The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-12-02

committees Of the Senate and House /
will address themselves to this mat |
ter with the most fruitful results, /
and I believe that the studies and
recently formed plans Of the Depart /
ment OF Agriculture may be made
to serve them very greatly in their
work Of framing appropriate and
adequate legislation. It would be
indlscreet and presumptuous in any
one to dogmatiZe upon so great and
many-sided question, but | feel
confident that common counsel will
produce the results We must all de-
sire.
Turn from the farm to the world
of business which centers in the city
and in the factory, and l think that
all thoughtful observers will agree
that the immediate service We owe
the business communities of the
country is to prevent private mon
opoly more effectually than it has
yet been prevented. l think it will
be easily agreed that we should let
the Sherman antitrust law stand,
| unaltered, as it is with its 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 legislation which will not only
clarity it but also facilitate its adj
ministration 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 many
| sided and so deserving of careful
and discriminating discussion that l
shall take the liberty of addressing
you upon it in special message at
a later date than this. 1t is of capt.
tai Importance that the business
men of this country should be re-
| lieved 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 embar-
rassment and set free to prosper as
that private monopoly should be de-
stroyed. The ways of action should
| be. thrown wide open.
| turn to a subject which l hope
can be handled promptly and with
out serious controversy of any kind.
| mean the method of selecting nom
inees for the Presidency of the
United States. | feel confident that
l do not misinterpret the wishes or
the expectations of the country when
l urge the prompt enactment of leg
islation which will provide for pri-
mary elections throughout the coun-
try at which the voters of the several
parties may choose their nominees
for the Presidency without the in
PREVENTION Of nominating conven-
tons. l venture the suggestion that
this legislation should provide for
the retention of party conventions,
but only for the purpose of declar-
ing and accepting the verdict of the
primaries and formulating the plat
forms Of the parties; and l suggest
that these conventions should con-
.. sist not of delegates chosen for this
single purpose, but of the nominees
for Congress, the nominees for va
cant seats in the Senate of the
United States. the Senators whose
terms have not yet closed, the ma
tiOnal committees, and the candi-
dates for the Presidency themselves
in order that platforms may be
; framed by those responsible to the
people for carrying them into effect
These are all matters of vita
= domestic concern, and besides them
Oh, az, Of
> own national life in which our af
fections command us, as we'll as oul
consciences, there stand out oul
Z obligations toward our territories
. over sea. Here We are trustees
Porto Rico, Hawaii, the Philippines
are ours, indeed, but not ours to d.
, what we please with. Such terri
tories, once regarded as mere pos
l sessions, are no longer to be selfish
l ly exploited; they are part of tn
domain of public conscience and o
serviceaDle and enlightened states
{ manship. We must administer then
. for the people who live in them an,
L with the same sense of responsible
{ ity to them as toward our own PEG
r pie in our domestic affairs. n
q doubt we shall successfully enoug
bind Porto Rico and the Hawaiia
j. Islands to ourselves by ties of justic
y and interest and affection, but tn
Il performance of our duty toward tn
IL Philippines is a more difficult an
e debatable matter. We can satisf
d the obligations of generous justic
e. toward the people of Porto Rico b
le giving them the ample and familia
e. rights and privileges accorded GU
Is own citizens in our own territorie
s. and our obligations toward the pee
TO pie of Hawaii by perfecting the pro
IL visions for self government alread
" granted them. but in the Philippine
1t we must go further. We must hol
Id steadily in view their ultimate indt
" pendence, and we must move towar