Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-05-01


er principle as natural as that of indus
trial combinations-th principle of
expansion. 1t is principle universal,
and manifests itself in the life of ev-
cry individual, the progress of every
business firm and sweeps onward
through the whole range of human ac-
tivity, to the policies of nations.
Democracy Resisted All.
Spain failed in her duty of admin
istration of order, law and justice in
her possessions-failed to connect
them with the world of commerce and
culture. And when the voice of the
| Lord called the armies of the repub-
| lie to her chastisement, the time had
also come when the people of the re-
public We're prepared for that world
| expansion natural to growing nations.
| For us, duty, opportunity, power; for
| Spain, recreancy, weakness, punish
| ment-all spoke in the same great
| hour of fate. Porto Rico became our
| charge; Cuba our ward; the Philip
pines our oriental outpost The
democracy resisted all. AS the old
| federal party resisted the American
acquisition of Louisiana territory and
went to it's DEATH as the old wing
party resisted American expansion of
California and went to it's death; SO
the late democratic party resisted
American expansion over the sea and
went to its death. And now the re-
mains Of the democratic party, in op-
position to the government demand
that America shall retreat from the
Philippines. Shall Americans heed
ho
| tens of millions of American gold to
the Philippines. We have poured out
system, modern methods, modern
commerce of the east Why should
mercial expansion is swiftly becom-
ing our mortal need abandon its pos
session; throw away the multiplied
millions of dollars they have invested;
denounce our soldiers as pirates; give
up the mastery of the Pacific and the
control of the orient? 1t is policy of
decrepitude, proposition of disgrace.
Will Give FiIipinos Their Due.
"If Filipinos should be found cap
able of self-government, the republic
an party will give it to them. But the
republican party proceeds on facts, not
on Imagination. And, therefore, the
senate proposes census of the Phil
| ippine islands for the purpose of in
forming congress to what extent and
in what places Filipinos can govern
themselves. Is this not the method of
reason? First find the facts and then
n
while these facts are being gathered
American administration in the Phil
ippines is extending self-government
in town and village as rapidly as the
Filipinos can manage it. We are
teaching them by practice; we are
training them by education. If we
can make them self-governing none
will hail that contamination with such
delight as we who are instructing
them. But we will not turn them back
to barbarism. We will not abandon
1 them to rival powers We will not
haul down the flag. We will do our
work like Americans and men until
all the east shall bless the name of
the great republic and all mankind
cheer American benificence.
"The opposition denies that repub-
lie can govern dependencies. But we
are governing them. Parallel, if you
can, the progress we have made.
The Greatest Period Now.
st is the twentieth century in
which we live-the greatest period
since time began. We cannot cling to
the methods of the past The repub-
lie has marched ever forward only be-
cause our fathers put behind them
plans and policies which civilization
had outgrown and adopted new ones
as their new day demanded them. We,
their children, must do the same
Their war cry was Onward, our war
cry must be Onward" too. The re.
publican party is the organized spirit
of American progress. We dare not
stoop to demigogs devices: that is the
role of the opposition to the govern
ment We dare not trick up fictitious
issues to catch temporary applause.
| We dare not be insincere to capture
/ this or that coterie of voters. We dare
not counsel with fear or compromise
with reaction. Our success-our very
life-is in harmony with the progress
of the American people toward their
natural supremacy.
America Supreme.
"Aye American supremacy. All our
present powers justify 1t. All our past
development has been but preparation
for it. How gloriously our fathers
wrought for the fulfillment of that
dream-wrought, perhaps, as uncon-
scious workmen of GODS great pur-
poses Their work was not fer their
own lives alone-it was for the centu-
ries they wrought. And that work
1 thus molly i'egun and appearing, even
now, in historys perspective as harmo-
NOUS parts of an infinite plan, we,
their sons. will carry forward till our
day, too, is ended, and our children, in
their turn, shall take it up. Onward.
ever onward, let that grand work
move. Retreat never a single step.
Yield not victory we have won. For
ward to day still better and to
achievements still more glorious And
when we Young men of this convention
are bent end gray, may our failing
eyes be aheered with the vision true
of the old Flag, master of the seas;
and our dull ears be gladenel with the
music of the old fife and drum which