The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-20
HONOR FOR WRIGHT
The President Pays a Fine Tribute
to His Work in the Phil
F =,
ippines. ..-..
A Summary Of What the Nation Is
Doing for It's Oriental
Children.

Memphis, Tenn. Nov. 20-Although the
festivities yesterday celebrated the home
coming of General Luke E. Wright. vice
governor of the Philippines. it is no refec
ton upon the warmth of the welcome ex-
tended to him to say, that President
RooseVelt's presence was the overshadow-
ing feature of the day. The great event
was an elaborate banquet at the Peabody
last night.
When the president arose to speak he
received an ovation, and his remarks were
frequently Interrupted by applause. He
said:
ut Is a real and great pleasure to come
to this typical city of the southern M1ssis-
sippi valley In order to greet typical
American. citizen OF Tennessee, who de-
serves honor not only from his state. but
from the entire country-General Luke d.
Wright.
I'VE have a. right to expect a high
standard Of manhood from Tennessee. 1t
was one Of the first two states created
west Of the Allegheny mountains, and it
was in this state that the first self-goVern-
ing community Of American freemen was
established upon waters flowing into the
gulf. The pioneers of Tennessee were
among the earliest in that great westward
march which thrust the nations border
across the continent to the Pacific, and 1t
is eminently fitting that son Of Tennes-
sec SlOulu uO" pay 81 b Pal I
in the further movement OF expansion be-
yond the Pacific.
'"rhere have been Presidents of the
United States for but 113 years, and during
sixteen Of those years Tennesseeans sat
IN the White House Hardihood and dar-
ing and iron resolution are of right to be
expected among the sons Of a state which
nurtured Andrew Jackson and Sam Hous-
ton. which sent into the American navy
ora ~ tho most IA p1OuS fighting ADM Ira Is
of ell tine-Farragut.
There is another reason why our coun-
try should be glad that it was General
Wright who rendered this service. Cen
eral Wright fought with distinguished
gallantry among the gallant men who
served in the armies of the Confederacy
during the civil war. We need no proof
Of the completeness OF our reunion as a
people When the war with Spain came,
the sons of the men who wore the blue
and the Of the men who wore the
gray We'd with one another in the effort to
get into the ranks and face a foreign foe
under the old flag that had been carried in
triumph under Winfield Scott and Zachary
Taylor and Andrew Jackson. 1t was my
own good fortune to serve under that fear
less fighter. old Joe Wheeler, memory Of
which 1 shall always be proud. But If we
needed any proof Of the unity Of our In
terests, it would have been afforded this
very year Dy 'LeneTdl WRIGHT, luc CA
Confederate, in his admins ira ton act
ing governor of the Philippine islands.
Upon him during the summer rested a
heavier burden Of responsibility than upon
any other public servant at that particu-
lar time; and not the least of his titles to
our regard is the way in which he was
able to work on terms Of cordial good will
with the head of the army, himself a man
who had honored the blue uniform as
Wright had honored the gray.
General Wrlght's work has been as
difficult as it was important. The events
OF the last four years have definitely de-
cided that whether we wish to or not We
must hereafter play great part in the
world. We cannot escape facing the
duties We may shirk, them If we are
built Of poor stuff, or we may take hold
and do them if we are fit sons of our
sires--rut face them we must, whether
we will or not. Our duty in the Philip
pines has simply been one of the duties
that thus have come upon us. We are
there. and we can no more haul down our
flag and abandon the islands than we
could now abandon Alaska. Whether
We are glad or sorry that events forced