Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-07-31

were paired against it. OF course, our
democratic friends are not opposed to
the army, but nine-tenths of their chos-
en- representatives in the lower house
of congress would compel the officers
and enlisted men to be exposed to the
weather during the rainy season IN
the tropics. rather than appropriate
one dollar to put shelter over their
heads. Thank God not one republican
voted against that appropriation.
Gallant Fight of Army.
with this fight in the rear constant
ly going on the army CALAMITY over
came every obstacle and on the
Fourth of July the President was enab-
led to issue his proclamations declar-
ing peace reigned throughout the Phil
ippines with all but the Mohammedan
Moros, granting amnesty for past po-
litical offenses and supplanting the
military with civil government. The
army, which at one time amounted to
$4,000 men, has been ordered reduced
to $4,000, and the work of pacification
is now almost substantially complete.
Almost the last act of congress was the
passage of a bill to establish a civil
government in the Philippines. That
act carries to the people Of those is
lands the great guarantees of Ameri-
can liberty, and in ages yet to come
will be looked upon by the people of
those distant islands with something
of that reverence with which the peo-
pie of the northwest looked to the eel
ebrated ordinance of 1887. We have
provided for a local legislative body
chosen by the people. Even in the
midst of war we have established pub
| lie schools everywhere. In 1898 there
were 1921 pupils enrolled in all the
public schools of the islands; today
there are 100000 pupils so enrolled,
with 4,600 teachers, conscientiously en-
gagged in their instruction, and this is
a sample of the manner in which we
are trampling upon and depressing
these people. We have, as best we
knew, discharged the duties incum-
bent upon us and have left to those
who come after us the settlement of
their own problems. If the people OF
these islands ever become civilized
and capable of independent self-gov-
eminent and then desire it, for one,
would be in favor of giving it to them,
but | am convinced that when these
people have struggled UP with our as
sistance until they are fit for indie
pendence they will be as unwilling to
surrender their relations to the United
States as Iowa would be. | know moth
ing as to what the future has in store,
but l believe that our flag has been
put up in the Philippines and that it
will "stay put; that it will never come
down SO long as this republic, zone and
indivisible," shall be reckoned among
the nations of the earth.
War Taxes Repealed.
when the war with Spain broke out
it was necessary to impose additional
taxes upon the people, but it was I'M
derstood that they would be REPEALED
when the necessity for them arising
out of the war has passed At the sec
ond session of the Fifty-siXth congress
we repealed $40,000,000 of these taxes
and at the session just closed repealed
the balance, or 100000 more, thus
reducing the burdens upon the people
to the amount of $117,000,000 per an
mum. Before the war had closed in the
Philippines every dollar of war taxes
was repealed.
Isthmian Canal.
81 would not close without a refer
ence to one other matter. After an
agitation Of more than half century
: in response to the unanimous wish OF
the people, the present congress, un
, der the leadership of the chairman Of
. the committee on interstate and for
eign commerce, Colonel Hepburn Of
Iowa, passed the isthmian canal bill
: and under it's provisions under the
auspices of the United States the wa
tiers of the two great oceans of the
world will be united, the greatest OBJ
stacles to the commerce of the worlG
will have been removed and vessels
from the Atlantic and Pacific coasts
and from the Gulf of Mexico can, with
+ the least possible loss of time, reach
every section and corner of the world
Remain True.
; "And now, gentlemen, in the full con
] fidence that the record to which have
so briefly referred can but meet the ap
: proval not only of this convention, bu
! of those you represent, | appeal to YOU
!! to adhere to the fundamental article!
: of our faith nominate none but mel
/. of irreproachable character and you
! may confidently rely upon the vindica
r ton of your work by the people at tn,
: ensuing election.