Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-04-10
PRESIDENT TACTFUL
WITH SOUTHERNERS

| lHSle was lar more warfare dDOuI lue
Philippines in this country than there
was warfare in the Philippines them
selves! 1t is an added proof of the
completeness of the reunion of oul
country that one of the foremost men
who have been instrumental in driving
forward the great work for civilization
and humanity in the Philippines has
been man who in the civil wal
fought with distinction in d uniform OF
Confederate gray.
You have made particular effort
in your exhibition to get into touch
with the West Indies. This is wise
The events of the last four years have
shown us that the West Indies and
the Isthmus in the future occupy far
larger place in our national policy
than in the past. This is proved by
the negotiations for the purchase OF
the Danish islands, the acquisition OF
Porto Rico, the preparation for build,
! ing an isthmian canal and finally by
the changed relations which these
years have produced between us and
Cuba. AS nation we have an espe
cial right to take honest pride in what
we have done for Cuba. Our critics
! abroad and at home have insisted that
we never intended to leave the island
But on the twentieth of next month
Cuba becomes free republic. and we
turn over to the islanders the control
of their own government. 1t would
be very difficult to find a parallel in
the conduct of any other great state
that has occupied such position as
ours We have kept our word and
done our duty just as an honest indi-
vidual in private life keeps his word
and does his duty.
BE it remembered, moreover, that
after our three-years occupation of the
island we turn it over to the Cubans
in better condition than it ever has
been in all the centuries of Spanish
rule. This has a direct bearing upon
our own welfare. Cuba is so near to
us that we can never be Indifferent to
disagreement and disaster within
it's limits.
eve have rightfully insisted upon
Cuba adopting toward us an attitude
differing politically from that she
adopts toward any other power; and
in return, as matter of right. we
must give to Cuba a different-that is
a better-position economically in her
relations with us than we give to 9TH
er powers. This is the course dictat-
ed by sound policy, by wise and far
sighted view of our own interest, and
by the position we have taken during
the past four years. We are wealthy
powerful country, dealing with much
weaker one; and the contrast in
wealth and strength makes it all the
more our duty to deal with Cuba as
we have already dealt with her, in a
spirit of large generosity.
This exposition is rendered pos
sible because of the period of indus
trial prosperity through which we are
passing. While material well-being is
never all-sufficient to the life of a ma
ton, yet it is the merest truism to
say that its absence means ruin We
need to build a higher life upon it as
a foundation; but we can build little
indeed unless this foundation of pros
perity is deep and broad The we'll
being which We are now enjoying can
be secured only through general bust
ness prosperity, and such prosperity is
conditioned upon the energy and hard
work the sanity and the mutual re-
spect of all classes of capitalists,
large and small, of wage workers of
every degree. AS is inevitable in a
time of business prosperity, some men
succeed more than others, and it is
unfortunately also inevitable that
when this is the case some unwise
people are sure to try to appeal to the
envy and jealousy of those who sue
coed least. It is a good thing when
these appeals are made to remember
fh of xu1,i1n 10,
prosperity by law, it is easy enough to
ruin it, and that there is small salts
faction to the less prosperous if they
succeed in overthrowing both the
more prosperous and themselves in
the crash OF common disaster.
Every industrial exposition Of this
type necessarily calls up the thought
OF the complex social and economic
questions which are involved in our
present industrial system. Our as
founding material prosperity, the
sweep and rush rather than the mere
march of our progressive material de-
velopment have brought grave trou-
bles any more than because of them
We can afford to accept as true the
gloomy foreboding of the prophets of
evil. There are great problems before
us. They are not insoluble but they
can be solved only if we approach
them in a spirit of resolute fearless
ness, Of common sense and of honest
intention to do fair and equal Justice
to all men alike. We are certain to
fail if we adopt the policy of the dema-
gogue who raves against the wealth
which is simply the form of embodied
thrift, foresight and intelligence; who
would shut the door of opportunity
against those whose energy We should
especially. foster, by penalizing the
qualities which tell for success. Just
as little can we afford to follow those
who fear to recognize injustice and to
endeayor to cut it out because the task
IS dlfhcult Or even-if performed by
unskllled hands dangerous
This is an era of great combina-
tons OF both labor and capital. In
many ways these combinations have
worked for good; but they must work
under the law, and the laws concern
ing them must be just and wise or
they will inevitably do evil; and this
applies as much to the richest COR
poration as to the most powerful la