Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-02-11
TRIBUTE TO
A STATESMAN
Continued from Sixth Page.

appealed TO as offording a model for
all such experiments in the future:
and this result was mainly owing to
the admirable choice or instruments
by President Mckinley when he SCI
lected the governing officials.
In Cuba, where we were pledged TO
give the island independence. the
pledge was kept not merely in letter
but in spirit. Ii would have been Il
betrayal of our duty TO have given Gu
ba independence out Of hand. Presi-
dent Mckinley. with his usual singular
sagacity in the choice of agents. Sc
lected in General Leonard Wood the
man of all others best fitted to bring
the island through its uncertain per-
iod of preparation for independence
and the result of his wisdom was
shown when last May, the island be.
came. in name and in fact, a free re-
public, for ii started with a better
equipment and under more favorable
conditions than had ever previously
been the case with any Spanish.Ameri-
can commonwealth.
Philippine Question P~erplexing.
Finally in the Philippines, the prob
lem was n of great completely.
There was an insurrectionary party
claiming to represent the people of
the islands and putting forth their
claim with a certain speciousness
which deceived no small number of eX-
cellent men here at home, and which
afforded to yet others a chance to
arouse a factious spirit against the
president.
"Of course looking back. it is now
easy to see that II would have been
both absurd and wicked to abandon
the Philippine archipelago and let the
scores of different tribes-Christian,
Mohammedsn and pagan, in every
stage of semi-Asiatic barbarism-turn
the islands into a weller of bloody
savagery. with the absolute certainty
that some strong power would have to
step in and take possession. But
though now II is easy enough to see
that our duty was to stay In the is
lands. to put down the insurrection by
force of arms, and then TO establish
freedom-giving civil government. II
needed genuine craftsmanship to e
this and to act accordingly at the time
of the first revolt. A weaker and less
far-sighted man than President Nc.
Kinley would have shrunk from a
task very difficult in itself, and certain
to furnish occasion for attack and mis-.
representation no less than for honest
misunderstanding. But President Nc
Klnley never finched. He refused to
consider the thought of abandoning
our duty in our new possessions.
Success Never Surpassed.
mo other president in our history
has e high and honorable effort
crowned with more conspicuous per.
sonal success. No other president en-
tered upon his second term feeling
such right to a profound and peaceful
satisfaction. Then by a stroke of hor.
ror, so strange in its fantastic iniquity
as to stand unique in the black annals
of crime, he was struck down. The
brave, strong, gentle heart was stilled
forever, and word was brought to the
woman who wept that she was to walk
henceforth alone in the shade. The
hideous infamy OF the deed shocked
the nation to its depth, for the mar
thus struck at was in a peculiar N
the champion of the plain people. In a
peculiar sense the representative and
the exponent of those lueals which, II
we live up 10 them, will make. as they
have largely made, our country a bles-
scd refuge for all who strive TO do
right and live their lives simple and
well as light Is given them. The ma
| 49,. IA. ataua.I and tho manila
mourned with a sense Of bitter be-
reayement because they had lost a
man whose heart beat for them as the
heart of Lincoln once had beaten.
We did right TO mourn; for the loss
was ours, not his. He died In the gold.
en- f~ullness of his triumph. He died
victorious in that highest OF all kinds
of strife-the strife for an ampler,
ulster and more generous national life.
For him the laurel; but woe for those
whom he left behind woe 10 the ma.
ton that lost him; and o to man
kind that there should exist creatures
Fa
so foul that one among them should
strike at so noble a life.
I'VE are gathered together tonight
10 recall his memory, TO pay our tri'
butte Of respect TO the great chief and
leader who fell in the harness, who
was stricken down while his eyes
were bright with the light that tells
of triumph tasted" We ran honor him
best by the way we show in actual
deed that We have taken to heart the
lessons OF his life. We must strive to
achieve. each In the measure that he
can. something %! iAo qualities which
made President Mckinley a leader OF
mon. q mighty power for good-his
s,rapptb his courage. his courtesy and