Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-07-17
THE OTTUMWA COURIER: THURSDAY, JULY II, 1852.

{, JULY II, 1902.
and there throughout the country and
made part of our national celebra
ton. 1t ought not to be so. Nothing
has happened to us within the last
five years which could have been pre-
vented by human wisdom. nor has
anything been done by us which is not
in high sense the action of the ma
ton itself as distinguished from the
narrow program of partisan politics.
A few days ago strange spectacle
was witnessed in the American sen
ate. The most honored public man Of
New England, venerable with years
devoted to the public service, address
ed that body on the subject of the
American occupation of the Philippine
islands. In words seldom approached
in the graces of eloquence, with mo.
tives nowhere questioned, he uttered
his protest against the work which
William Mckinley was doing in those
far off islands when the stroke of the
assassin suddenly removed him from
the strife of time. 1t has been said
that since the golden age of American
eloquence no such words have been
spoken in our capitol. He pied theI
cause Of liberty as few have ever pied
it before any tribunal, and when he
sat down men of all parties gathered
about him while he received the con.
CALCULATIONS of his colleagues and the
applause of the multitude. A few days
later the senate voted upon the Philip
pine government bill and it appears to
have created no surprise that Senator
Hoars great Grafton had won to his
opinion not a single vote. Already
| from the press and platform the judg
ment has been expressed that such a
circumstance indicates the total de-
pravity of the political life Of today
and is in itself an omen of the fatal
decay of our institutions. In reality 1t
has no such significance. 1t means
rather that we live in a world of
deals with facts and not with dreams
| If the American government were in
deed engaged in overthrowing the on
| ly republic in Asia millions of men
would utter their protest, and every
American constituency would find it's
voice heard in both houses of con,
gress. 1t is because the republic in
Asia Is creature of benevolent mag
ination. fiction of an untenable n.y.
pothesis, that even the appearance in
| its behalf of an advocate so command
ing in character and influence makes
no impression upon the national pur
pose.
The government of the United
found no republic in Asia; it fonud a
despotism called Spain and mob
called the Philippine army speedily
organized under the dictatorship of a
strictly Asiatic type. 1t destroyed the
Spanish fleet sent the Spanish garris,
on home. and having taken upon it.
self under circumstances that admit.
tied of no other course sovereign re-
sponsibility for the future of the ar
chipelago, has established its author
Iity and is today giving to that scatter.
ed population the only opportunity of
self government that they have ever
known. Instead of destroying a re-
public in Asia We are laying in justice
the foundations of social orderand CIV
; ing unselfsh guidance to helpess
people i'll the struggle, which may be
long and arduous, to our own ideals
of civil liberty. So that instead OF
departing from the traditions of our
fathers, we have only accepted the du-
shoulders the burdens of our day and
generation. What We have done, in
!, stead of undermining our institutions
has added to them the strength and
dignity which belong to the higher ma
tional life. If we had been disposed to
take the part of ease and comfort we
would never have made war on Spain
at all; and if after our victory we
L. IL, l~,l, IL,
world laid upon us by the triumph OF
our armies and our fleets we nigh,
have emerged from the ordeal with lit
: the loss of blood or treasure. In thai
l case We would have had nothing tt
show for the sacrifices We have made
: except few well defined cases of an
: archy in the west Indies and along the
). borders of Asia. 1t is admitted thai
I the significance of what has been done
: in the last five years cannot be fully
interpreted or understood.
But one thing is plain. The repub
! lie of America has been called from
: the care of stocks and bonds, from tn,
: enterprises of commerce and industry
! from the greed and avarice of tn,
:. market place, to take up its rightfu
1 position in the arena of the world
: affairs, lending it's influence to wider
the arena of human liberty, to ex
tend the boundaries of civilization an,
o to make new outposts for human pre-
h gress in the ends of the earth. No
/ ought we to doubt that brave an,
s patient discharge of the national dut
h will add new strength to the institu
n tons founded by our fathers and fulfil
t. at length their higher precept O
it sound politics that no nation can liv
IS safely to itself alone.
$ Captain J. S. Lothrop, of Sioux City
II who discovered Iowa's civil war CLAIM
Il against the government and presse
> the matter to successful conclus