially with refence to
the negro question. He believes
the solution of this problem will be
reached by statutory requirements
in the several states defining an ed
ucation test which both white and
black must pass in order to be able
to vote, this plan preventing DOM
ination of the blacks in districts
where they exceed in population,
nj the same time pointing out that
the work of educating the negro is
making marked progress. In this
manner he argued that the spirit of
the fifteenth amendment would be
conserved and the southern states
saved from the danger of political
power being absorbed by the ne