The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1902-09-25
ROOT ADDRESSES
ILLINOIS c. 0. P.
SECRETARY OF WAR GIVES INSIDE
FACTS UPON CONDUCT OF
ARMY IN ISLANDS,.
EVIDENCE OF MEN WHO
KNOW UPON SITUATION
Mckinley, Schurnan, Dewey and Others
Quoted to Show That American SOL
diers Acted With Extraordinary Glenn
enoy in Dealings With a People Ma.
turalIy Ferocious and Warlike.
lBy ASSOCIATED PRESS

, reofia, ILL.,, Sept ss.-Secretarv ~ W..
MOOT was the speaker at last nights meet.
ing OF the Illinois League Of Renuhlica,,
s'uos. The Coliseum was packed 70 th.
aoors, and the secretary was voc;f.rs,,.i,,
appiauded. His address was devo,.a ~.
"!eIy 10 the recent troubles in the pb;i;n-
pines ana Cuba and not once in the even :
ing ala ne mention tariff or trust,
lie said: THE first spoken worJs os
eslceht Roosevelt when taking the oath
VI once at Buffalo, we're 1t is nv MR.
pose 10 continue absolutely unbroken ths
poncy OF President Mckinley 70, the
peace, prosperity and honor of our beloved
.oun'ry' l challenge judgment ON the
,,uth and loyalty with which Theodore
Roosevelt has redeemed his promise.
Inc work OF pacification in Cuba has
oeen completed. Military government had
Iaithiuiiy given effect to the humane pur-
poses OF the American people. With sim
eere kindness our officers had helped the
Subans to the steps necessary to the
establishment Of their own constitutional
government.
The Philippine Problem.
OF all the executive problems follow.
ing in the train of the Spanish war, the
problem of the Philippines alone remained.
Success there had not then been demon-
strated, and it was possible the failure
might lead the American people to with
draw power from the republicans hands.
Accordingly the Philippine policy of the
government was attacked"
The secretary stated that in the early
months of 1899, when the course of the
United States towards the insurrection in
the Philippines had been determined,
there was no difference of opinion between
the two parties as to the duty of the
administration. Then he read number Of
editorials from the press throughout the
country, both republican and democratic,
showing that there was only one thing to
do, and that was to conquer the forces of
Aguinaldo. Secretary Root said notwith-
standing the insurrection business in the
islands has fourished and has become
nearly double what it was under Spanish
rule
Then he spent some time in denial of
the stories told by the democratic party
during the insurrection. He gave statistics
as to the number of soldiers in the islands,
the loss by the war and sickness, and then
read number of kilograms captured with
Aguinaldo and other generals. He then
read letter written by Jose Rial, the
greatest general and most revered patriot
of the Philippines, in which he pleaded
with the people to submit to American
sovereignty.
Mr.. Root concluded:
Were All in for II.
"The whole army and its generals were
engaged in the common denunciation the
loyal and fearless Funston was stgmatized
by the senator from Tennessee as a
'blatherskite brigadier.' 4 do not know
who General Wheaton is,' said the senator
from Tennessee, but imagine that he was
charity boy who was appointed to West
Point by some representative and senator
educated by the government
against these contemptuous and injuri-
Gus aspersions upon the soldiers of the
The first is from Mckinley: If any
merciful conduct of military and naval
operations they would not be lacking, but
every step in the progress of our troops
has been marked by humanity which has
surprised even the misguided insurgents
What tho Commission Said.
The second is President Schurman, and
joining with him, Admiral George Dewey
and other members of the Philippine COM
mission: TO those who derive satisfaction
from seeing isolated occurrences, regret
table, indeed, but incident to every war,
and making them the basis of sweeping
accusations, this commission has nothing
to say. Such wrongs as were actually
committed against the natives were likely
to be brought to our attention and in every
case that we investigated we found will
ingness on the part of those in power to
administer prompt justice
"Thc third witness is Gov. w. II. Taft,
who says 4 desire to say that it is my
deliberate judgement that there never was
war conducted against an inferior race
or others in which compassion and restraint
or more generosity than there has been in
the Philippines.
"The fifth is Vice Governor Luke
Wright: General Chaffee has no patience
with any acts of oppression or cruelty, and
whenever his attention has been called to
them he has at once taken the proper steps.
The howl against the army has been made
merely for political purposes and cruelties
perpetratcd have been greatly exaggera-
ted"