The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-08-10

the point of view Of the Ang 10 Saxon
people than it is to bring immigrants
III America to that point of view, be
| cause the insular peoples can not be
brought into any such close association
with the Anglo-SaXon people OF the
United States as are foreign lmml-
grants But this difficulty might IN
time be overcome. and the foreign
races, while remaining foreign, might
vet come to recognize, appreciate, ana
maintain those principles which underlle
the free institutions of America. Inc
! Fundamental difficulty is neither the
diversity of language nor of race; 1t IS
! diversity of interests, For example:
cone of the great federal problems
| which is perplexing us is: How snail
our interstate railways be regulated so
as TO secure efficiency of organization,
| reasonable profit to the owners, and
| Just treatment to all the people? 1t IS
| by no means clear that the same pollcT
| should be pursued in a small island like
| Porto Rico, Hawaii, or Luzon that
should be pursued on the continent of
| North America, and it is certain that
| the people of Porto Rico, Hawaii and
| Luzon have no acquaintance with our
| railway problem. no interest IN it, no
ability to help us solve il, and It IS IN no
sense their problem. On the other hand.
| it is equally certain that our house OF
| representatives does not understand,
and can not easily be made to under
! stand, the highway problems Of those
! islands In Porto Rico, for example.
! the development of good automoblle
roads is far and away more important
! than the development Of railways. and,
! so far as we can now see, the traffic
| of that island will always have to be
mainly carried on by carriages and au-
tomobles, not by railways.
! "The States in the American Union
are sovereign States with supreme pow
ers of self-g0yernment within certain
defined limits. but united together by
! federation in Nation for certain def,
mite purposes. The bonds of union
which unite them are several. They are
united commercially by the provision
that there shall he no tariff walls erect
ed between the several States. They
are united iudiciaIlv by the provision
that questions which arise between
different States shall be referred for
settlement to a Supreme Court of the
United States. They are united in their
| foreign policy by the provision that all
treaties with other nations shall be
made not by the States individually but
bv the union of States or the federal
government. They are united politi
calIv by the provision that they shall
Jointly elect a congress to look after
their common interests and President
who shall perform executive functions
for the union of States. 1t is perfectly
conceivable that any one or two OF
these bonds of union might be dissolved
and the other bonds remain. IT is per
feetlv conceivable that Porto Rico, Ha
wall, and the Philippines might be com
merclalv united to the United States
by absolute free trade; judicially uni
ted to the United States by a provision
that all questions of justice arising be
tween them or their citizens and the
United States and its citizens might
be brought before the federal tribunal
or brought before a special tribuna
created for the purpose; united in then
foreign policy by provision that al
treaties made for these insular commu
mites should be made by the fedora
government on their behalf. There
might even be provision that they
should have representation in congress
by delegates who should have. as dele
gates now have, voice. and who
should also have, as delegates have moi
had. a vote on all questions directly
concerning the islands. Such a mod
fed union, bringing these islands into
close political relations with the Uni
ted States, and leaving them absolutely
free in the matter of self government
might be entirely possible without Civ
ing them the right to help govern the
States that now constitute the TnioI
"a government for which they are no
fitted. and are not likely ever to bt
fitted by acquaintance with our prob
lens or participation in most of on
/ vital interests -