The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-20

LIE pOllJ 10 lNtili dS SAC O'ASsAS'S ~~~N~
of the war with Spain, we found ourselves
In the Philippines and that we could not
leave the islands without discredit. The
Islanders we're. wholly unfit to govern
themselves. and If we had left there
would hav, been a brief period of bloody
chaos, and then some other nation would
have stepped in to do the work which we
had shrked. 1t cannot be too often re-
peated that there was no question that
the work had to be done. All the ques-
ton was. whether we would do it we'll
or H. and. thanks to the choice OF men
like Governor Wright, 1t has been done
we'll The first and absolutely indis-
pensable requisite was order-peace. The
reign of lawless violence, Of resistance to
es'tlmate authority, the reign Of an
acth:', could no. more be tolerated than
it could be tolerated here In our own
land. "~
"The American flag stands for orderly
liberty. and it stands for 1t abroad as it
stands for 1t at home. The task Of our
soldiers was 10 restore and maintain or
der in the islands. The army had the
task to do. and it did it we'll and thor
oughly. The fullest and heartiest praise
belongs to our soldiers who in the Phil
lppines brought to a triumphant conclu-
sion war SMALL indeed compared to the
gigantic struggle in which the older men
whom, am addressing took part in the
early sixties. but inconceivably harassine
ard difficult. because it was waged amid
the painless Sungles Of great tropic ISL
ands and against foe very elusive, very
.reacherous. and often inconceivably cruel
poth toward our men and toward the
great numbers Of peace-loving Filipinos
VINO gladly welcomed our advent The
soldiers Included both regulars and vol
unteers, men from the north. the -south
the east and the west, men from Penn
sylvan.a and from Tennessee, no less tina n
IEen IRON the Rocky mountains and the
aclac sIope-and to all alike we give
nonor. 1or they acted as American soldiers
should. Cruelties were committed here
ana tncre The fact that they were COM
nHted under ~well-nigh intolerable provo
cat1on aHofds no excuse for such cruelties
nor can We admit as justification thar
they were retaliatory in kind. Every
euo1t mas Deen made to detect and nun
ISM sne "ronEdoers. and the wrongdoing
ltse1 mas been completely stopped. Rut
these n,isdesds were exceptionaI 49,
thelr occurrence in nowise alters the fact
tt?at the American army in the Philin-
pines showed as a whole not onlv snlen-
did soldierly Qualities, but a high ordar
OF humanity In dealing with their foes A
hundred thousand Of our troops went ~
.,,e fl.!llpp'nes. Among them were some
VINO oHended against the right wo,l ~
we altogether immaculate: at bon,a,
tn!nk not. | ask for no special cons,dar
at'on 10 De shown our friends and liz.
it'en' our sons and brothers who d,,rt,.x
three Years so Well upheld the na+Io,;n3
l,'n'r IN the Philippines. I ask ne,aI,,
s si,a. We 90 the same equal justice to the
oo'u'e. VINO Went abroad and faced dea tn
"'''i ''Veo f'ard as ": show to his fellow
who stayed at home and lived easily and
In comfort, and if we show that equal
IL = ;SN hot ~
who mas put the whole country under
obligations by the victory he helped to
win il: the Pnjlll pines.
But the soldiers work as a soldier was
not the larger part Of what he did, When
once the outbreak was over in any place.
then began the work of. establishing civil
administration. Here, too: the soldier did
his part, for the work Of preparing FOR
the civil authority was often done by the
officers and men of the regular army, ana
we'll done, too.
Then the real work of building up a
system Of self government for the people
who had become our wards was begun,
under the auspices Of the Philippine COM
mission, Judge Taft being made governor,
and 1 having had the honor myself to APP
point General Wright as vice governor.
During the critical period when the 1nsur-
rection was ending and the time was one
of transition between state of war and
a state of peace, at the time that I issued
a procla ma ton declaring that the state
of war was over and that the civil govern
ment was now in complete command,
General Wright served as governor of the
archipelago. The progress Of the islands,
both in material we'll being and as re-
CARDS order and justice under the ad
| ministratiOn of Governor Wright and his
| colleagues has been astounding.
| There is no question as to our not hav-
ing gone far enough and fast enough in
granting f-goveEnment to the Filipinos;
the only possible danger has been lest we
should go faster and farther than was in
the interest Of the Filipinos themselves.
| Each Filipino at the present day is guar
anteed his life, his liberty and the chance
to pursue happiness as he wishes. so long
as he does not harm his fellows, in a way
which the Islands have never known be-
fore during their recorded history. There
are bands Of ladrones, Of brigands, still in
existence. Now and then they may show
sporadic Increase. This will be due occa-
slonally to disadfeotion with some Of the
things that our government does which
are best-for example, the effort to quar-
antlne against the plague and to enforce
necessary sanitary precautions, gently and
tactfully though 1t was made produced
violent hostility among some of the more
ignorant natives.
Again, a disease like the cattle plague
may cause IN some given province such
want that part Of the inha bitants revert
to their ancient habit of brigandage But
the Islands have never been as ORDERLY as
peaceful or as prosperous as now; an6
IN no other oriental country whethe,
ruled by Asiatics or Europeans, is there
anything approaching to the amount Of
individual liberty and Of self government
which our rule has brought to the FIJI.
pinos.
The nation owes great debt to the
people through whom this splendid work
1or civilization has been achieved, and
therefore on behalf Of the nation T have
come here tonight to thank in your pres
ence your fellow townsman, because he
has helped us materially to add a. new
page to the honor roll of American his.
tory. General Wright, I greet YOU.
thank you, and I wish you we'll"
The reception rendered by the colore6
people was truly remarkable. Genera
Wright earned their undying gratitude
during the yellow fever epidemic a few
years ago by remaining here when mos1
of the whites had fed, and seeing tha1
the sick were cared for. The hall was
packed.
| The presidents reception when he wa
introduced beggars description. The col.
ored people. became perfectly frantic
jumping up and down in their enthusia srr
and yelling themselves hoarse
Going to Des Molnes. - =.
The short line and best service is wi:
the North Western Line Omaha Road