The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1899-10-20
PRESIDENTS POLICY.
President Mckinley Addresses the
Thirteenth Minnesota Reg
iment at Minneapolis.
He Fully Outlines the Policy of the Gov
eminent Regarding the Philippines
and Other Territory. Believes
They should be Held.


The following is the text of President
McKinley's speech at the Exposition Oct
u, 1899:
or Gray and Members of the Thirteenth
Volunteer Regiment:
have come from the capital of the ma
ton that I might give the nations well
| come to a regiment of the nations de-
tenders. (Applause.) 1 have come to
speak the voice of love and gratitsoe
which comes from every American heart
| today who loves the flag. "a voice from
| the crowd, 1T does.') have to bid you
welcome, because you did your duty; and
that is the highest tribute that can De
| paid to any soldier in the world. CAP
olause)
I do not think the members of this reg
t.nent themselves, or the regiments con-
s.ituting 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 1 could
create a new army and send it there to
take their place. (Applause.) 1 come to
! ID you welcome and to give you the
thanks of the nation because you have
sustained the honor of the nation Gap
plause) Because you have refused to
stack arms and refused to sound re-
| treat (AppIause) And you have come
| rl,o i, rIsa
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 adj
vancement has been onward and upward
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 eIe-
waiting influences of the century. HUI
manitt and home have been lifted up.
Nations have been drawn closer together
in feeling and interest and sentiment.
Contact has removed old prejudices at
home and abroad and brought about
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 car of Russia,
have been sitting together in a parlia-
ment of peace, seeking to ind a 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 fulfllment.
The century has blessed US as 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 dishpnor.
| 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 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.
1 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. 1t is worth recalling
that when the federal union was formed
we held 900, 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 $751;
| Oh square miles, exclusive of the area
west of the Rocky mountains. Its vast
ness and value will be best understood
| when I 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 coded ter
| ritory was characterized as 'malarial
| swamp its prairies destitute of trees or
vegetation. 1t was commonly charged
| that we had been cheated by giving 49,
000,0 900 for a 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 sem
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 AID western states. threatens, at
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 /