Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1913-12-05

] my tho PROVISIONS of seiI 9Cscfn-
rent already granted them,
but in the Philippines ws must go
further.We must hold steadily
| in view their ultimate independ-
| once, and we must move toward
the time of that independence as
steadily as the way can be cleared
and tho foundations thoughtfuIly
and permanently laid.
Acting under the authority confer
red upon the president by congress
l have already accorded the people of
the islands majority in both houses
Of their legislative body by appoint
ing five instead Of Iour native citi-
zens to the membership of the com
mission. l believe that in this way
we shall make proof of their capac-
ity in counsel and of their sense of
responsibility in the exercise Of poll
teal power, and that the success of
this step will be sure to clear our
view of the steps which are to fol-
low. Step by step we should extend
and perfect the system of self govern
ment in the islands. making test of
them and modifying them as expert
ence dfscioses 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 instrumentalities of gov
ernment. their schools. all the COM
mon interests OF their communities
and so by counsel and experience set
up a government which all the world !
VIII see to be suitable to a people
whose affairs are under their own
control At last. hope and believe. |
we are beginning to gain the conf /
dence of the Filipino peoples. BY |
their counsel and experiences, rather |
than by our own, we shall learn how /
best to serve them and how soon it |
will be possible and wise to withdraw
our supervision. Let US once find the
path and set out with firm and con-
hdent tread upon it and we shall not
wander from it or linger upon it.
Duty to Alaska.
A duty faces us with regard to
Alaska which seems to me pressing
and imperative; perhaps should
say double duty, ior it concerns
both The political and the material
development of the territory. The
people of Alaska should be given the
fun territorial form Of govern
ment, and Alaska. as a storehouse,
should be unlocked. One key to it
is system of railways. These the
should itself buiId and
and the ports and termi-
nails it should itself control in the
interest of all who wish to use them
Tor the service and development of
The country and its people.
But the construction of railways is
'nly the first step; is only thrusting
IN the key to the storehouse and
throwing back the lock and opening ,
he door. How the tempting resour .
,es OF the country are to be exploited '
8 another matter and which 1 shall I
axe the liberty of from time 20 time s
Ealing your attention, for it is a
,olicy which must be worked out by 8
yell-considered stages, not upon 7
heory, but upon lines of practical 4
xpediency. 1t is part of our general
problem Of CONSERVATION. We have :
freer hand in working out the prob
EN- in Alaska than in the states of
he Union; and yet the principle and
bject are the same, wherever we Q
ouch it, We must use the resources U
I the country, not lock them up, s
here need be no conflict of jealousy n
S between state and federal authori- b
les for there can be no essential r
ifference of purpose between them. +
he resources in question must be 4
sed, but not destroyed or wasted: 1.
sed, but not monopolized upon any v
arrow idea of individual rights as "
gainst the abiding interests of COM D
lunities. That a policy can be
orked out by conference and con- n
ession which all release there re-
,urces and yet not leopard or dis
pate them, / for one have no doubt
nd it can be done on lines of regu- ID
tion which need be no less accep- N
bile to the people and governments a.
the states concerned than to the -
,ople and government Of the nation ~
large, whose heritage these resour- -,
IS are. We must bend our counseis ia
this end. common purpose ought n,
make agreement easy :,
Three or four matters of special =;
lportance and significance 1 beg =,
at you will permit me to mention ~
closing. 60
Our bureau of mines ought to be -,
uipped and empowered to render .
en- more effectual service than it M
nders now in improving the condi- tn
ms of mine labor and making the sic
mes more economically productive an
well as more safe. This Is an all le'
portant part of the work of con- an
walton; and the conservation of su
man life and energy lies even nearer an
our interest than the preservation OBJ
IN waste of our material resources. col
Employers Liability Act. ne
We owe it, in mere justice to the br'
lway employees of the country, to
wide for them fair and effective I
ployer's liability act; and a law wi
t we can stand by in the matter it
| be no less to the advantage of VIII
se who administer the railroads of res
country than to the advantage of mo
sc whom they employ. The expert tio
e of a large number of the states Su
provide that. pai
We ought to devole ourselves to I'm
citing pressing demands Of plain the
tice like this as earnestly as to the the
of political and eco VIII
nic reforms. Social justice comes bot
t. Law is the machinery fer its ma