Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-04-14

Jl6ys use 4lC--lO EI6lSSdLSs silllh W pTl--
yate life, if he does not, by his official
acts, carry out the policy which the
voters who form his constituency be-
lieye will make for the political WELL
being of the nation ~
Profoundly impressed with this fun
damental idea of our governn ent is
the reason am here tonight. desire,
as briefly and cogently as possible, to
set forth what was done by the repub-.
lican party at the last session of con-
gress.
I'VE had something like 1900 bills
before us. No man, no matter how gi-
gantic his intellect, could understand
them all Congress is divided into
committees and this great bulk of bust
ness is distributed among the various
sub-organizations. In this way the
last congress was able to dispose OF
all of the 10000 bills that came be-
fore it,
An Important Congress.
"This congress has done as much
good for the republic as whole as
any that has convened since the civil
war. You gentlemen, know that for
more than fifty years men and nations
to cut canal across that comparative
ly narrow strip of land known as the
Isthmus of Panama. France sunk mil
lions in it, and the best efforts of her
most noted engineers were spent in
laying the plans for her unsuccessful
projects. DeLesseps devoted his life
to the work and at the end was COM
PEELED TO confess his failure. Spain
tried it, by the Darien. route, and was
no more successful than France. Adj
miral Walker for the United States
government, recommended the Pana-
ma, and it was through his investfga-
lions that the United States govern
ment was placed in possession of facts
which will undoubtedly result in the
final solving of the Panama problem.
Panama Canal
Congress, at it's last session, decid-
ed that the canal could be built by the
Panama route. The canal that way
will be some miles shorter than by
the way of Nicaragua, by the fact that
the Nicaragua route enters Lake Mic
aragua If you and / live ten years
more we will see the most stupendous
Engineering task of all history success
fully accomplished. The new canal
will bring China thousands of miles
nearer to us. 1t will bring us nearer
| to those eastern islands which have
lust come into our possession. 1t will
form connecting link between the
East and West Indies. All this will
have been done by American Drawn
and American money.
"The great expansion of trade of
the future is coming to us from the
Orient No one today con prophesy
what will be the result of intelligent
eXploitation of those hitherto almost
unknown lands. The far-sighted cap
tains of industry of this nation have
seen this. James ]. Hill, of Minneap-
oils is building fleets of merchant ma
rine, which will carry the produce of
this country in return for our food
1stuffs and our manufactures.
| Irrigation of Western Lands.
Gin this. day we are confronted by
the fact that the homeseeker has lit
tie ariable land where he can lay the
foundations of new cities. West of us
lies the great American desert-thous-
ands of acres OF fertile soil made val
ueless by the lack of water. The last
congress appropriated money for the
establishment of wells and basins to
Iquench this thirsty land. The Ameri,
can desert will disappear from the
map of the United States and the
american home wifi spring up in the
place where now is heard the wild cry
of the lonely cayote.
Philippine Legislation.
S1rb Loot oD, fro ,,,n<l ~ r,,,,a,,,,
ment for the Philippines. When con
Igress convened only the initial steps
had been taken for the formation of a
provisional government. The present
act of the civil government of the Phil
Iippine Islands will vindicate the wis
dom of the republican party The
democrats declared that the natives of
those islands who for centuries had
been crushed under the heel of Span,
fish despotism and who had never been
|allowed the slightest voice in their
lown government should be entitled to
Jail the rights and privileges that we
have. And yet these same democratic
statesmen declared that a negro was
mot competent to be justice of the
peace in any of our southern states
lSuch is the consistency of our democ
Tracy. They advocated the policy of
l'scuttle.' In my Judgment we have
planted the flag of the United States
lon the shores of those islands and that
lit will remain there until the youngest
child in this generation is dead and
buried.
! Army and Navy Appropriations.
Il ..For the first time in the history o.
Jour government the appropriation fol
the navy exceeds that of the army. W.
have started out to build the creates
navy in the world, and we are not go
ing at it very slowly either. The gov
eminent has appropriated $S3,000,00'
for that purpose, In fifteen years WE
will be able to face the naval powers
of any nation except Great Britain OF
, equal terms. This is being done il
the interests of peace. We are simpl.
: prepared for war. At the beginning o
!, the Spanish-American war Europ,
looked upon us as a nation of none.
, grubbers. They knew our militar.
I 4 m
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