Gilpin observer., 1900-06-21

and no more than man may nation
% ended and nd we faeed u our victory s in in all its
living upon uncounted islands delivered
would be confession that while the oppres-
sion by Spain of 1,5Oo.OOO of Cubans de-
barbarity and cruelty to millions Of Fill
pinos. less able to protect themselves.
Of nrG to s No
nation, could have turned these people
back to Spain Our commissioners. when
Philippines, voiced the sentiments and the
wishes or the American people. and this
wh has with of tSs ana
which may be encountered, the grave re-
sponsibil!ties imposed upon us by the
We are told that the islands are rich in
all the products of the tropics, in mineral
ture deveiopment pr @ ssDS So much Il the 'b better %
desert, We would have taken them Just
the same.
We haven't been there long, but long
enough enS to reach two conclusions. One Is
suppress, the Tagal insurrection and to es
aaeSh law and hat order ri the
thing we intend doing, is to consider, even
for moment. the question of giving up
or abandoning these islands.
We are actually owners of the Philip
pines by an undisputed and indubitable ii,
tie. We are there as the necessary and
logical outcome of our victory over
Spain. There upward of a thousand
islands ssprinkled upon the Southern. sea,
peopled by more than eighty tribes of Diff
ferent race and language and having alb
soiutely nothing in common with each
other. Most of these tribes welcome our
coming and are grateful for our protec-
ton. The Tagai tribe, hostile not only
to us, but to most of the native tribes are
In insurrection against our authority.
They have neither a government or the
capacity to conduct one. and are waging
no,1G PREDATORY ha guerilla warfare n which
tribes if we let them alone. What would
the Democracy have us do? Give them
up to rapne and bloodshed. and leave the
islands as fiotsam and jetsam on the face
Of the waters? There are parallels in our
history. We purchased Florida from Spain
100000 and other valuable considera-
tions. The !Seminoles, natives of the soil,
ligence and character than the Tagals,
disputed our possession; We sent An
drew Jackson down to fight them. and 1t
took us twenty-one years to subdue them
the Mississippi. OF. the "anti.everythings'
had lived then. they would. I suppose,
ida to oseeola. the Aguinaldo of the Sem
inoies. Would you, after the war with
Mexico and the Gadsden purchase, have
given the great area south and west of
the Arkansas to the red Apache? Not
and as they built. so shall we, their sons.
The obstacles to the establishment of
civil government in the islands are
many. but we shall overcome them. Mis-
takes will undoubtedly be made. but we
shall remedy them. We shall in time
extend over that archipelago the aegis
of our protection and of free govern
ment, and we shall gradually, but surely.
lift up these alien and savage races into
the light of civilization and Christianity.
Meanwhile American enterprise and in
genuity and push may be depended upon
and make them an added source OF
wealth to our country. The wise states
manship of our president and our able
secretary of state has already brought
from the countries of Europe a recogni-
tion of our right to share in the vast
commercial advantages which will fol-
low the opening of the Chinese empire
to foreign trade: the Nicaragua canal
will soon be constructed; Hawaii. with
the best of the Samoan islands, with its
magnificent, roadway: the Philippines are
sells of fear do not prevail, this genera
tion will see the American nation grid
ling half the globe with its flag. extend
ing its foreign commerce to the uttermost
parts of the earth. taking its place
among the great world nations, a power
for good. for peace and for righteousness.
Never since Ca when the voters OF the
country were called upon to determine
whether the efforts OF Abraham Lincoln
ued. or whether they should be aban-
doncd and other measures attempted.
the American people for settlement. Their
decision must determine the maintenance
or the degradation of both our national
credit and our national honor. A Demo-
cratic President could paralyze the opera
tion OF the new currency law effect
lively as If it were wiped from our statute
books. A Democratic victory would infuse
new life into the Tagal insurrection. cost
us the lives OF thousands of our gallant
army in the Philippines. impair or destroy
our prestige, If not our power in the is
lands, make us n by-word among the 9TH
er great nations of the world and obliter-
ate our influence In the settlement of the
vital questions certain to arise when Chi
na shall be opened to foreign commerce.
There is little room for fear The farm
er and the artisan, in their day of pros
perity. still remember the impovsrish-
ment and blight of Democracy. and the
Chicago platform has no allurements for
them.
Our national honor is equally secure.
The American people are neither pol
troons nor pessimists, and they will not
signalize the dawn of the new century by
the surrender of either convictions or ter
ritory. Every soldier back from the is
lands. and they are In almost every ham
let In the land. returns an advocate Of
their retention. our dead are buried along
the sands of LuZon. and on its soil no for
eign flag shall ever salute the dawn.
Whatever may be in store FOR us In the
are entering, we shall not be found with
the unlit lamp and the unglrt loin." Our
s but II Is not dSTk In the
we must take our place with the other
great nations Of the earth we shall
We seek only to lift up men to better
things. TO bless and not to destroy. The
fathers of the republic accepted with
courage such responsibilities as devolved
upon them. The same heavens bend over
us, and the same power that shielded
them will guard and protect us, for what
we seek Is TO build stil more firmly, al
ways upon foundations of probity and
of virtue. the glorious edifce of the re-
public.
We stand at the dawn of the new CEN
tury. Before II shall have reached It's
meridian the youngest here will have
passed beyond this life or beyond the
sphere OF usefulness. New recruits will
step into the ranks we fall out. This
very year thousands of young men Will
for the first time exercise the right of clti-
zenship and cast their ballots at the ma
tionnl election. The safety of this repub-
lie. must ever rest In the courage of
young hearts and the vigor Of noble
manhood" Youth is buoyant and hope