The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-20

order-peace. The reign of lawless yio-
the reign Of anarchy, could no more be
tolerated abroad than it could be tolerated
here in our own land
ARMY DID WELL.
1.-The American flag stands for orderly
liberty, and it stands for it abroad it
stands for it at home The task of our
soldiers was to restore and maintain order
do and il did Ii we'll and thoroughly. The
fullest and heartiest praise belongs to our
soldiers who in the Philippines brought TO
a triumphant conclusion war, small IN
deed compared TO the gigantic struggle in
which the older whom 1 address,
ing took part in the early sixties, but in
conceivably harassing and difficult, because
IL was waged amid the painless jungles or
great tropic islands and against foe very
elusive, very treacherous and often incon-
ceivably cruel both toward our men and
toward the great numbers of peace-loving
Filipinos who gladly welcomed our advent:
The soldiers included both regulars and
volunteers. men from the North. the South
the East and the West, men from Penn
sylvania and from Tennessee, no less than
men from the Rocky mountains and the Pa
cific slope-and TO all alike we give honor,
for they acted as American soldiers should
act. Crueltie5 committed here and
there. The fact that they were committed
under well-nigh intolerable provocation al
fords no excuse for such cruelties. nor can
we admit justification that they were
retaliatory in kind. Every effort has been
made to detect and punish the wrongdoers
and the wrongdoing itself has been COM
pletely stopped. But these misdeeds were
exceptional. and their occurrence in no
wise alters the fact that the American
army In the Philippines showed as whole
not only splendid soldierly qualities, but
nigh order of humanity in dealing with
their foes.
TO the Philippines. Among them were some
who offended against the right. Well. are
we altogether immaculate at home?
think not. L ask for no special consldera-
ton to be shown our friends and kinsmen,
our sons and brothers, who during three
years so well upheld the national honor In
the Philippines. l ask merely that We DO
the same equal justice to the soldier who
went abroad and faced death and lived
hard as we show to his fellow who stayed
at nome and lived easily and in comfort;
and If we show that equal justice We will
don our hats to the man who has put the
whole country under obligations by the
victory he helped to win in the Philip
pines.
CIVIL ADMINISTRATIONS.
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 Off
done. too. Then the real work of building
up system of self-government for the
people who had become our wards was be-
gun, under the auspices of the Philippine
Commission. Judge Taft being made Gov
ernor, and having had the honor myself
10 appoint General Wright as vice gov
ernor. During the critical period when the
instruction was ending and the time was
one or transition between state of war
ana state of peace, at the time that l
issued a proclamation declaring that the
nra6 fhot he n
government was now in complete COM
nand, General Wright served as Governor
i GI the arch ARCHIPELAGO The progress of the
regards order and justice under the ad-
mlnlstration of General Wright and his
colleagues has been astounding.
Ihere is no question as to our not having
gone lar enough and fast enough in grant
ing self-government to the Filipinos. the
only possible danger has been lest we
should go faster and farther than was in
the interest of the F'iIipinos themselves.
Each Filipino at the present day is guaran-
teed his life. his liberty. and the chance to
he does not harm his fellows, in a way
which the islands have never known before
during all their recorded history. There are
bands of ladrones, of brigands, still in ex-
lstence. Now and then they may show sp0-
radio increase This will be due occasional
~ TO disaffection with some of the things
mat our government does which are best
Tor example the effort to quarantine
against the plague and to enforce neces-
StIy sanitary precautions, gently ana tact
Iully though Ii was made. produced violent
hostility among some of the more igno-
rant natives. Again, a disease like the
cattle plague may cause in some given
province such want that part of the in
habitants revert to their ancient habit of
brigandage. But the islands have never
been as orderly. as peaceful, or as prosper
Gus as now; and in no other Oriental coun-
try, whether ruled by Asiatics or Euro
peans, is there anything approaching to
the amount of individual liberty and of
self-government which our rule has
brought to the Filipinos. The Nation owes
a great debt TO the people through whom
this splendid work for civilization has been
achieved, and therefore on behalf of the
Nation L have come here tonight to thank
In your presence your fellow-townsman, be-
cause he has helped us materially to add
new page to the honor roll of American
history General Wright, l greet you,
thank you. and 1 wish you we'll"
AT midnight the Presidents party left for
Washington over the Southern Railroad.
Col. l.. s. Brown. general agent of the
Southern, was in charge of the train. No
stops will be made en- route. The train will
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