Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1900-01-10

to its growth. When the last link
was riveted In the chain OF states
binding the Atlantic and the Pacific,
the once struggling republic, fresh 10
the vlgor Of Its youth, and brave In
the strength OF all its members, stood
before the nations OF the earth a
model government, founded on the
rights Of all its people, secure In the
bond OF their loyalty, and permanent
In the promise OF their posterlty."
Here Mr.. Howell depressed from the
subject OF expansion to explain how
he could discuss II when the theme OF
his speech had been given as 1.-THE
Man With His Hat In His Hand"
He eloquently pictured the departure
for the Philippines OF the Twenty
ninth regiment OF volunteers. which
he witnessed In the suburbs OF At
lanta. He told how an aged south
erner, who had his only son in the
column. DOTTED his hat as the moving
band struck up "The Star-Spangled
Banner"
"There," exclaimed Mr.. Howell,
twas the connecting link between the
he~arthstone and the capitol! There
was the citizen who, representing the
only real, substantial element of the
nations reserve strength-'the citi-
zen standing in the doorway OF his
home, contented on his Threshold
had answered his country's call-the
man of whom Henry Grady so elo.
quently said: He shall save the re.
public when the drum tap is futile
and the barracks are exhausted In
him was duty typifed, and in him
slumbered the germ Of sacrifice.
"There vas that in the spontane.
Gus action OF the man that spoke of
hardships to be endured and dangers
to be dared for country'ss sake. There
was that in the reverential attitude
that said, even though the libation
Of his hearts blood should be re-
quired In far-off lands, his life would
be laid down as lightly AZ his hat
was lifted to his country's call. De.
MED by age the privilege of sharing
the hardships and the dangers Of the
comrades of his boy, no rule could
regulate his patriotic ardor. no linn.
itation could restrain the instinct OF
his homage.
"The patriot, hat In hand. speaks
n faith that stayed the soul of the
pilgrim fathers when they set foot on
Plymouth Rock; an abiding faith
that filled the hearts OF the CONT
mental soldiers who carved independ-
ence out Of bondage; a faith that
failed not when the firebrand of civil
war blazed fiercely for four years and
then went out; "A triumphant faith
that guided u ships to Santiago
md Manila bay and sustained our
soldiery when they wrested the grasp
Of Spanish tyranny from the Pearl
Of the Antilles; an everything faith
that will burn In the breasts OF our
statesmen and our soldiers until no
hostile hand In raised to menace our
flag as long az it floats in the Philip.
pines!"
Reverting to the subject of expan.
sion, Mr.. Howell spoke the words
quoted In the opening paragraph OF
this dispatch and continued:
whatever doubt may have existed
as to our right to raise the flag oil
our country over Manila must have
been dispelled when, by formal ratifi.
cation OF the peace treaty, every isl.
and of the Philippine archipelago
was formally ceded and transferred
by vanquished Spain to the victori.
Gus United states. The PhiliJ pines
then became ours-ours beyond a
doubt; ours beyond the possibility OF
misconstruction or misunderstood.
ing; ours to reOrganize and to estab.
fish thereon a government which
would comport with the dignity OF
our national prestige and conform To
the requirements Of our national de-
mand. They became ours as Alaska
became when purchased from Russia,
az the Louisiana territory when Sc
cured from France, or the republic OF
Texas when modelled into our ma
tional crown.
liberalization OF the peace treaty
with Spain was Il nonpartisan dec
laratiOn, and the net could not have
been consumated without liberal sup
port from senator's OF both parties
to overcome the combined oppOsi-
ton Of the senator's from each, and
whether that act Is to be approved
on its merits or not, 1t has long since
become a record, and with 1t the
Philippine islands become not Il new
possession but an actual part OF
our national domain. To be disposed
Of as w would disposed of Alaska, or,
forsooth, New Mexico or Arizona.
which, God forbid, should be sug-
gested even by the mello wing dream
OF mugwump conscience.
"Having obtained the Philippines,
therefore, the question Of control or
government is the only relevant issue,
dismissing from consideration, of
course. thequestion OF absolute aban-
donment, for frankly it does not
seem to me that the numerical
strength of the advocates Of this Pc