Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-10-22
Mai. Davis, Ex-Governor Of the
Island, is Strongly 0p-
posed to the Idea.
is OF DOUBTFUL PROPERTY.
People Arc Essentially Foreign in
Ideas As Wei rs Ianguage-Must
Prove Themselves Fit.

Mohonk Lake, oct. 22.-"Porto Rico"
Hawaii and the "Mohonk Platform"
were themes under review today at the
Mohonk conference. The speakers at
the morning session who discussed the
present ana future Of Porto Rico were
Nal George W. Davis, T. S. A.. form
eriy governor OF Porto Rico and later
governor Of the Panama canal zone:
Regis ~. Post, ex-governor OF Porto
Rico; William H. Willoughbv president
OF the executive council; Charles Furt-
zell, formerly secretary of state, and
Cayetano Colly Cuchi. Of SAN Juan
member OF the Porto Rican house Of
delegates
Gen. Davis in his speech declared
that the system by which the United
states ruled the islands under the
organic act" was far more favorable
10 Porto Rico than the so-called SPAN
ish self government. Territorial gov
eminent he said. necessarily was with
held because IL was desirable that the
Porto kicaps should prove their fitness
for self government.
The homogeneous character of the
Porto Rican people. he declared. makes
future statehood Of doubtful prOpriety
Citizens Of the United States" said
Gen. Davis, cannot reasonably and
consistently be denied ultimate par
ticipatiOn IN federal affairs but to the
citizens OF Porto Rico, all of a foreign
race and foreign tongue there could
and there should be such denial until
IL WAS shown by experience that they
were fitted for such participation Il
seems evident that such was the in
tentiOn OF Congress and recent events
have shown that there was justifica-
ton"
MOHONK PLATFORM.
Twenty years have passed
since the first Lake Mohonk Indian
conference was assembled Then it
was the policy of the nation to push
the Indian aside when they were am
lmpediment 10 national progress: now
II Is the national policy TO incorporate
the Indians in the nation and enable
them TO contribute 10 the national pro-
gress The most important OF the re-
forms advocated 10y Ahe conference
have been accepted by the nation, es-
pecially the abolition Of the reserva-
ton system, the establishment of a
federal public school system for the
education Of the Indians and the appli-
cation 20 the Indian service OF the civil
service rules.
We reafhrm certain fundamental
principles which the nations failures
ana successes In the indian service
have illustrated and enforced The duty
Of the American people to establish
liberty and justice Is the same toward
all its non-cluzen subjects.
DUTY OF NATION.
Keeping this end ever in mind. IL Is
the duty OF the nation 10 give 10 all
under It's authority adequate protection
or person and property. whether per-
sonal or communal government by
law, not by the win OF a provincial
ruler military or civil; courts of law
accessible 10 the poorest and humblest:
processes of law prompt economical
and equal in their operations: taxes no
heavier than the expenses Of their gov
eminent. economically administered
requine' sanitary provisions for the pre-
vention OF disease. schools which shall
furnish Industrial and moral as well as
academic instruction; and tho inspira-
ton OF "a religion founded not ON thes
fear but on the love Of God
This means TO the great North
American Indian abolition OF the tribal
relations In which the fundamental
rights Of the individual are denied: the
substitution OF personal for tribal prop
erty; the recognition OF the Indians
right 10 travel freely and peaceably and
70 buy and sell In the open market. and
his ultimate admission 10 American
citizenship. II means for the Filipino
opening for him the American market.
as it has been opened to the hawaiian
and the Porto Rican.
INSUI4AR POSSESSIONS.
IL means for the inhabitants OK the
insular possessions the maintenance or
local government as a preparation
for future insular self government and
the complete development OF an Anglo
Saxon system OF courts and procedure
And Il means for all North Amcrscan
Indians, native races Of Alaska, Porto
Rioins, HaWaians, and FilipinOs the
vigorous prosecution and condisn pun
ishment Of all men engaged in lawless
endeayors 10 deprive the people Of their
public or private property, the estab-
lishment by law Of efficient police reg
ulations 20 safeguard the people against
the vices OF civilization, and the inn
provement Of their Industries by pro-
vdlng Industrial training, developing