Smyrna times., 1898-10-12

Il
WHATEVER doubt there may have
been at first as to the position of the
United States in regard to the islands
conquered from Spain, there can
hardly be any now, so strongly has
public sentiment settled down to the
feeling that wherever the stars and
stripes have been unfurled to the
breeze as the emblem of national au-
thOrity, our flag should never be
pulled down. This sentiment has
grown until it has not only absorbed
the nation but is the demand of our
Peace Commissioners in Paris, who
with a single exception demand that
the Philippine Islands be held as a
possession of the United States. The
beating of the popular pulse is well
portrayed in the following extract from
the speech of Theodore Roosevelt de-
livered at rousing reception given
him in Carnegie Hall, New York, last
week.
CAMPAIGN FOR GOOD GOVERNMENT.
''First and foremost, this campaign
is a campaign for good government.
for good government both in the ma
ton and the State. If am Governor
l shall try to make good the promises,
both expressed and implied, made on be-
half of my candidacy, for L shall try to
so administer the affairs of the State
as to make each citizen lite prouder
OF the State, and l shall do my best to
serve my party by helping it serve the
people. So far as in me lies, [ shall
see that every branch of the Govern
ment under me is administered with
integrity and capacity, and when 1
deal with my public servant, shall
not be very patient with him if he lacks
capacity, and short indeed will be his
thrift, If he lacks integrity. shall
feel most deeply my responsibilities to
the people and L shall do my best to
show by my acts that 1 feel it even
more deeply than my words express
There comes time in the life of
nation, as i'll the life of an individual.
when it must face great Responsibilities
whether it will or no. We have now
reached that time. We cannot avoid
facing the fact that we occupy a new
place among the peoples of the world
and have entered upon new career
All that we can decide is whether we
shall bear ourselves we'll or ill in fol-
lowing out this career. We can see
by the fate of China, how idle is the
hope OF counting safety by leading
life of fossilized isolation. If we
stand aside from that keen rivalry with
the other nations of the world. to
which we are hidden alike by our vast
material resources and the restless.
masterful spirit of our people. we
would perhaps for a few decades. he
allowed to busy ourselves unharmed
with interests, which to the world at
large seemed parochial, but sooner or
later, as the fate of China teaches ms
the safety which springs from the con.
temptuOus forbearance of others wonId
prove broken reed. We are vet aces
from the millennium, and because we
believe with all our hearts in the
mighty mission of the American re-
puDllc, SO we must spare no effort and
shrink from no toll to make it great
GREATNESS means strife for nation
and man alike. A soft, easy life is not
worth living if it impairs the fibre of
brain and heart and muscle. We must
dare to be great, and we must realize
that greatness is the fruit of toll, and
sacrifice, and high courage.
NEW DUTIES OF THE NATION.
The guns of our warships in the
troplc seas OF the West and the remote
East have awakened us to the know
ledge OF new duties. Our flag is a
proud flag, and it stands for liberty
and civilization. Where it has once
hoated there must and shall be no re-
turn to tyranny and savagery. We are
face to face with our destiny, and we
must meet it with high and resolute
courage. For us is the life of action.
OF strenuous performace of dutv: LET
us live III the harness, striving might
lily; let us rather run the risk of wear
ing out than of rusting out.
Il should ask the people of this
country to support the administration
OF President Mckinley if for no other
reason than because, say what Won
like, the victory at the polls of the
men who are opposing and denounc-
ing his administration in this election
VIII be interpreted abroad as meaning
on Americas part a reputation of the
war from which we have Just emerged
triumphant. 1t will strengthen the
hands of every hostile power which
views with jealousy our victories In
the Antilles and the Philippines: it
will mean that the nations that now
secretly and enviously wish to clip
the wings of our pride, will be en-
boldened. 1t will result in the partial
undoing of what our army and navy
have accomplished. 1t will mean the
chance of grave complications and the
likelihood of our meeting obstacles
when it comes to reaping the fruit of
our triumph. You could get the bene-
fits of the victories of Grant and Sher-
man only by re-electing Lincoln, and
we will gain less than we ought to
from this war if the administration is
not sustained at these elections.
THAT the question of our national
defences is very real question and
may at any time become of vital
moment has been brought home to all
OF US within the last six months"