Semi-weekly herald., 1913-12-04

the immediate service we owe the
business communities of the country
is to prevent private monopoly more
effectually than it has yet been pre-
vented. think it will be easily agreed
that we should let the Sherman anti
trust law stand, unaltered, as it is,
with its debatable ground about it,
but that we should as much as pos
sible reduce the area of that debat-
able ground by further and more ex-
plicit Legislation; and should also
supplement that great act by legis-
lation which will not only clarity it
but also facilitate its administration
and make it fairer to all concerned.
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 it is
subject so manysided and so de-
serving of careful and discriminating
discussion that l shall take the lib
erty of addressing you upon it in a
special message at later date than
this. 1t is of capital Importance that
the business men Of this country
should be relieved of all uncertainties
of law with regard to their enter
prises and investments and clear
path indicated which they can travel
without anxiety. 1t is as important
that they should be relieved of en-
barrassment and set free to prosper
as that private monopoly should be
destroyed. The ways of action should
be thrown wide open.
Presidential Primaries.
turn to subject which hope
can be handled promptly and without
| serious controversy of any kind.
mean of the method of selecting nom-
inees for the presidency of the Uni
ted States. feel confident that 1 dc
not misinterpret the wishes or the ex-
pectations of the country when
| urge the prompt enactment of legis-
lation which will provide for primary
elections throughout the country al
which the voters of the several par
| ties may choose their nominees for
| the presidency without the interven-
ton of nominating conventions.
venture the suggestion that this leg
islation should provide for the re-
tention of party conventions, but on
ly for the purpose of declaring and
accepting the verdict of the primaries
and formulating the platforms of the
parties; and | suggest that these con-
| ventions should consist not of dele
gates chosen for this single purpose,
but of the nominees for congress, the
nominees for vacant seats in the SEN
ate of the United States, the sena-
tors whose terms have not yet closed
| the national committees. and the can
didates for the presidency themselves
in order that platforms may be franz
ed by those responsible to the people
for carrying them into effect.
Our Duty as Trustees.
These are all matters of vital do
| mestic concern, and besides them, out
side the charmed circle of our own ma
tional life in which our affections
command us, as well as our con-
science, there stand out our obliga-
tions toward our territories over sea
Here we are trustees. Porto Rico
Hawaii, the Philippines, are ours, in.
deed, but not ours to do what We
please with. Such territories, once
| regarded as mere possessions, are nc
longer to be selfishly exploited; they
are part of the domain of public con
science and of serviceable and en-.
lightened craftsmanship. We must
administer them for the people who
live in them and with the same sense
of responsibility to them as towarC
our own people in our domestic af
fairs. No doubt we shall successful.
ly enough bind Porto Rico and the
Hawaiian Islands to ourselves by ties
of justice and interest and affection
but the performance of our duty to.
ward the Philippines is more diff
cult and debatable matter. We car
satisfy the obligations of generous
justice toward the people of Porto
Rico by giving them the ample anc
familiar rights and privileges accord.
ed our own citizens in our own terri
tories and our obligations toward the
people of Hawaii by perfecting the
provisions for self government al
ready granted them, but in the Phil.
ippines we must go further. We must
hold steadily in view their ultimate
| independence, and we must move to-
ward the time of that independence
as steadily as the way can be clear
ed and the foundations thoughtfully
! and permanently laid.
Acting under the authority con-
ferred upon the president by congress
| have already accorded the people Of
the islands majority in both houses
of their legislative body by appoint