Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-08-27

better chance for life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness thar he ever
dreamed of having before-than he
could have ever dreamed Of acquiring
under the rule of any little native oil
! garchy. tApplause)
| Now when Il nation embarks on such
a course of action as that upon which
this matte has embarked it must count
the cost. You know in the Bible it says
when a king goes to war with another
| king you want to count the cost to
both; you want to count up the power
of both himself and his rival. Now,
whenever we undertake any bit of ac-
ton, private or public, we show. our
selves most foolish if we do not think
it out in advance and if we do not try
SO to act as TO make good what we
promise or threaten to do. Any man
here who goes into any bit of business
on any other plan will not only fail but
will be regarded by his neighbors as d
fool, and the nation must show the
good sense that we exact of an indi-
vidual.
We must in the first place, in dealing
with these new islands, deal with them
so as to give them the highe st measure
of governmental efficiency. Now it is
always pleasant to point to an example
which we can follow rather than avoid,
and we have such an example ready in
what we have done during the past
four years with the island of Porto
Rico. Porto Rico became ours and we
undertook to govern it and we have
governed it so well that 1 haven't the
ct al ha1 NV n1,di-
ence has to think pretty carefully be-
fore they can remember that we Are
governing it at ali.
There is no opportunity whatever for
headlines, Governor Burleigh, in any
newspaper about Porto Rico, because
no editor would think of wasting space
upon such an announcement as
Everything still prosperous in Porto
Rico. Oaughter).
So well has everything been managed
there that our very success has result
ed in orr not thinking of the matter at
all. and it has been managed because
we have sent the best type of men that
we could find to administer the island,
and have striven to administer it not
only honestly. not only efficiently, but
with due reference to the prejudices of
the people themselves.
Now the last is a very important
point, gentlemen in dealing with people
whose arteccdents are widely different
from ours. Everyone of us knows i'll
private life some friend, and / think =
great many of us know some kinsman
or kinswoman who may be an excellent
person but whom we perfectly loathe
and dread, because he or she wants us
to live our lives in their way, and not
in ours. Their way may be all right
but it is not ours. We want to manage
the other persons.
Now in all these new dependencies
we want to interfere just as little as
may he with the manners OF life, the
customs, the methods of living of the
Inhabitants. We will have to interfere
more or less. but let the interference
be minimiZed, and where it can possibly
take the share of education and per-
suasion let it take that shape. Now for
one thing especially we have got to
give the very best service in the island:
we have got to jealousy guard their
interests because that will guard our
own.
There is something additional we will
have to do. The minute we accept
great responsibilities we must show
our ability to meet them. We must, for
instance, keep our navy TO a high point
of perfection. Maine always stood by
the navy. and I think it always
will. But we must not only be
devoted to the navy. we must be inte4li-
gently devoted to it. Every one OF you
who has. seen or studied about modern
warship knows that it is singularlN
delicate and complicated as well as sin
gularly formidable bit of mechanism. You
cannot build it in short time and still
less can you train anyone to handle it II
a short time.
that first of May, four years ago. went i'll
while Mckinley was President but they
had been built during the Presidencies
of Arthur and Cleveland and Harrison.
The men fought and won the victory Gu
that May day but they had prepared
themselves to win the victory during
years of careful training. of exercise OF
the great ships at sea, of exercise of ne
men at the guns day in and day out i'll
target practice.
Our men showed valor and self-devoto,i
but there was valor and sef-devotion also
on the side of our foes. Many Spaniards
showed great bravery, but they did not
MT what IntN S0Ol at tlduSnleT anu dp-
plause), and they let their engines gee
out of gear: and in this world when you
shoot you want to hit 0aughter); yoI.
want to keep your engines all ready.
That applies in civil life just as much
as in military life There had been on
our part careful preparedness in advance.
In consequence we not only won but We
won practically without getting scratched
1t is a good thing to look back
at. If it does not make us commit the
grievous error of thinking that we can
always count. in the event of war. on
our anita gonists not shooting straight
That won't do. We have got to proceed
en- forbid-there ever should be a war w
may have to encounter a most powerful
and skiful antagonist: and to overcome
it we must have not merely fair degree
of efficiency on our part but the very
highest degree of efficiency (applause);
the best ships and guns and the best iEen
behind the guns tapplause).
And now. ladies and gentlemen. in cios-
ing Just one word. We have many Cx-
ternal problems to solve but our internal!
problems are. of course, more serious.
Life has grown much more complex,
much more difficult during the past cen
fury that has closed. and we who stand
on the threshold of a new century see
many problems looming large before US;
problems which will tax the energies. tax
the courage and resources of us and oGT
children and our children's children.
We need to devise new governments!
methods for meeting these problems. but
we need the same funda mental qualities,.t