Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1904-12-15


tematic and long extended cruelty and
oppression As the cruelty and oppression
of which the ArLenians have been the
victims, and which have won for them
the indignant pity of the civilized world.
Rights Of American Citizens Abroad.
Even where 1t Is not possible to Sc
cure In other nations the observance of
the principles which we accept as ak
iomatic, 1t is necessary for US firmly to
insist upon the rights of our own citi-
gems without regard to their creed or
race; without regard to whether they
were born here or born abroad.
The Navy.
The strong arm of the government In
enforcing respect for its just rights In
international matters Is the navy of the
United States / most earnestly recon-
mend that there be no halt In the work
of upbuilding the American navy. There
Is no more patriotic duty before us as
people than to keep the navy adequate
TO the needs Of this country's position.
We have undertaken to build the 18TH
milan canal. We have undertaken to Sc
cure for ourselves our just share in the
trade of the Orient. We have under
taken to protect our citizens from i'm
proper treatment In foreign lands. We
continue steadily To insist on the appli-
cation of the Monroe doctrine to the
in these and all similar matters Is to be
n nero boastful sham We can not afford
to abandon our naval programme. Our
voice Ia now potent for peace. and In so
potent because we are not afraid OF war
But our protestations upon behalf Of
peace would neither receive nor deserve
the slightest attention II we We're im-
potent to make them good.
The Army.
~. 10. n
States has set an example In disarma-
ment where disarmament was proper.
| by law our army Is fixed at maximum
| of one hundred thousand and minimum
| OF sixty thousand men. When there was
| lnsurrection In the Philippines we kept
| the army at the maximum. Peace came
In the Philippines, and now our army
| has been reduced to the minimum at
which II II possible to keep 1t with due
| regard to It's efficiency. The guns VOW
| mounted require twenty eight thousand
| men, IL the coast Notifications are to be
adequately manned. Relatively to the
| nation. II Is not now so large as the po-
| lice force OF New York or Chicago rela-
| lively to the population of either city
| We need more officers; there are not
| enough to perform tho regular army
work 1t is very important that the off,
GERS OF the army should be accustomed
to handle their men in masses. as IL IL
also important tina. the national guard
or the several states should be accus-
toned to actual field maneuvering. espe-
cially in connection with the regulars.
For this reason we are to be congratu-
lated upon the success of the field ma
enuVers at Manassas last fail, maneuvers
in which a larger number OF regulars
and national guard took part than was
ever before assembled together in time
| Of peace. No other civilized nation has,
relatively to its population, such a d.
minutive army as ours; and while the
army Is so small we are not to be ex-
| cused II we fail to keep II at a very high
grade of proficiency.
The Philippines.
In the Philippine islands there has
been during the past year a continuation
OF the steady progress which has OBJ
tained ever since our troops definitely
got the upper hand Of the insurgents.
The Philippine people, or, to speak more
accurately, the many tribes. and even
races, sundered from one another more
or less sharply, who go to make up tho
people Of the Philippine islands. contain
| many elements Of good. and some ele-
ments which we have a right to hope
stand for progress At present they are
utterly incapable Of existing in indie
pendence at all or OF building up a civ
iiZation of their own. l firmly believe
that we can help them to rise higher and
higher in. the scale of civilization and
Of capacity for self government, and /
most earnestly hope that In the end they
Will be able to stand. II not entirely alone.
yet in some such relation to the United
States as Cuba now stands. This end
Is not yet i'm sight, and 1t may be In
definitely postponed II our people are
foolish enough to turn the attention OF
the Filipinos away from the problems of
achieving moral End material prosperity,
OF working for stable. orderly. and just
government and toward foolish and dan
gerous intrk les for a complete independ-
ence for V.sich they are as yet totally
unfit.
On the Ither hand our people must
keep steak y before their minds the fact
that the jSStifcation for our stay In the
Philippines must ultimately rest chiefly
upon the GOOD we are able to do in the
islands. /: do not overlook the fact that
In the dt yelopment OF our interests in
the PaciE. ocean and along its coasts.
the Phillp pines have played and will play
an important part, and that our interests
have bee.. served in more than one way
by the Lossession Of the islands. But
our chic; reason for continuing to hold
them n.Jst be that we ought In good
faith L. try to do our share OF the
worlds work. and this particular piece
the rest Its OF the war with Spain. The
problem presented to us in the Philip
pine " ands Is akin TO. but not exactly
like. Il = problems presented to the other
great .ivilized powers which have pos
sessicis in the Orient. More distinctly
than Any of the powers we are endeav-
oring 10 develop the natives themselves
so til, they shall take an ever-incrcas-
ing "a are in their own government, and
n 10 nTM1pnT
mitt..g their representatives to gov
ernni. ntal equality with our own. There
are commissioners, Judges. and governors
In tire islands who are Filipinos and who
havs exactly the same share in the gov
ernr1 ent of the islands as have their col
leagues who are Americans. while In the
lowe; ranks. of course. the great major
ity sf the public servants are Filipinos.
Within two years we shall be trying the
experiment Of an elective lower house In
the Philippine Legislature.
Meanvh lille our own people should re-
member that there is need for the high
est standard of conduct among the Amer
leans sent to the Philippine islands. not
only among the public servants but
among the private individuals who 20
to them. 1t is because l feel this so
deeply that in the administration OF these
islands / have positively refused to per-
nit any discrimination whatsoever FOR
political reasons and have Insisted that
In choosing the public servants consid-
Grafton should be paid solely to the
worth of the men chosen and to the
needs Of the Islands. There Is no high
er body of men in our public service
than we have in the Philippine islands
under Gov. Wright and his associates.
So far as possible these men should be
given free hand. and their suggestions
should receive the hearty backing both
of the Executive and Of the Congress
There is need OF vigilant and dlsinter-
ested support of our public servants In
the Philippines by good citizens here In
the United States. Unfortunately hithcr-
In l,l., IL a Lnnln In