Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-07
DESTINY MAKES EMPIRE
Ihur'ton Olaim1 Providence has Named
America Foremost Power.
AL EXPANSION HAS BEEN ACCIDENTAL
United states Never sought 60 Conquer
Lands, which Have Come as
Natural Result Of Free
mems Actions.
EXPANSION HAS BEEN ACCIDENTAL

DETROIT, Mich, March 6.-The eight
zenith anniversary banquet OF the Michigan
club at the Hotel Cadillac. tonight was the
most brilliant ever given in the clubs
hLStory.l
-Four hundred men sat at Ave long tables,
= inch stretched the full length Of the large
odnquet hall The speakers table was set
on a platform at the north end Of the hall,
under a canopy Of flags and bunting. facing
a great hag-draped portrait Of President
Roosevelt. which hung over the entrance.
Al the speakers table were: Senator J.
n. 0ailinger OF New Hampshire, General
Leonard Wood ana ex-senator John NJ.
ThlFston OF Nebraska: the speakers Of
the evening; Congressman william Alden
Smith, the POSTMASTER: Senators r. A..
Alger and j. c. Burrows Of Michigan. Cap
tain +. NJ. Alger, president Of the club, and
a number of other prominent men in Mich
tgsn politics.
Many OF the club members we're delegates
TO the state judicial convention, which did
not adjourn until nearly 10. and 1t was late
befoN all OF them had found their seats in
the banquet hall.
s. nator Gsillnger responded to the first
toe st. Patriotism and Protection"
wood Describes Cuban work.
General Wood was introduced as the
honored, intimate friend Of President
Roosevelt. The banqueters rose to their
feet, waving napkins and cheering as Cen
oTel Wood arose to respond to the toast,
"-he United States In the West Indies"
General Wood described conditions when
the Spanish army surrendered at Santiago
and how the American army brought order
out of practical chaos In the island.
The conditions in the island after the
alFRnnhnH he uaNN uw.rz oAHAIIN-. TLA
army had 10 care for the Spanish prisoners,
feed the natives, combat fever and disease.
When | was sent to the island as gov
erner general" he said, my Grst work
was TO implant in the people the idea Of
sef-government. My instructions from
President Mckinley were broad. simply to
get the people in shape for self-govern-
nent."
ThurstOn Speaks on Expansion.
Ex-senator John NJ. Thurstor was the
last speaker and his toast was Our New
Possessions"
He said:
Our new possessions. the acquisition OF
territory, has been the salvation of the
republic from the beginning and from the
beginning every acquisition Of new terri
tory, every expansion of our domain, has
been opposed by dry rot craftsmanship.
quired but had leveiled against IL every
argument that has been leveled against our
more recent acquisitions. And yet without
them where would we have been?
Expansion in the United States has been
the lite and progress of Americanism. We
never acquired a foot of soil purposely by
onqIes Our most recent possessions came
to us as the inevitable result of the re-
sponsibility when we declared that 1t was
fhe duty of a government of free people 10
use their armies that others might have the
same rights and privileges that they en-
5oyed. Men make war; but a higher power
controls Il once II is made and leads on
to results that are unexpected
So II was with US. No nan had any idea
when we went to war with Spain that II
would bring us new lands. Yet destiny led
us on. When we sank the Spanish fleet at
Manila we had no purpose to take q foot
of the Philippine islands, hut a response
bility came on us that we could not Ignore.
II was TO set up some government to take
the place of the one we had destroyed. We
took the islands because they came to us
as the irresistible results of a war that
commenced and was carried on by a great
sense OF public humanity. And | believe
that II was a great blessing that we have
acquired them, Tor in the struggle for world
supremacy they will assist us In becomins
what our destiny points out for us-the
foremost nation of the world.