Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-12-09

seriously. hope and confidently be-
lieve that they will be completed.
And there Is another great piece OF
legislation which awaits and should
receive the sanction of the Senate:
/ mean the bill which gives a larger
measure of self government to the
people of the Philippines. How, better,
in this time of anxious questioning
and perplexed policy, could we show
our confidence In the principles of
| liberty, as the source as well as the
| expression of life, how better could
| we demonstrate our own self-posses-
sion and steadfastness in the courses
| of justice and disipterestedness than
by thus going calmly forward to fulfill
our promises to a dependent people.
who will now look more anxiously than
| ever to see whether we have indeed
the liberality, the unselfshness, the
courage, the faith we have boasted
and professed. Lean not believe that
the Senate will let this great measure
Of constructive justice await the ac-
ton of. another Congress. Its passage
would nobly crown the record OF these
two years of memorable labor.
But 1 think that you will agree with
me that this does not complete the
toll of our duty. How are we to carry
our goods to the empty markets Of
which I have spoken If we have not
the ships7 How are we to build up
| a great trade If we have not the GER
tain and constant means Of transpor.
tation upon which all profitable and
useful commerce depends? And how
are we to get the ships il we walt for
the trade to develop without them?
| To correct the many mistakes by
which we have discouraged and all
but destroyed the merchant marine Of
| the country, to retrace the steps by
which we have, it seems almost DELHI
erately, withdrawn our flag from the
seas, except where, here and there, a
ship of war is hidden carry it or some
wandering yacht displays it, would
take a long time and involve many
detailed items of legislation, and the
trade which we ought Immediately to
handle would disappear or find other
channels while we debated the items
The case is not unlike that which
confronted us when our own continent
was to be opened up to settlement and
industry, and we needed long lines of
railway, extended means of transpor-
tation prepared beforehand if develop
ment was not to lag intolerably and
wait interminably. We lavishly sub
sidized the building of transcontinent-
al railroads. We look back upon that
with regret now, because the subsidies
led to many scandals of which we are
ashamed; but we know that the rail-
roads had to be built, and if we had it
to do over again we should of course
build them, but in another way. There
fore / propose another way of proyid-
ing the means of transportation, which
must precede, not tardily follow, the
development of our trade with our
neighbor states of America. 1t may
seem a reversal of the natural order
of things, but it Is true, that the routes
of trade must be actually opened-by
many ships and regular sailings and
moderate charges-before streams of
merchandise will flow freely and pro-
fitably through them.
Hence the pending shipping bill, dis
cussed at the last session but as yet
passed by neither House. In my judg
ment such legislation is imperatiyely
needed and can not wisely be post
poned. The Government must open
these gates of trade, and open them
wide; open them before ii Is altogether
profitable to open them, or altogether
reasonable to ask private capital to
open them at venture. 1t is not
question of the Government monopoliz-
ing the field. 1t should take action to
make it certain that transportation
at reasonable rates will be promptly
provided, even where the carriage is
not at first profitable; and then, when
the carriage has become sufficiently
profitable to attract and engage pri-
vate capital, and engage it in abund-
ance, the government ought to with
draw. l very earnestly hope that the
Congress will be of this opinion, and
that both Houses will adopt this ex-
ceedingly important bill.
The great subject of rural credits
still remains to be dealt with, and it
is matter of deep regret that the
difficulties of the subject have seemed
to render it impossible to complete
bill for passage at this session. But it
can not be perfected yet, and therefore
there are no other constructive meas
ures the necessity for which / will at
this time call your attention to; but
would be negligent of very manifest
duty were l not to call the attention of
the Senate Of the fact that the pro-
posed convention for safety at sea
awaits it's confirmation and that the
limit fixed in the convention itself for
it's acceptance is the last day of the
present month. The conference in
which this convention originated was
called by the United States; the rep
resentatives of the United States
played very influential part indeed
in framing the provisions Of the pro-
posed convention; and those provisions
are in themselves for the most part
admirable. 1t would hardly be consist
ent with the part we have played in
the whole matter to let it drop and go
by the board as if forgotten and neg
lected. 1t was ratified in May last by
the German Government and in Aug
ust by the Parliament of Great Brit
ain. 1t marks most hopeful and de-
cided advance in international civil
ization. We should show our earnest
good faith in great matter by adding
our own acceptance of 1t.