The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-25
And Fighters I'm the Philippines Com
mended for Their Humanity in
Trying Situations.
AN ADDRESS AT PEORIA, ILL.
TO DELEGATES ATTENDING THE RE-
PUBLICAN LEAGUE MEETING.
Tribute to President Roosevelt, Who
Has Redeemed the PIadge Made at
Buffalo on Taking Oath.

meeting of the Illinois League of Repub-
lican Clubs. The Coliseum was packed to
the doors and time after time the secretary
was vociferously applauded. His address
was confined entirely to the recent trou-
bles in the Philippines and Cuba. and not
once during the evening did he mention the
tariff or the trusts. In opening his ad-
dress he paid a high compliment to the
late William Mckinley. Continuing. he
said:
THE first spoken words by his CMcKin-
ley's) successor. when taking the oath Of
to continue absolutely unbroken the policy
of President Mckinley for the peace. pros
perity and honor of our beloved country
challenge judgment upon the truth and
loyalty with which Theodore Roosevelt has
bullet robbed us of a friend; it did not
produce a revolution. 1t changed rulers;
it did not change policies.
THE work of pacification and construc-
ton in Cuba has been completed. Military
government there had faithfully given
effect to the humane purposes of the
American people. With sincere kindness
our officers had helped the Cubans to take
necessary
their own constitutional government.
"Of all the executive problems following
in the train of the Spanish war the prob
lens of the Philippines alone remained.
Success there had not then been demons
trated and it was still possible that the
failure there might lead the American peo-
pie to withdraw power from Republican
hands. Accordingly the Filipino policy of
the administration was attacked. The
policy was simple. Spain, which for more
than three centuries before Dewey's vic
tory, had exercised undisputed sovereign
ty over the Philippine islands. coded
the islands with all her title and SOW
ereignity thereto to the United States by
the treaty of peace which was signed at
Paris on Dec 10. $685. and was confirmed
by the Senate on Feb. 6, 1899. The cession
was one of the terms Of peace and was
upon a special consideration of $50 900
to be paid to Spain by the United States.
DUTY OF THE UNITED STATES
upon the ratification of the treaty and
the payment of that money sovereignty
over the Philippines was vested in the
United States, the territory of the islands
became the territory of the United States,
the public lands belonging to Spain in the
islands became the property of the United
States; all the rights and all the obliga-
tons towards the other nations of the
world in respect of the Philippines which
pertained to sovereignty devolved upon the
United States.
The secretary stated that in the early
months of 1899. when the course of the
United States towards the insurrection in
the Philippines had to be determined, there
was no difference of opinion between the
two parties as to the duty of the admins
tration. Then he read number of edi-
49,, klx
try. both Republican and Democratic,
showing that there was only one thing to
do. and that was to conquer the forces Of
Secretary Root said that, notwithstand-
ing the instruction, the business of the
islands has fourished and has become
peaceful years under Spanish rule. Then
he spent some time in a denial of the
stories told by the Democratic party during
the insurrection. He gave some statistics
as to the number OF soldiers in the islands,
the losses by war and sickness, and then
read a number of the kilograms captured
with Aguinaldo and other generals. He
then read a letter written by Jose Rial,
the greatest genius and most revered pa
troit of the Philippines, in which he plead
ed with his people to submit to American
sovereignty as the only way in which to
gain their freedom.
PARTISAN ATTACKS
The secretary told of the attacks made
upon the administration by different men,
bers of the Senate and House and said
1.-THE whole army and its generals were
involved in common denunciation. The GAL
liant and fearless Funston was stigmatized
by the senator from Tennessee as a 'blath-
erskite brigadier.' i do not know who
General Wheaton is particularly, said the
senator from Idaho. but imagine. he was
a charity boy who was appointed to West
Point by some representative or senator
and educated by the government. Said the
senator from Utah Did Chaffee alone.
unaided, In GOODNESS and In brutality and
in savage and unrelenting disregard of
every human sentiment or possibility of
human suffering conceive this Ubiquitous
scheme? Whence, from what diabolical
source was il derived? The American peo-
pie ought to know. Is there any penalty
beneath the sun adequate to be melted out
to the merciless wretch who has thus
brought such dishonor upon the American
name and the American people?'
Against these contemptuous and in
furious aspersions upon the soldiers of the
United States / will call four witnesses
The first is William Mckinley. If any or
ders of mine were required to insure the
merciful conduct of military and naval
operations they would not be lacking, but
every step in the progress of our troops
has been marked by humanity which has
surprised even the misguided insurgents
1.-The second Is President Schurman and
Joining with him Admiral George Dewey
and the other members of the first Philip
pine commission: To those who derive
satisfaction from seeing an isolated occur
renee, regrettable indeed but incident to
every war, and making them the basis of
sweeping accusations this commission has
nothing to say. Such wrongs as were
actually committed against the natives
were likely TO be brought to our attention
and in every case that We investigated we
found a willingness on the part of those in
authority to administer prompt Justice
''rhe third is Governor William H
Taft of Ohio, who said: Il desire to say
that Ii is my deliberate Judgment that there
never was a war conducted against an
inferior race, or Others in which there was
more compassion and more restraint and
all. than there has been in the Philippines
The fourth is Vice Governor Luke f.
Wright. OF Tennessee: Gen Chaffee has no
patience with any acts of oppression or
cruelty, and whenever his attention has
been called 10 them he has taken proper
steps The howl against the army has
been made mainly for political purposes,
and the cruelties practiced have been large
ly exaggerated.
Throughout all this storm of detraction
and abuse the Republican majorities of the
Senate and House have been laboring I'M
ceasingly TO frame and perfect legislation
under which the people of the Philippines
may have peace and order and individual
freedom and prosperity. They studied the
needs of the islands, the character of the
people. the existing laws and system of
government. and they produced and passed.
against Democratic opposition. Philippine
government bill. which exhibits high de-
gree of wise craftsmanship and opens to
the Philippine people the path 10 that en-
lightenment and capacity for self-govern-
maDe for which Rial longed. and to the