The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1900-10-05
GRIZzLED VETERAN TALK
Otis and Wheeler and Sickles Say,
Hold Them Philippines.


New York, Sept. 27.-Major Cen
eral Elwell S. Otis, U. S. A., wa en-
tertained at dinner tonight at Delmon-
co.'s by Lafayette Post No. 49, G.. a
r.. General j. Fred Pierson preceding. |
Genera Otis was introduced and |
was received with cheers. The chief !
points of his address are as follows
"The WARMTH Spain, wise or not, |
fortunate or .unfortunte, was de-
manded by the country. The war in
is legitimate course of prosecution,
ed us to Manila bay, re suited in the |
destruction of the Spani sh fleet and !
the capture of the city of Manila. |
| Spain ceded all her property in the
| islands under sacred International |
compact. 1t has been charged that
she had lost through revolution her
right to cede this territory. She held
! it firmly, before the United
States throttled her, and while the
latter held her helpless, certain Tag
alos of Luzon took advantage of the
situation to reanimate a defunct re-
belion and capture the small Luzon
garrison which she, because of con-
ditions imposed 10y the United States,
was powerless to reinforce. If she
lost any portion of her sovereignty
she lost il while under duress and in
the power of the United States and
while negotiations were pending to
transfer to the latter. Surely, revo-
luton can scarcely carry with it prop
erty rights of such character
General Otis charged Aguinaldo
with treachery and with wanting to
destroy the American army while pre-
tending to be its friend and declared
that the United States must hold the
Philippines. Hel said that the idea
of now Withdrawing the American
troops and giving the islands indie
pendence was preposterous as it would
be followed by anarchy and a earn
ival of blood.
General Otis closed by saying:
~ repeat that | am a good Fill
ipino and advocate the doctrine of
the Philippine people. reassert
that | know nothing of politics but
sincerely believe from my knowledge
of the benevolent sentiments of the
people of the United States that what
ever its future complexion the policy
of the government toward those is
lands cannot radically change. We
are there--whether by the direction
of providence or the Vaccinations of
Satan, it seems hard for many to de-
termine- but we are there and we must
make the best Of it for all concerned"
General Joe Wheeler then spoke to
the toast of "Our Country" He said:
Great and glorious and grand as
our country is it is yet a marvellous
contradiction. We are not military
people. We are peace loving peo-
Pile and yet we are the most martial,
and when necessary, the most warlike
of all people on earth. we take our
greatest pride in our triumphs of
peace, but we startle the world by our
proves, our heroism and our vic
2 tories in war. We seek to avoid en-
tanglements with other nations, but
today every nation on the face OF the
z globe before it makes a diplomatic
2 move telegraphs to its ministers in
+ Washington and learns the views,
= wishes and demands OF the American
e people
l General Sickels spoke to the toast,
e "Our Flag" He said in part:
; ono man living and no number of
2 men living are. authorized to sayto our
d Tag; Thus far mayst thou go and no
. further The nag consecrates its de-
. Tenders. That means that whoever
u conspires on combines to injure it OF
kill its defenders is traitor. APP
plause. We had them in 1864 and in
1900 there are the same copperheads
n again. Some people say that faa
means conquest. If it means conques
=, why did we not keep Mexico, We are
=, the defenders, not the purloiners, o
~ republics, as we showed in the case.
- of Venezuela and Brazil"
- General Brooks spoke to the toast
"The Army" and Rear Admira
Barker responded for the Navy"
Past COMMUNICATIVE Chief Albert ID
Shaw spoke for the Grand Army o
= the Republic,