Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1902-06-07
HEROESAREHONORED
MEMORIAL DAY is OBSERVED
THROUGHOUT THE LAND.
Sleeping Soldiers Are Given Reverent
Homage - The President Addresses
War Veterans at Arlington cKin-
1ey's Tomb Covered with Flowers.


Memorial Day was more generally OBJ
served this year than ordinarily.
Throughout the land the sleeping heroes
Of two wars We're given reyerent h0m-
age. The cemeteries have never been
more crowded with those who were eager
to mark their remembrance of the dead
with flags and flowers and pay them the
sacred annual tribute Of pride and graft
tude.
President Roosevelt spoke for the new
policies of the government of the United
States at Arlington Cemetery on Memo
rial Day. While the occasion was the
annual tribute of love to the soldier dead
at the national cemetery, extraordinary
interest was shown in the Presidents
speech owing to the fact that it was
current report in the capital he would
touch on subjects close to the nations
heart.
In this no one was disappointed, for
the President spoke gravely and deeply
on topics now agitating Congress and
the country, and which have everything
to do with the future conduct of national
affairs. His Introductory remarks were
almost wholly confined to the careers Of
Grant and Lincoln. From them he pass
ed to an eloquent defense of the course
Of the army in the Philippines, a con-
domination of lynching, an exposition Of
the rules of warfare, a declaration of the
government that all guilty offending army
officials would be punished, and a re-
newed pledge to the Philippine people
that when they showed themselves wor-
thy of self-government the United States
would be willing to grant it to them.
When the President referred to the
"cOunsels of unmanly Weakness in con-
nection with the Philippine situation it
seemed to many a direct challenge to the
speech of Senator Hoar delivered a few
days before. The inference was drawn,
apparently with reason, that the Presi-
dent had chosen the occasion to declare
definitely his Philippine policy and to re-
ply to the critics of the government. He
said:
Our soldiers conquer. And what IS
the object for which they conquer? To
establish a military government? No.
The laws we are now endeavoring to en-
act for the government of the Philip
pines are to increase the power and do
main of the civil at the expense of the
military authorities, and to render even
more difficult than in the past the chance
of oppression"
He added the significant sentence:
"Great is the gain to humanity which
follows the steady though slow introduce
ton of the orderly liberty, the law-abid-
ing freedom of the individual, which is
the only sure foundation upon which ma
tional independence can be built"
The President carefully analysed from
his point of view the state of mind and
the present position of the Filipino and
what American civil rule would bring to
him in the way of blessings of civiliza
ton. He said Of the course of the army
in the Orient:
'They represent as high a standard Of
public service as this country has ever
seen. They are doing a great work for
civilization, a great work for the honor
of the nation and above all for the well
fare of the Philippine Islands. All hon
or to them, and shame, thrice shame, to
us if we fail to uphold their hands"
For the rules of warfare which have
prevailed in the islands the President
says: '"The rules of warfare which have
been promulgated by the War Depart
ment and accepted as the basis of con-
duct by our troops in the field are the
rules laid down by Abraham Lincoln
when you, my hearers, were fighting for
the Union. The most destruc-
tive of all forms of cruelty would be to
show weakness where sternness is de-
manded by iron need.
"When the Filipinos have shown their
capacity for real freedom by their power
of self-government, then, and not until
then, will it be possible to decide whether
they are to exist independently of us or
be knit to us by ties of common friend
ship and interest. When that day will
come it is not in human wisdom now to
foretell."
Many bright and beautiful flowers were
placed on the tomb of the late President
Mckinley on Memorial Day. Some were
there by order of Mrs. Mckinley and
many were sent by friends in all parts
of the country. A large crate came from
the White House and others came from
Chicago, Pittsburg, Philadelphia and 9TH
er cities. Some were in the form of elab-
crate pieces and many were arranged in
simple garlands and strands.
Funeral exercises were conducted by
the G. A. R., beginning at 1 o'clock. The
G. A. r. post of which the late Presi-
dent was member felt that if he could
express his wishes he would have no dis
tinction shown him other than was &C
corded his dead comrades, hence the post
placed no special emblem on his tomb,
only the flag of the order and a bouquet
such as was placed on the graves of the
most humble.
When the people of Havana, Cuba,
awoke Friday morning they saw on the
wreck of the Maine the evidence on the
part of President Palma, who ordered
that the wreck, which stands as a monu-
ment for more than 200 brave Americans,
be appropriately decorated to commend
rate the day. American and Cuban flags
garlands of roses and wreaths constitut-
ed the decorations, and memorial SER
vices Mnrn held in several of the Amnri-