The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-04-10
ROOSEVELT ON
PHILIPPINE POLICY
Makes Defense and Highly
Compliments Work Of In
sular Authorities.
.OURWoRk IN NTHEIsLANDs
President Declares 1t Has Given Thorn
More Peace, Prosperity and Lib S
s erty Than They Ever En-
joyed Before. I,

weather today was clear and bracing
and the program for the reception and
address Of President Roosevelt was
carried out according to plans.
The special train arrived here during
the early morning and at $3.50 the local
reception committee waited on thet
president, and after(a brief informal
reception at the traiA escorted him in
carriages through PORTION of the city.
One of the features was the welcome
accorded him by the children of the
city, several thousand of whom as =
senbled where the president was able
to gree them. After the drive the pres
Yident was escorted to the stand in front
of the Waldorf hotel, where he ad-
dressed an immense and enthusiastic
crowd on the Philippines.
The president said:h
The northwest, whose ions in the civil WA.
added brilliant pages to the honor roll of the
republic likewise bore d full share In the
struggle Of which the war with Spain was the
beginning; struggle slight indeed when COM
pared with the civil war; but fraught with
consequences out of all proportion to the
smallness of the effort.
Three and half years ago President Nc
Kinley spoke in Minnesota on the return of the
Thirteenth Minnesota volunteers from the Phil
ippines. After heartily thanking the soldiers,
he said:
That congress will provide for them a gov
ernment which will bring them blessings,
which will promote their material interests as
we'll advance their people In the path OF
civilization and Intelligence, I confidently be-
lieye They will not be governed as vassals
or serfs or slaves. They will be given
monument of liberty, regulated by law, hon
estly administered without Expressing exac-
tions, taxation without tyranny; Justice with.
out bribe education WITHOUT distinction of So
cial condition. freedom fof religious worship
and protection in life. liberty, and the pur.
suit of happiness !" ;F
What he said then lay II the realm of prom,
Use. Now 1t lies in the realm of performance
1t is a good thing to look back upon what has
been said and compare 1t with what has been
done. II promises are violated. those who have
failed should be held un to reprobation. II
promises have been made good, they who made
them claim the credit. This credit I claim fol
the men wto have managed SO admirably the
affairs OF the Philippines, aTd whu have Backed
them in congress.
When President Mckinley spoke. the first
duty restoration OF order; and the army
was necessary. To put down insurrection and
restore peace was a duty. We could not have
abandoned the conflict without shirktng this
duty. If we had abandoned 1t we would have
inflicted upon the Filipinos a bloody anarchy.
1t seems strange that any should have failed
to recognize duty so obvious; but there was
such failure The army in especial was at.
tackled In way which finally aroused the re.
ser tment of the people against traeucers. The
circumstances made 1t difficult and our sol.
diers were exposed to peculiar wrongs from
their foes. They fought in dense tropical jun.
giles against enemies treacherous and cruel, moi
only toward our men, but toward the friendly
natives. Under such circumstances 1t was i'm
possible that occasional wrongdoing should not
occur. The fact they occurred in retaliation
for well nigh intolerable proyocation cannot
be admitted in Justification ALI good Ameri.
cans deplore them. and the war department
has taken every step to punish offenders and
minimize the chance Of repetition But Of
fcnses were the exception, not the rule. Our
troops showed signal courage, humanity and
most desire to promote the welfare of the
islanders. In series of difficult campaign.
they completely overthrew the enemy. reduc,
ing them to mere brfgandage; and wherever
| they conquered, they conquered only to make
| way for civil government. law and liberty
When last July organized insurrection had dis
4 appeared. peace and amnesty were proclaimed
s. AS rapidly as military rule was extended Ii
| was replaced by civil government. At present
civil government Is supreme and the army
4 has been reduced until it is sufficient merely
| to provide against recurrence of trouble. In
Governor Taft and his associates we sent a.
| upright and able administrators as any coun.
try has been blessed with. Under them We
have associated the best men among the Fill.
| pinos, 80 that the great majority of officials
! are natives. The administration is incorrupt
| IDLY honest; Justice is jealousy safeguarded
i The government is In the interests of the peo
| pie; they protected in religious and civil
1 rights; they have been given a good schoo
| system, and enjoy rights such never known
| in the islands
Congress. which has Just adjourned, ha,
4 passed legislation Of great wisdom in the In.
| terests Of the Filipino people. First they con,
| ferred the present aomlrable CIVIL government
| gave them an excellent currency allowed thu
| organization of a native constabuary, ani
| provided reduction of rs per cent. in the tariff
| on Filipino articles brought to this country
| I asked that still further reduction be made
| 1t was not granted. but I think it will be
| Even without it, the record is one with which
| we have right to feel great satisfaction
| Congress appropriated S., 900. 900 to be used
| by the Philippine government to meet the dis
| tress occasioned primarily by the cattle dis
| ease which almost annihilated the carabao OIL
| water-buffalo. the most important domestic
| animal. Coming as this disaster did upon the
heels of the havoc wrought by the Insured
1 tionaryb war great suffering has been caused
and this misery. for which this government
| is in no way responsible, will doubtless in turr
| increase the difficulties of the Philippine egov
1 ernment for the next year 50. In conse
l quence there will doubtless occur increases Of
| brigandage, and the bandits may style them
4 selves patriots; but these difficulties will be o.
little consequence save as they give occasion
| to few men at home again to mislead oul
1 people. Not only has the military problem IL
1 the Philippines been worked out better thar
we dared to expect, but the progress socially
| and in civil government has likewise exceeded
| our hopes n
Remember always that in the Philippines tn,
American government has tried to carry ou
/ exactly what the greatest genius and mos
4 revered patriot ever known in the Philippin,
lslands-Jose Enthusiastically advocated Thi
/, man In message to his countrymen. Decem
| Der 16, 1885, condemned unsparingly the insur
\ rection of Agujnaldo, and pointed out the patti
1 To NDeTLy anu eullBHleHtleul- Spedh4ils VI tu'
insurrection and of the pretense that Filipino
independence could be obtained. he wrote:
I / when, in spite of my advice. moye.nen
4 was begun, offered my services. my life. ant
| even my good name, to be used in any wa!
| they might believe effective in sitting the re
/ bellipn. I thought of the disaster which woul,
follow the success of the revolution. and :
/ deemed myself fortunate If by any sacrifice
could block the progress of such useless
4 calamity.
4 ~ was one who sought liberty for our coun
try and will seek 1t. But as first step
4 insisted upon the development of the peopl
In order that, by education and labor, the.
4 might acquire the proper character and fore
4 which would make them worthy of it I hax
i commended 70 5au study and civts Virtue