The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-02-23

north of those regions in 1916, gave us
the greatest cotton field of today. The
northwest territory discovered in 1893
explored in 1903 and secured by treaty
in 1919 with the addition of Florida at
the same time gave us what is now our
greatest timber reserve. Our treaty
with Mexico in 184S gave us what is
now our great fruit belt in California
and the valleys of the Rocky noun
tains, as well as our great mineral sec
ton from which come our gold and sill
yer.
1.-THE Gardsen purchase, now part of
Arizona and New Mexico was added in
1853. The territory of Alaska coded by
Russia in 1867 is a land of immense pos
sibilities- We are just beginning to
learn something of its wonderful re-
sources. So it will be seen that from
the revolutionary war up to 1867 the
United States has been expanding. And
while it has been expanding it has been
educating. Our schools and colleges are
preparing the brightest and most enter
priSing young men upon the earth. we
have become the foremost manufactur-
ing people; we are feeding a conS1dera-
BILE part of the old world; we are manu-
featuring machinery for the old world;
we are sending iron and steel to the old
world land with this remarkable growth
in territory education, manufacturing
and material progress the growth of re-
ligion and morality has kept pace.
the Benp Rure of tbs nted staea afer
vened between Spain and colonies to put
an end to conditions tnat outraged our
sense of justice interfered with our com
merce and made more difficult the execu-
ton of international law. Nothing has
occurred since the war was declared to
justify any man in stating that the United
States has departed in any respect from
congress declared war. While the presi-
dent did not seek the arbitrament of war,
he has met all its requirements A GUAR
ter of million men were mustered. equip
ped and put in the field The islands of
the Caribbean and China seas were con-
quered and put under the American nag
in less than four months. A treaty was
made and ratified in less than year from
on sea or land occurred. minimum of
casualties, an object lesson given to the
world in humane warfare, merc1tuI treat
ment of the peoples coming under our au-
thority, an insurrection among the Ma
lays stamped out, the national credit
higher than ever before in our history and
all complaints of the conduct of the war
met and answered-this is the situation
today. ,,+. a.. -o. ,,,,,o boo, 90
such magnitude and have followed each
other. with such rapidity that the en-
date future have left no time for refiec-
ton and retrospect.
power moved to the Mississippi valley to-
gether with the center of producing, but
the national spirit is most pronounced
here. and cosmopolitan sentiment is best
developed. The western man is the typi-
cal American, loving all America, rejoic-
ing in the progress made by other Ioca1-
ties.
I'VE have got to the place in our efforts
Saribbean and t,hina seas when if is nee
essary to study them and see what they
are prepared to do for themselves. Those
only are fit for complete local Self-gOvern-
ment who are possessed of intelligence
and severe morality. The history of the
fully govern themselves as the people of
the United States do. There is no ques-
ton of the ability of the United States to
govern themselves and to govern other
peoples intelligently.''