Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-10-13
GREAT GROWTH
OF the Country During the
Past Century.
TOLD BY THE PRESIDENT
When Louisiana and Alaska Purchases
Were Made There Was the Same
Kind 0fOppOSiti0n as There is Now
Regarding the Philippines.

Minneapolis, Oct. 15.--In the course of
his speech yesterday in welcoming the
returning Thirteenth Minnesota volun-
teers President Mckinley spoke in part
as follows:
Il come to bid you welcome and give
you the honor of the nation because you
sustained the flag Of rhe nation, because
you refused to stack arms, refused 10
sound retreat. And YOU have come back,
having a high place in the hearts and
affections of the American people n
! gratitude thai viii continue for all time.
You have also by you services added
much to the Advancement of the civiliza-
ton which has So characterized the CEN
fury just now dying away This
try heralds the most wonderful progress
Of the world known to all history.
THE century now drawing to a close
has been most memorable in the worlds
progress and history. The march of man.
kind in moral and intellectual advance
ment has been onward and upward. The
! growth of the worlds material interests
is so vast that the figures would almost
| seem to be drawn from the realm of mag
nation rather han from the field of fact.
All peoples have felt the elevating intiu-
ences of the century. Humanity and
iiOtIlS ildNt Decil liLteu tp. -NdlioiS LdN Z
been drawn closer together in feeling and
interest and sentiment. The conest has
removed old p~rejudices at home and
abroad and brought abou q better un-
derstanding, which has destroyed enrlity
and promoted aWity.
THE century has blessed us as a ma
ton. While it has not given us perfect
peace, it has brought us constant and
ever-increasing blessings and imposes
,,,,,,, NC ,,r l,, H. tina ~, Jict,ny1n, Wa
have had wars with foreign powers and
the unhappy one at home-but all ter
minated in no loss of prestige or honor or
territory. but a gain in all.
The increase of our territory has add
ed vastly to our strength and property
without changing our republican char
acter. 1t has given wider scope TO demo-
cratic principles and enlarged the area
for republican institutions. l sometimes
think we do not realize what we nave and
the mighty trust we have ommitte to
our keeping. The study of geography and
history rave now more than a passing
interest to the American people. It is
worth reading that when the federal
union was formed We held 900, 765 square
miles of territory and in less than 10C
years we have grown to 3~,S45,5i5 square
miles. The first acquisition, in 1903
known as the Louisiana purchase en-
braced $50. or square miles exclusive OF
the area west of the Rocky mountains
It's vastness and value viii be best under.
stood when I say it comprises the entire
states OF Arkansas. Missouri. Iowa, Ne
braska, South and North Dakota ant
parts of the states of Minnesota. Kansas
Colorado, all OF Indian territory and par
of Oklahoma. 1t you'd seem almost in
credible ito the present generation tina
this rich addition to the federal domain
should have been opposed. and yet it wa
resisted in every form and by every kin,
of assault. The coded territory was char
acterized as q 'malarial swamp it's prai
ries destitute of trees or vegetation. l
was commonly charged that we had bee
cheated by giving $4,000 900 for a terri
tory SO worthless and p~estilential that
could never be Inhabited or put to us
and it was also grayely asserted that tn
purchase would lead to complications an
wars with European covers, In the de
bate in the senate over the treaty a dis
tinguished senator from Connecticu
sid: The vast and unlnanageable es
tate which the Louisiana acquisition wi
sire the United states. the consequer
dispersion Of our population and the de
, struction OF that balance which it is S
important to maintain the cas-
ern and western states. threatens at II
Very distant day the ~subversion Of OF
nation
The opponents. however. were in tt
minority. and the star of the republ
did not set and the mighty west w
brought under the flag of Justice. fire.,
!. dom and opportunity. In 1878 we addt
, Ga, 749 square miles, which now compri:
D es Florida and parts of Alabama, Louii
lana. and Mississippi. In 1915 we II
< ceived the cession of Texas and parts
& Oklahoma. Kansas Colorado, Wyonl!r
, and New Mexico. The next cession VIZ
D under the treaty of 1S4s. containing 522
d 5sS snuare miles. embracing the stat
. of California. Nevada. Utah and par
Z Of Colorado and Wyoming and of IL
? territories of Arizona and New Mexico
9 I'm 1853 we acquired by the Gadsde
. purchase 1886 square miles. The ne!
< afeat acquisition was that of Alask
Y in 1867, containing 599, 4i6 square mile
2 This treaty. like that Of the 'Louisiar
3 purchase was iiercely resisted. Wht
4 the house had under consideration Il
bill appropriating the sum of s., 200, o0
Z the amount of purchase none f
Y Alaska agreed upon by the treaty, II
minority report or that bill quoted a.
rrovlnely an article which characte
. i4rd Alaska as d terra ~incognita. ar
that persons Well informed as to Ala
= ka are un2rateful enoug to hint tn;
p va could have bought a much superi
y eieohant in Siam or Bombay for ol
hundredth part Of the money with H.
= q ten thousandth part Of expense il
Cured in keeping the animal in prop
condition.
The minority report proceeded to 81