The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1902-07-10
SENATOR KNUTE NELSON.

take. And that was to accept a cession
of the islands, pacify them. civilize them
and establish law ana order and good
government for them. p
President Mckinley was at first loath
to insist on q cession; but when the great
moral problem, in all its length and
breadth. dawned upon him and he fully
duty seemed plain to him. He was no
moral coward, no evader OF responsible
never falter. never shirk and never trim
We owed it to ourselves, to the people
of the Philippine ISLANDS and to the en-
did do. TO have done otherwise. would
have rendered our nation moral imbecile
among the. enlightened nations of the
world ..-- s.f
Spain was in undisputed possession and
control of the islands. The insurrection
which Aguinaldo and some of his asso.
ciates had started in 1896 they had COM
promised and abandoned for money con-
sideration in 1897 and had taken them
selves to China, where they were living
when Dewey steamed into the Bay of
Manila. There was at that time no Phil
ippine insurrection and no semblance of
Philippine army or Philippine govern
ment of any kind. Under the promise,
of helping our forces to expel the Span
iards, Aguinaldo and some of his assoc
turned to Luzon and were furnished with
arms and ammunition. But no sooner
had they landed and secured arms than
they proceeded to organize an army and
set up military government, all in hos
tility to our government rather than
Spain. They were even ready at one time
to join and cooperate with the Spaniards.
This insurrection. thus started. and fed
by the ignorant and savage lawlessness
of the people, we have suppressed. Most
of it, except in few isolated parts and
age tribes. and bands of ladrones or rob-
bers. we suppressed more than year
ago.
A year, ago our army IN the islands
numbered $4,000: we have but $1,000 there
our force to 1000 men. 4 Year r ago the
stationed was 4ss; at this time the num-
Der is only 245. and. deducting from this
the stations in Samar and Batangas,
greatly reduced If more extensive quar-
tiers were found for the troops in the
larger towns In the meantime, under the
Taft commission m we have successfully
and order, in most of the provinces. In
thirty-five provinces civil governments
are established and working most success
fully, chiefly under native officials, while
in nine provinces civil government is sue
cessfully carried on under military au-
thority.
of public schools has been established,
with nearly 1000 Americans and 1000 ma
tive teachers. thus affording the people
an opportunity LUZ GuuCdtlOil SuCIl DIS tytSy
have never enjoyed before They are
eager to attend the schools and to learn
English, and they learn with quickness
and avidity. There are to-day American
teachers in 200 towns and villages where
there is not a single American soldier.
With the exception of few isolated and
barbarious tribes and bands, and the La
drones, thel islands are to-day paciffed,
and law and order and civil government
prevails. A civil government more just
and liberal than ever enjoyed under Span
ish rule.
Under "a ,Mperai sarim law, enac.ea ny
and supplemented by1an act of congress
at this session, which eliminates the
harsh features of Spanish taxation, ample
revenues will be received to cover all sex-
penses of the government of the islands,
including the maintenance Of liberal
system Of public schools. the improve
ment Of this highways and harbors ard
the necessary sanitation Of the country.