Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-04-07
. OUR WORK IN
TIE PHILIPPINES
President Roosevelt Tells Of
Our Obligation to the
Islands
HOW THEY HAVE BEEN MET
Pledges Made by Mckinley and His
Policy for Dealing With the New
Possessions Carried out-Praise for
ths Army's Difficult Work-Lesisia.
tien for Benefit Of The Filipino.

ton for Benefit Of The Filipino.
Fargo, N. D., April .-Notwithstand-
ing yesterdays severe blizzard the
weather today was clear and bracing
ana the program for the reception and
address to President Roosevelt was
carried out. according to plans. The
special train arrived here during the
early morning and at $3.50 the local re-
ception committee waited on the presi-
dent and after a brief informal rscep-
tion at the train, escorted him in car
riages thru the principal portions OF the
city. One OF the features was the well
come accorded by the children OF the
city. several thousand Of whom assem-
bled where the president was able to
great them. After drive the president
was escorted to stand in front OF the
waldorf hotel. where he addressed an
immense and enthusiastic crowd on the
the Philippines.
Presidents Speech.
He said In part:
My Fellow Citizens: The northwest
whose sons in the civil war added such
brilliant pages to the honor roll OF the
republic, likewise bore full share In
the struggle OF which The war with
Spain was the beginning; a struggle
slight indeed when compared with the
gigantic death wrestle which for four
years stamped to and fro across the
southern states in the civil war; but q
struggle fraught with consequences to
1.-The nation, and indeed tc the world. OUT
8 OF all proportion to the s.nallness OF the
effort upon our part.
Three and a half years ago President
mckinley spoke in the nd jotninH state
OF Minnesota on the occasion OF the res
turn Of the Thirteenth Minnesota VOL
unteers from the Philippine islands,
where they had served With your own
gallant sons of the North Dakota regi-
meilt. After heartily thanking the re-
turned soldiers for their valor and pa
triotism, and their contemptuous re-
fusal to be daunted or misled by the
outcry raised at home by. the men of
little faith who wished Us to abandon
the islands, he spoke OF the islands
themselves as follows:
That congress will provide for
them government which will bring
them blessings, which will promote
their material interests MS well as adj
vance their people in the path of civili-
xation and intelligence, I confidently
b<lieve. They will not be governed as
yassals or serfs or slaves. They will be
given a government OF liberty, regu-
lated by law, honestly administered,
without Expressing exactions, taxation
without tyranny, justice without bribe.
education without distinction of social
condition, freedom of religious wor-
ship. and protection In life. liberty and
the pursuit OF happiness
What he said then iav in the realm
OF promise. Now 1t Hes IN the realm of
positive performance.
When President Mckinley spoke, the
first duty was the restoration of order:
and to this end the use of the army OF
the United States-an army composed
OF regulars and volunteers alike-was
necessary. To put down the insurrec-
tion and restore peace to the islands was
a duty not only to ourselves but to the
abandoned the conflict without shirk-
ing this duty, without proving our
selves recreants to the memory of our
forefathers, Moreover if we had aband-
oned it we would have inflicted upon
the Filipinos the most cruel wrong
and would have doomed them to
bloody jumble Of anarchy and tyranny.
IT seems strange. looking back, that
r, foi1 1aS1
recognize a duty SO obvious; but there
was such failure, and the government
at home, the civil authorities in the
Philippines, and above all our gallant
army. had to do their work amid a
storm OF detraction. The army in es-
pecial was attacked in way which
finally did good, for in the end it
aroused the hearty resentment of the
great body OF the American people, not
against the army, but against the
ariny's traducers. The circumstances
Of the war made 1t one Of peculiar diff
Guilty, and our soldiers were exposed to
peculiar wrongs from their foes. They
fought in dense tropical jungles against
enemies who were very treacherouS ana
very cruel, not only toward our own
men, but toward the great numbers
OF friendly natives, the most peaceable
and most civilized among whom eagerly
welcomed our rule. Under such cir
cumstances, among hundred thousand
hot blooded and powerful young men
serving In small detachments on the
other side of the globe, it was im-
possible that occasional instances of
wrongdoing should not occur. The fact
that they occurred in retaliation for
we'll nigh intolerable provocation can
not for one moment be admitted in
the way of excuse or justification All
good Americans regret and deplore
them, and the war department has TAX
en- every step in its power to punish the
offenders and to prevent or minimize
the chance Of repetition of the offense.
But these offenses were the exception
and not the rule. AS a whole our troops
showed not only signal courage and
efficiency, but great humanity and the
most sincere desire to promote the well
fare and liberties of the islanders. In
series OF exceedingly harassing and
didcult campaigns they completely