The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-04-08

PRESIDENT TALKS ON
ARMY AND PHILIPPINES
3(Dy Associated Press.)

+ FARGO, ND, April 57.--Notwith stand-
Ing yesterdays severe blizzard. the wealth
or to-day was clear and bracing. and the
programme for Interrogation and address
Of President Roosevelt was carried out
according to plans. The special train ar
rived here during the early morning. and
ut $3.50 90 clock the local reception COM
smlttee waited on the President and after
a brief and Informal reception at the
train, escorted him In carriages through
tho business portion OF the city One OF
the features was the welcome accorded
by the children Of the city, several thous-
and OF whom were assembled where the
President was able to greet them s5
After the drive the President was escort
ed to a stand in front OF the Waldorf
Hotel, where he addressed large and
enthusiastic crowd on the Philippines.
5y533ls. 4PRESIDENT'St SPEECH. 33i
The Presidents speech In part was as
follows: 3
"a Ny Fellow CT tizens s3 81. 8
~ The Northwest, whose sons In the Civil
War added such brilliant. I, pages to the,
hono or roll OF the republic. likewise bore
aEfull share In the struggle OF which , tn
war with Spain was the beginning.
Three and half years ago President
Mckinley spoke in the adjoining State of
Minnesota on the occasion Sof the return
of the Thirteenth Minnesota Volunteers
II ON the Philippine Islands, where they
had served with your own gallant sons sons
OF the North Dakota Regiment,
& He spoke OF the Islands themselves as
follows: IL ST #
"They will be given q government Of
liberty, regulated by law. honestly ad-
ministered, without oppr essing exactions,
taxation without tyranny, Justice without
brbe education without distinction Of
social condition. freedom of religious wor-5
ship, and protection In life. liberty and
tho pursuit of happiness. r.
1T Is a good thing to look bac ok upon
what has been said and compare 1t with
the record of what has actually been
done. + promises are violated, II plight
ed word is not kept. then those who have
failed in theirfduty should be held up to
reprobation.If t. on the other hand, n the
promises have been Substantially made
good; ii the achievement has kept pace
and, more than kept pace with the prophe-
5sy. then they who made the one and are
Responsible for the other are entitled OF
lust right to claim The credit (which at
taches to those who serve tho nation we'll.
This credit claim for the. men who
and the civil affairs of the Philippine.
Isalnds. and for those other men who
SO heartily backed them In Congress,
After referring to the conditions Will
which the army had to contend the Pres
ident continued:
~ ut was Impossible that occasional In
stances OF I. wrongdoing should not oc-
cur. The fact that they occurred In re-
tallatIon for well-nlgh intoerable PROV
ocation cannot for ono moment be nd
3mitted In the way of excuse or justitica
ton. i,s3 /. 81 4{a as5 I, III.
"But these offenses were the exception
and not the rule. AS a WHOLE our troops
showed not only signal courage and 81
ficlency, but great humanlt y If
4 A. ~ mt l.
mont Is supreme and the army In the
Philippines has been reduced until It Is
sufficient merely to provide against the
recurrence OF trouble,
"Tho government Is conducted purely
In the interests Of the people Of the
islands; they are protectee!d IN , theil re-
liglous and civil rightsi they have been
given an excellent and we'll administered
school system, and each toi them now
enjoys rightsSto life, liberty and the
pursuit OF happiness such as we're never
before known In all the history Of the
Islands. EXIT tSs Il
3mMoreoyer,S Congress appropriated three
million dollars, following the president It
set when the people OF Porto Rico 5Wcro
afflicted by sudde ndisaster,
the last Congress- enacted
some admirable legislation affecting the
army, passing first OF MI the militia bill
and then the bill to create q general atnif'
a
books the obsolete militia law OF the
Revolutionary days and, have provided
for eMclent aid to the National Guard Of
the States. The general staff law Is OF
Immense Importance and benent to the
regular army, n
',Ye do not need a large regular army,
but we do need to have ourEsmall regular
army the very best that can possibly
be produced. Under the iworn-out and In
effective organization which has hither-
to existed. a sudden strain Is absolutely
certain to produce the dlslocatlon and
confusion we saw at the outbreak OF the
war with Spain.
h "Under the law Just enacted by Con-
cress this system will be changed I'm
mensely for the better, and every patri-
.----r-
sGJNCE rHE WAR
- .fsn9,us \ GA. g 81"