The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-12-03

facilitate its administration and make IL
| fairier TO all concerned.
i No doubt we shall all wish, and the
country will expect, this to be the central
subject OF our deliberations during the
present session; but II is a subject so
many sided and SO deserving of care
full and discriminating discussion that /
shall take the liberty OF addressing you
upon IL in a special message at later
date than this. 1t is OF capital impor-
| lance that the business men OF this coun-
| try should be relieved Of all uncertainties
OF law with regard to their enterprises
and investments and a clear path indi.
Gated which they can travel without
anxiety.
1t is as important that they should be
relieved of embarrassment and set free
to prosper as that private monopoly
| should be destroyed. The ways Of action
should be thrown wide open.
Nominees for Presidency.
turn to a subject which ] hope can
b. handled promptly and without serious
controversy OF any kind. mean the
method OF selecting nominees for the
Presidency of the United States. feel
confident that do not misinterpret the
wishes or the expectations OF the country
when 1 urge the prompt enactment Of
legislation which will provide for pri-
mary elections throughout the country at
which the voters of the several parties
may choose their nominees for the Presi-
dency without the intervention OF nomi-
ni ting conventions.
l venture the suggestion that this legis-
lation should provide for the retention OF
party conventions, but only for the pur-
Jose of declaring ami accepting the YER
dict of the primaries and formulating the
platfdBns OF the parties; and ] suggest
that these conventions should crrsist not
Of delegates chosen for this single pur-
pose, but of the nominees for Congress,
the nominees for vacant seats in the
Senate OF the United States. the Senators
whose terms have not yet closed, the
national committees. and the candidates
for the Presidency themselves, in order
hat platforms may be framed by those
responsible to the people for carrying
them into effect.
Obligations to Territories.
These are all matters of vital domestic
concern. and besides them, outside the
charmed circle of our own national life
"a which our affections command us, as
well as our corsciences, there stand out
cur obligations toward our territories
ever sea. Here We are trustees Porto
Rico, Hawaii, the Philippines. are ours
indeed, but not ours to do what we
please with. Such territories. once re-
garded as mere possessions, are no
longer to be selfshly exploited: they are
part of the domain Of public conscience
and of serviceable and enlightened states
manship.
We must administer them for The peo-
pie who live in them and with the same
sense Of responsibility n them as toward
our own people in our dJmestIc affairs.
NJ Coubt We shall successfully enough
bind Porto Rico and the Hawaiian
Islands to ourselves by ties of justice and
interest and affection, but the perform
ance of ou- duty toward the Philippines
IS a more difficult and debatable matter.
We can satisfy the obligations OF gen.
erous justice toward the people of Porto
Rico by giving them the ample and IA
miliar rights and privileges accorded our
own citizens in our territories ard our
obligations toward the people OF Hawaii
by ?erfecting the provisions for self-gov-
eminent already granted them. but in
the Philippines we must go further. We
must hold steadily in view their ultimate
AMI we must move toward
the time OF that independence as steadily
as the way can I've cleared and the foUn-
dations thoughtfully and permanently
laid.
Proof of Responsibility.
Acting under the authority conferred
upon the President by Congress, I have
already accorded the people of the
islands a majority in both houses of their
legislative body by appointing FIVE in
stead of four native citizens to the MEM
bership of the commission.
1 believe that IN this way we shall
make proof of their capacity IN counsel
and their sense Of responsibility in the
exercise of political power, and that the |
success Of this step will be sure to clear
our view for the steps which are to fol-
low.
Step by step we should extend and per-
feet the system of self-government in the |
lslanos, making test of them and modify |
ing them as experience discloses their |
and their failures; that we |
should more and more put under the con- |
troll of the native, citizens of the archi- |
pelago the essential instruments of their |
life, their local instrumentalities of gov
their schools, all the common |
interests of their communities, and SO |
by counsel and experience set up a gov |
eminent which all the world will see to |
be suitable to a people whose affairs are |
under their own control. At last, I hope |
and believe, we are beginning to gain the |
confidence of the Filipino peoples.
ny their counsel ana experience, rather i
than by our own, we shall learn how |
best to serve them and how soon il will |
be possible and wise to withdraw our
Let US once find the path |
and set out with firm and confident tread |
upon it and We shall not wander from it |
DR. linger upon 1t.
Duty Toward Alaska.
A duty faces US with regard to Alaska |
which seems 10 me very pressing and |
very Imperative; perhaps I should say
asdouble duty, for 1t concerns both the
political and the material DEVELOPMENT of
the territory. The people of Alaska
should be given the full territorial form
1f government, and Alaska, as a store
house, should be unlocked One key to
{ is system Of railways. These the
government should itself build and adj
minister, and the ports and terminals It |
mould itself control in the interest of all
who wish 20 use them for the service and
development Of the country and its peo-
sle.
But the construction Of railways is only
he first step; is only thrusting In the
icy to the storehouse and throwing back
he lock and opening the door. How the
empting resources of the country are TO |
,e exploited is another matter, to which
shall take the liberty of from time
Q time calling your attention. for it Is
q ~ Work days remaining in