The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1913-12-02

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 toward
our own people in our domestic al
fairs. No doubt we shall successfully
enough bind Porto Rico and the Ha-
waiiian Islands to ourselves by ties OF
Justice and interest and affection, but |
the performance of our duty toward
the Philippines is a more difficult and
debatable matter We can satisfy the
obligations of generous justice toward
the people of Porto Rico by giving
them the ample and familiar rights
and privileges accorded our own citi-
Gems in our own territories, and our
obligations towards the people OF
Hawaii by perfecting the provisions
for self-government already granted
them, but In the Philippines we must
20 further. We must hold steadily in
view their ultimate independence, and
we must move toward the time of that
independence as steadily as the way
can be cleared and the foundations
thoughtfully and permanently laid.
| Acting under the authority con-
ferred upon the President by Congress-
l have already accorded the people OF
the islands a majority in both houses
of their legislative body by appointing
| five instead of four native citizens to
the membership of the commission.
l believe that in this way we shall
make proof of their capacity in coun-
sci and their sense of responsibility in
the exercise of political power and
that the success of this step viii! be
sure to clear our view for the steps
which are to follow. Step by step we
should extend and perfect the system
of seIf-government in the islands, max
ing test of them and modifying them
as experience discloses their success
es and their failures; that we should
more and more put under the control
of the native citizens of the archipel-
ago the essential instruments of their
life. their local instrumentalities OF
government their schools, all the COM
mon interests of their communities,
and so by counsel and experience set
I'D a government which all the world
will see to be suitable to people
whose affairs are under their own
control. At last, I hope and believe,
we are beginning to gain the conf
dence of the Filipino peoples. BY
their counsel and experience, rather
than by our own, we shall learn how
best to serve them and how soon II
: will be possible and wise to withdraw
our supervision. Let us once find the
path and set out with firm and conf
dent tread upch it and we shall moi
wander frc-.. it or linger upon 1t.
Government Ownership Of Railroad:
in Alaska.
A duty faces us with regard to Alas
la which seems to me very pressing
=, and very imperative; perhaps | SHOULD
say a double duty for it concerns boil
;, the political and the material develop
ment of the Territory. The people o
, Alaska should be given the full Terri
torial form of government, and Alaska
as a storehouse, should be unlocked
. One key to It is a system of railways
These TIE Government should itsel
build and administer, and the port
and criminals it should itself contrt
in ,Ne interest of all who wish to us
them for the service and developmeI
OF re country and it's people.
N Eut the construction of railways