The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-12-16

that the water power Of the country
should in fact as we'll as in name be
put at the disposal Of great indus
tries which can make economical and
profitable use of it, the rights of the
public being adequately guarded the
while, and monopoly in the use pre-
vented. To have begun such meas
ures and not completed them would
indeed mar the record of this great
congress very seriously. I hope and
confidently believe that they will be
completed.
The Philippines.
And there is another great piece Of
legislation which awaits and should
receive the sanction OF the Senate; I
mean the bill which gives a larger
measure Of self-government to the
people of the Philippines. How bet
ter, in this time of anxious question
ing and perplexed policy, could we
show our confidence in the principles
of liberty, as the sources as well rs
the expression of life, how better
could we demonstrate our own self
possession and steadfastness in the
courses Of justice and disinterested-
ness than by thus going calmly for
ward to fulfill our promises to a de-
pendent people, who will now look
more anxiously than ever 70 see
whether we have indeed the liberal
| ity, the unselfshness, the courage,
the faith we have boasted and pro-
fessed. I can not believe that the
Senate will let this great measure of
constructive justice await the action
Of another congress. It's passage
would nobly crown the record OF
these two years of memorable labor.
But l 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 mar
kets of which I have spoken if we
have not the ships? How are We to
build up great trade if we have not
the certain and constant means OF
| transportation upon which all profit.
able and useful commerce depends?
And how are We to get the ships II
we wait for. the trade to develop with
out them? To correct the many mis-
takes 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 al
most deliberately, withdrawn our flag
from the seas, except where, here and
there ship of war is hidden carry it
or some wandering yacht displays it,
would take long time and involve
many detailed items Of legislation,
and the trade which We ought imme-
diately to handle would disappear OF
find other channels while we debated
the items.
| Government Ships.
The case is not unlike that which
confronted us when our own CONT
nent was to be opened up to settle
ment and industry, and We needed
long Iines of railway. extended means
of transportation prepared before
hand, if development was not to lag
| intolerably and weit interminably
We lavishly subsidized the building OF
transcontinental railroads. We look
upon that with regret now, because
| the subsidies LED TO many scandals OF
which we are ashamed; but We know
that the railroads had to be built, and
if we had it to do over again we
should Of course build them, but in
another way. Therefore propose an
other way. of providing the means OF
transportation, which must precede
not tardily follow, the development,
O four trade with our neighbor states
Of America. It may seem reversal
Of the natural order Of things, but il
is true, that the routes Of trade must
be actually opened-by many ships
and regular sailings and moderate
charges-before streams of merchan-
disc will flow freely and proftably
through them.
Hence the pending shipping bill
discussed at the last session but as
4 yet passed by neither House. In my
| judgment such legislation is impera'
lively needed and can not wisely be
postponed. The government must
open these gates Of trade, and open
them wide; open them before it is
altogether profitable to open them, OF
altogether reasonable to ask private
capital to open them at venture. II
is not question of the government
monopolizing the field. 1t should take
action to make it certain that trans
portation 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 private capital, and engage II
in abundance, the government ought
to withdraw. I very earnestly hope
that the congress will be Of this opin.
ion, and that both I->>uses will adopt
this exceedingly important bill.
The great subject Of rural credits
still remains to be dealt with, and It
| is a matter of deep regret that the
difficulties of the subject have seem
ed to render it impossible to complete
a bill for passage at this session. But
it can not be perfected yet, and there
! fore there are no other constructive
measures the necessity for which
will at this time call your attention
| to; but I would be negligent of very
manifest duty were not to call the
attention Of the Senate to the fact
that the proposed convention for safe
ty at sea awaits its confirmation and
that the limit fixed in the convention
itself for it's acceptance is the last
day of the present month. The con-
ference in which this convention orig
mated was called by the United
States; the representatives of the
United States played a very infuen-
tial part indeed in framing the pro-
visions of the proposed convention;
and those provisions are in them
selves for the most part admirable.
It would hardly be consistent with
the part We have played in the whole
| matter to let it drop and go by the
board as if forgotten and neglected.
| 1t was ratified in May last by the Ger
man government and in Augusta by
the parliament Of Great Britain. 1t
marks a most hopeful and decided ad-