Willmar tribune., 1899-10-18
PRESIDENTS POLICY.
President Mckinley Addresses the
Thirteenth Minnesota Reg
iment at Minneapolis.

He Fully Outlines the Policy Of the Gov
ernment Regarding the Philippines
and Other Territory. Believes
They Should be Held.
The following Is the text Of President
McKinleys speech at the Exposition Oct.
II, 1899:
My Fellow Citizens, Governor Lind, May
Or Gray and Members of the Thirteenth
Volunteer Regiment:
I have come from the capital of the ma
ton that I might give the nations well
come to q regiment of the nations de-
lenders (Applause.) l have come to
speak the voice of love and gratitude
which comes from every American heart
today who loves the flag. "a voice from
the crowd, ''It does.") I have to bid you
welcome, because you did your duty; and
that is the highest tribute that can be
paid to any soldier in the world. (Ap-
plause.)
I do not think the members of this reg
fment themselves, or the regiments con-
stituting the Eighth army corps in the
Philippines, realize the Importance and
heroism of their action after the treaty
Of peace was signed and ratified
And I want to say to you men, and to
Colonel Summers-General Summers now,
because of his gallantry (applause)-that
the officers and men Of the Eighth army
corps sent to washington telling me they
would stay In the Philippines till could
create a new army and send 1t there to
take their place. (Applause> I come to
bid you. welcome and to give you the
thanks of the nation because you have
sustained the honor of the nation. ZAP
plause) Because you have refused to
stack arms and refused to sound a re-
treat. (Applause) And you have come
back, having the highest place in the
hearts and affections of the American
people, and gratitude that will continue
for all time
You have also by your services added
much to the cause of humanity, added
much to the advancement Of civilization,
which has so characterized the century
just now fading away.
The century now drawing to a close
has been most memorable in the worlds
progress and history. The march of
mankind in moral and intellectual ad-
The growth Of the worlds material in
terests is so vast that the figures would
almost seem to be drawn from the realm
of imagination rather than from the field
Of fact. All peoples have felt the ele-
waiting influences of the century. HUI
manity and home have been lifted up.
Nations have been drawn closer together
in feeling and interest and sentiment
hoe o1N
home and abroad and brought about a
better understanding, which has de-
stroyed enmity and promoted amity Civ
ilization has achieved great victories, and
to the gospel of good will there are now
few dissenters. The great powers, under
the inspiration of the czar of Russia,
have been sitting together in a parlia-
ment of peace, seeking to find common
basis for the adjustment of controversies
without war and waste. While they have
not made war impossible, they have made
peace more probable, and have empha-
sized the universal love Of peace. They
have made a gain for the worlds re-
pose; and Americans, while rejoicing in
what was accomplished, rejoice also for
their participation in the great cause yet
to be advanced, we trust, to more per-
feet fulfillment.
The century has blessed us as a nation.
While it has not given US perfect peace,
it has brought us constant and ever-in-
creasing blessings, and imposed upon us
no humiliation or dishonor.
We have had wars with foreign powers,
and the unhappy one at home-but all
terminated in no loss of prestige or honor
or territory, but a gain in all
The increase of our territory has added
vastly to our strength and prosperity
without changing our republican charac-
ter. 1t has given wider scope to demo-
cratic principles and enlarged the area
for republican institutions.
I sometimes think we do not realize
what we have and the mighty trust we
have committed to our keeping. The
study of geography and history have now
more than a passing interest to the
American people. It is worth recalling
that when the federal union was formed
we held 9O9,765 square miles of territory,
and in less than one hundred years we
have grown to 3,S45,515 square miles,
The first acquisition, in 1903, known as
the Louisiana purchase" embraced $685.
or square miles, exclusive of the area
west Of the Rocky mountains. It's vast
ness and value will be best understood
when say that it comprises the entire
states of Arkansas, Missouri Iowa, Ne
braska, North and South Dakota and
parts of the state of Minnesota, Kansas,
Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Louisiana,
all of the Indian Territory and part of
Oklahoma Territory. 1t would seem al
most incredible to the present generation
that this rich heritage to the federal de-
main should have been opposed; and yet
it was resisted in every form and by
every kind of assault. The ceded ter
ritory was characterized as ''malaria]
swamp its prairies destitute of trees or
vegetation. 1t was commonly charged
that we had been cheated by giving $15,-
100000 for territory so worthless and
pestilential that it could never be in
habited or put to use; and it was also
gravely asserted that the purchase would
lead to complications and wars with Eu-
ropean powers. In the debate in the SEN
ate over the treaty, a distinguished SEN
ator from Connecticut said:
'"The vast and unmanageable extent
which the accession of Louisiana will
give the United States; the consequent
dispersion of our population, and the de-
struction of that balance which it IS
so important to maintain between the
eastern and western states, threatens, al
no very distant day, the subversion OF
our union.''
A distinguished senator from Delaware
said:
''But as to Louisiana-this new, immense
unbounded world-if it should ever be
incorporated into the union, of which ]
have no idea, and which can only be
done by amending the constitution, be.
lieve it will be the greatest curse that
could befall us. 1t may be productive Of
fnnumerable evils and esDeciallv of one