The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1913-12-12

~ fhe water while we left our farmers
to shift for themselves In the orain1ary
about you in any rural district to see
the result the handicap and embarrass-
ment which have been put upon those
who produce our food.
system OF Rural Credit.
Conscious Of this backwardness and
neglect on our part, the congress recent
lv authorized the creation or a Speclal
Commission to study the various sys-
TENS OF rural creoil WHEN M,,ra ns INA th;s
commission is already prepared to re-
port Its report ought to make IT easier
for US to determine what metnods Will
be best suited to our own farmers. l
hope and believe that the committees OF
the senate and house will address them
selves to this matter with the most
fruitful result, and believe that the
studies and recently formed plans OF
the department of agriculture may be
made to serve them very greatly In
a aae Me' Hesitation. It Would be indis-
Greet and presumptuous in anyone 70
dogmatlze upon SO great ana many sldeo
a question, ,,n DuI will i1e1 nroomce the re-
suits we must all desire.
Prevent Private Monopoly.
Turn from the farm to the world Of
business which centers in the city and
in the factory, ana think that ali
observers will agree that the
service we owe the business
communities of the country is to pre-
vent private monopoly more effectively
than 1t has yet been prevented. l tnink
let the Sherman antitrust law stand,
unaltered, as it is. with it's debatable
ground about it, but that we should as
much as possible reduce the area OF that
debatable ground by further and more
explicit legislation; and should also
supplement that great act by legisla-
ton which will not only clarity it. but
also facilitate it's administration and
make it fairer to all concerned. No
DOUBT we shall all wish, and the coun-
subject of our deliberations during the
present session; but it is subject SO
many sided and SO deserving of careful
and discriminating discussion that
shall take the liberty of addressing you
upon it in a special message at later
date than this. It is of capital impor-
tance that the business men of this
tainties Of law with regard to their en-
terprises and investments and clear
path indicated which they can travel
without anxiety. ~
Choosing Presidential Nominees.
I turn to a subject which hope can
be handled promptly and without Sc
the method of selecting nominees for
the, presidency Of the United States. I
feel confident that I do not misinter..
enactment Of legislation which will
provide for primary elections through
out out the azs country At which the S voters OF
nominees for the presidency without the
Intervention of nominating conventions.
I venture the suggestion that this legis-
of party conventions, but only for the
purpose Of declaring and accepting the
verdict of the primaries and formulating
gest that these conventions should con-
sist not of delegates chosen for this
single purpose, but Of the nominees for
in the senate Of the United States. the
senators whose terms have not yet
closed, the national committees, and the
candidates for the presidency them
framed by those responsible to the peo-
pie for carrying them into effect.
Philippines Task Dimcult.
These are all matters of vital domes-
tic concern, and besides them, outside
the charmed circle Of our own national
life in which our affections command
stand out our obligations e toward 'n our
territories over sea. Here we are trus-
tees. Porto Rico, Hawaii, the Philip
pines. are ours, indeed, but not ours to
tories, once regarded as mere possess
sions, are no longer to be selfishly ex--
plotted; they are part Of the domain Of
and enlightened statesmanship. We must
administer them for the people who
live in them and with the same sense
own people in our domestic affairs
Acting under the authority conferred
upon the president by congress, I have
already accorded the people Of the islands
alive body by. appointing five instead Of
-FOUR native citizens to the membership
Of =, = the commission. believe that ia
capacity. in counsel and their sense Of
responsibility in the exercise Of political
power, and that the success Of this step
steps which are to follow. Step by
step we should extend and perfect the
system of self-government in the is
ing them as experience discloses their
success and their failures; that we
should more and more put under the
eon5fo1 OF the native citizens Of the
their life. their local instrumentalities
OF government. their schools. all the
common interests Of their communities.
up, government which all the world
will see to be suitable to people whose
anatrs are under their own control.
Railways for Alaska.
A duty faces US with regard to Alaska
very Imperative; perhaps should say
double duty, for it concerns both the
poltlcal ana the material develop
ment Of the territory. The people Of
Alaska should be given the full terri
torlal form Of government, and Alaska,
as storehouse, should be. unlocked.
One key to it Is system Of railways:
and administer, and the ports and ter
minals it should itself control in the in
terest OF all who wish to use them for
the service and development OF the coun-
try and its people.
But the Construction Of railways is
only the first step; Is only thrusting in
the key to the storehouse and throwing
back the lock and opening the door.
How the tempting resources Of the
matter. to which shall take the liberty
OF from time to time calling your at
tention. for 1t IL q policy which must be
worked out by well-considered stages
not upon theory, but upon lines Of prac-
t1cal expectancy.
Bureau Of Mines.
Three or four matters Of special i'm
p0rtance and Significance I beg that
you will permit me to mention in clos
ing
Our Bureau Of Mines ought to be
equipped and empowered to render even
more effectual service than IL renders
now in improving the conditions Of
mine labor and making the mines more
economically productive as well as more
safe This Is an all-important part Of
the work OF conservation; and the con-
servatf0n of human life and energy lies
even nearer to our interest than the
preservation from waste Of our ma
teria1 resources. 49,
We owe A. In rara s,,s<soo - a..