The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-12-02

dency without the intervention of
nominating conventions. l venture the
suggestion that this legislation should
provide for the retention of party CON
ventions, but only for the purpose of.
declaring and accepting the verdict or
the primaries INC formulating the
platforms Of the parties; and / sug-
gest that these conventions should
consist not Of delegates chosen for
this single purpose, but Of the nomt-
nees for congress, the nominees for
vacant seats in the senate Of the
terms have not yet closed, the nation
al committees, and the candidates for
the presidency themselves, in order
that platforms may be framed by
those responsible to the people for
carrying them into effect.
American Territories.
These are all matters of vital do
mestic concern, and besides them, out
side the charmed circle of our own,
national life in which our affections
command US. as well as our conscience
es. there stand out our obligations to-
ward our territories over the 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 re-
garded as mere possessions, are no
longer to be selfishly exploited: then
are part Of the domain Of public con-
science and of serViceable and enlight-
ened craftsmanship. We must admin
lister them for the people who live in
them and with the same sense of re-
sponsibility to them as toward our
own people in Il domestic affairs. No
doubt We shall successfully enough
bind Porto Rico and the Hawaiian is
lands to ourselves by ties Of justice
and interest and affection, but the
performance Of our duty toward the
Philippines is a more difficult and de-
batable 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-
zens in our own territories and our
obligations toward the people of Ha-
wall by Derfecting the provisions Of
self-government already granted
them. but in the Philippines we must
go 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 founda%
lions thoughtfully and permanently
laid.
Acting under the authority confer
red upon the president by congress-, I
have already accorded the people Of
the islands q majority in both houses
of their Legislative body by appointing
five instead Of four native citizens to
the membership Of the commission. /
believe that In this way we shall make
proof OF this 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
nraa 70 fn1INyy SfAn hv rEnn r,4 oil
extend n perfect the system Of self
government in the islands, making test
Of them n modifying them as ex-
p%erience discloses their success and
their failures; that we should more
and more put under the control Of the
native citizens of the archipelago the
essential instruments of their life,
their local 1nstrumentalities of gov
eminent, their schools, all the COM
non interests Of their communities,
and 80 by counsel and experience set
up a government which all the world
will see to be suitable to a people
whose affairs are under their own con-
troll. At last, l hope and believe, we
are beginning to gain the confidence
Of the Filipino peoples. BY their
counsel and experience, rather than
by our own, we shall learn how best
to serve them n how soon it will be
possible and wise 10 Withdraw u
supervision. Let us once find the path
and set out with firm and confident
tread upon it and we shall not wander
from 1t or linger upon it. .
Unlock Alaska.
A duty faces us with regard to
Alaska which seems to me very
pressing and very Imperative; per-
haps / should say a double 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 Of government,
and Alaska, as a storehouse, should be
unlocked. One key to It is a system
OF railways. These the government
should itself build and administer, and
the ports and terminals 1t should itself
control in the interest Of all who
| wish to use them for the service and
development of the country and it's
people.
But the construction OF railways is
only the first step; is only thrusting In
the key to the storehouse and throw
ing back the lock and opening the door.
How tempting OF the country
are to be exploited is another matter,
to which I shall taxi the liberty Of
from time to time calling your atten-
ton, for 1T Is a policy which must be
worked out by well-considered stages,
not upon theory, but upon lines of
practical expediency. 1T is part of our
general problem of conservation. We
] have q freer hand In working out the