The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-01-28
ROLL OF HONOR
Continued from First Page.

ease. There followed harder task. a
a result of the war we came into posses
sion of Cuba. Porto Rico and the Philip
pines. In each island the conditions were
such that we had 70 face problems entire
II new to our national experience, and.
moreover, in each island or group Of
islands the problems differed radically
from those presented in the others. In
Porto Rico the task was simple. The
island could not be independent. It
came in all essentials a part of the
Union II has been given all the Benefits
of cur economic and financial system. II
Inhabitants have been gwen the highest
individual liberty, while yet their gov
eminent has been kept under the super
vision OF officials so well chosen that the
island can be appealed 10 as affording a
MODEL for all such experiments in the
future; and This result was mainly owing
t6 the admirable choice of instruments
Ny President Mckinley when he selectee
tine governing officials
} In Cuba, where Ee were rloSced to give
the island independence, the pledge
kept not merely in letter pat il spirit.
Tt would have been a betrayal OF our
DUTY 10 have given Cuba Independence
jill 81 ite-.t4 Z Ite11Sfsf AEE4A-tF-, A--4
his usual singular sagacity in the choi
of agents, selected in General Leonard
Wood the man of all Others best 1T 70
bring the island through its uncertain
period OF preparation for independence.
and the result of his wisdom vas shown
when last May the island became in name
and in fact free republic. for it started
with a better-equipment and under more
favorable conditions than had ever pre-
viously been the case with any Spanish
American commonwealth.
Finally, in the Philippines. the problem
was one OF great perplexity. There was
an insurrectionary party claiming TO rep
resent the people Of the islands and put
ting forth their cIein with certain
speciousRess which deceived no small
number Of excellent men here at home.
and which afforded to yet Others a
chance 10 arouse a factious spirit against
the president OF course. looking back,
1t Is now easy 70 see that it would have
been both absurd and wicked to abandon
the Philippine Archipelago and let tn
scores OF different tribss-Christian. Mo-
hammedan and pagan. in every stage Of
semi-AsiaJic barbaTism-turn the islands
into weller OF bloody savagery, with
the absolute certainty that some strong
power would have To step in and take
possession But though now il is easy
enough 10 see that our duty was to stay
IN the islands, TO put down the insurrec-
ton by force Of arms and then to estab-
lish freedonl-giving civil government. it
needed genuine craftsmanship TO see this
and TO act accordingly at the time of the
first revolt weaker and less far
sighted man than President Mckinley
would have shrunk from a task very
oificult in itself and certain TO furnish
OCCASION for attack and misrepresenta-
ton no less than for honest misunder-
standing. But President Mckinley never
ainched- He refused 10 consider the
thought of abandoning our duty in our
new possessions. While sedulousIy en-
deayoring TO act with the utmost hui
mainly toward the insurgents, he never
faltered in the determination to put
them down by force of arms. alike Tor
the sake of our own interest and honor.
and for the sake of the interest Of the
FLANDERS, and particularly Of the great
numbers OF friendly natives, including
those most highly civilized for whom |
abandonment by US would have meant
ruin and death. Again his policy was
most amply INDICATED. Peace has come
10 the Islands, together with a greater /
measure of individual liberty and self
government than they have ever before
known. All the tasks set US as a result
of the war with Spain have so far been
well and honorably accomplished. and as
result this nation stands higher than
ever before among the nations OF man
kind.
President McNnley,s second campaign
was fought mainly on the issue Of ap-
proving what he had done in his first
administration, and specifically what he
had done as regards those problems
springing out Of the war with Spain. The
result was that the popular verdict in
lis favor was more overwhelming than
ii had been before
No other president in our history has
seen high and honorable effort crowned
with more conspicuous personal success. /
No Nother president entered upon his sec
ond term feeling such right 10 a pro-
found and peaceful satisfaction. Then
by stroke of horror, 50 strange in its
fantastic iniquity as TO stand unique in
the black annals OF crime. he was struck
down. The brave, strong. gentle heart
was stiiled forever. and word was brought
TO the woman who vept that she vas to
walk thenceforth alone in the shadow.
The hideous infamy of the deed shocked
the nation TO its depths. for the man thus
struck at was in a peculiar sense the
champion Of the plain people. in q Pc
GUITAR sense the representative and the
exponent OF those ideas which. if we
live VT, 10 them will make as they have
largely made. our country a blessed ref
uge for all who strive 10 do right and to
live their lives simply and well as light
is given them. The nation was stunned.
and the people mourned with a sense of
bitter bereavement because they had lost
man whose heart beat for them as the
heart Of Lincoln once had beaten. We
cid right 20 mourn: for the loss was ours
rot his He died in the golden fuIIness
q his triumph. He died victorious in
that highest OF ali kinds OF strife-the
strife for an amPler. 5uster. and more
generous national life. For him the lau-
rel: but wee for those whom he left be-
hind; woe TO the nation that lost him:
and woe TO mankind that there should
exist creatures 50 foul that one among
them should strike 81 so noble life
We are gathered together tonight 10
recall his memory. 10 pay our tribute OF
respect 10 the great chief and leader who
fell IN the harness. who was stricken
down while his eyes were bright with the
Hight that tells OF triumph tasted" We
can honor him best by the way we show
tr actual deed that we have taken TO
heart the lessons of his life. We must
strive TO achieve. each in the measure /