Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1899-10-18
OUR STATE HONORED
President Mckinley and Party
Pass Through Iowa.

The Greetings of a Loyal People Welcome
the Chief Executive to Our State-The
President Talks of the Future of the
Nation and the Part 1t Must Play in the
Cause of Civilization.
Iowa has this week had within her
borders as honored guests the pres
ldent of the United States and his cab
met The party arrived from Mime
sofa, where the president, on Thurs
day, welcomed the Thirteenth regi-
ment Minnesota volunteers on their
return from the Philippines, and spent
Sunday at Sioux City. On Monday the
special train bearing the president,
Mrs. Mckinley, members of the cabi-
net and Others, together with Senator
Allison, Governor Shaw and other dis
tinguished Iowans, crossed the state
on the Illinois Central. At every sta
ton there were immense crowds to
greet the resident and at the points
where the train stopped the enthusi-
asm was boundless. At Ackley, Iowa
Falls, Cedar Falls, Waterloo, indie
pendence, Manchester, and Dubuque
short speeches were made by the presi-
dent and members of the cabinet. In
his speeches the president took care to
make plain to his hearers the position
of the administration in regard to the
Philippine question. On this subject
and on the acquisitions which have
come to the United States during the
past year the president said:
I'm the last year we have added to
the territory of the United States the
territory of the Hawaiian islands, one
of the gems of the Pacific, containing
6,724 square miles; Porto Rico, con-
tanning 5000 square miles; Guam, con-
tanning fifty square miles, and the Phil
ippine archipelago, embracing approx
imately $4,000 square miles, the lat
est acquisition about one-sixth the size
of the original thirteen states. 1t is
larger than the combined area of New
Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia,
North Carolina, South Carolina and
District of Columbia; exceeds in area
all the New England states; is almost
as large as Washington and Oregon
combined; greater than Ohio, Indiana
and Illinois united; three times larger
than New York, and three and one
half times larger than Ohio.
'"The treaty of peace with Spain,
which gave us the Philippines, Porto
Rico, and Guam, met some opposition
in the senate, but was ratified by that
body by more than a two-thirds vote,
while in the house the appropriation
of $20,000,000 was made with little OPP
position. AS in the case of the Louis
lana purchase and Alaska, the oppo-
neffs OF the treaty were in the minor
ity and the star of hope to the OPP
pressed people was not extinguished
"The future Of these possessions is
In the keeping of congress, and con-
gress is the servant of the people. That
they will be retained under the benign
sovereignty of the United States / do
not permit myself to doubt. That they
will prove a rich and invaluable herit-
age i feel assured. That congress will
provide for them government which
will bring blessings, which will pro-
mote their material interests as well
as advance their people in civilization
and intelligence, l confidently believe.
They will not be governed as vassals,
serfs or slaves; they will be given a
government of liberty, regulated by
law, honestly administered, without
oppressive taxation, without tyranny,
justice without bride, education with
out distinction of social conditions,
freedom of religious worship, protec-
ton of life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness"
What more can any people ask than
Is thus promised the Philippines.
THE following little table would