The Savannah morning news., 1903-04-08

Fargo, n. D., April I.-NotWithStand-
ing Yesterdays severe blizzard, the
Weather to-day was clear and bracing,
and the programme for the reception
md address of President Roosevelt
10 as carried out according to plans.
The special train arrived here dur
ing the early morning and at $50
o'clock the Local Reception Commit
tee waited on the President and after
brief and informal reception at the
train, escorted him in carriages
through the business portion of the
city. One of the features was the well
come accorded by the children of the
city, several thousand of whom were
assembled together where the President
was able to greet them. After the
drive the President was escorted to a
stand in front of the Waldorf Hotel,
where he addressed a large and en-
thusiastic crowd on the Philippines.
The Northwest, whose sons in the
Civil War added such brilliant pages
to the honor roll of the Republic, like
wise 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
vrestle which for four years stamped
TO and fro across the Southern States
in the Civil War; but struggle
fraught with consequences to the ma
tion, and indeed to the world, out of
all proportion to the SmallneSS of the
effort upon our part.
As rapidly as the military rule was
extended over the Philippine Islands
by the defeat of the insurgents, just
so rapidly was it replaced by the civil
government. At the present time the
civil government is supreme and the
army in the Philippines has been re-
duced until it is sufficient merely to
provide against the recurrence of trou-
BILE In Gov. Taft and his associates
we sent to the Filipinos as upright,
as conscientious, and as able a group
of administrators as ever any coun-
try has been blessed with having.
With them and under them we have
associated the best men among the
FiHpinos, so that the great majority
of the officials, including many of
the highest rank, are themselves ma
tives of the islands. The administra-
ton is incorruptibly honest; justice is
as jealousy safeguarded as here at
home. The government is conducted
purely in the interests of the people
of the islands; they are protected in
their religious and civil rights; they
have been given an excellent and we'll
administered school system, and each
of them now enjoys rights to life, lib
erty, and the pursuit of happiness,
such as were never before known in
all the history of the islands.
l1r1,i
journed has passed legislation of high
Importance and great wisdom in the
interests of the Filipino people. First
and foremost, they conferred upon
them by law the present admirable
civil government; in addition they
gave them an excellent currency; they
passed measure allowing the organ
ization of a native constabulary; and
they provided, in the interests of the
islands, for a reduction of twenty
hVe per cent. in the tariff on Filipino
articles brought to this country.
asked that still further reduction
should be made. 1t was not granted
by the last Congress, but l think that
in some shape it will be granted by
the next. And even without it, the
record of legislation in the interests of
the Fflipinos is one with which we
nave a right 70 feel great satisfaction.
remember always that in the Philip
pines the American government has
tried and is trying to carry out exact
ly what the greatest genius and most
revered patriot ever known in the
Pnlllppine Island-Jose Riza1-stead-
tasty advocated. This man. shortly
before his death, in a message to his
countrymen, under date of Dec. 16,
1886, condemned unspaHngly the in
Surrection of Aguinaldo, terminated
Just before our navy appeared upon
the scene, and pointed out the path
his people should follow to liberty and
enlightenment.
great and beneticent works in the is
lands, we have yet been steadily re-
duclng the cost at which they are
Gone. The last Congress repealed the
law for the war taxes, and the War
department has reduced the army from
the maximum number of 100000 allow
ca under the law to very nearly the
minimum of $4,000.
Moreover, the last Congress enacted
some admirable legislation affecting
the army, passing first of all the mill
tia bill and then the bill to create a
general staff. The militia bill repre-
SCENTS the realization of a reform
Which had been championed ineffec-
lively by Washington, and had been
fruitlessly agitated ever since. At
last we have taken from the statute
books the obsolete militia law of the
Revolutionary days and have provid-
ed for efficient aid to the national
guard of the states. l believe that no
other great country has such fine nat
ural material for volunteer soldiers as
we have, and it is the obvious duty
OF the nation and of the states to make
such provision as will enable this vol