River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-08-04

bean sacrificed, our relations with all sor4
cign nations are now of the most peaceful
kind: there is not a cloud on the horizon.
The last cause of irritation between ua
and any other nation was removed BIZ
the settlement of the Alaskan boundary.
In the Caribbean sea we have made good
our promises of independence to Cuba,
and have proved our assertion that our
mission in the island was one of Justice
and not of -aggrandizement; and
thereby no less than by our action in Vene-
zuela and Panama we have shown that
the Monroe doctrine is living reality,
designed for the hurt of no nation, but
for the protection Of civilization on the
western continent and for the peace of
the world. Our steady growth in power
has gone hand in hand with strengthen
ing disposition to use this power with
strict regard for the rights of others, and
for the cause Of international justice and
good will
We earnestly desire friendship with all
the nations of the new and old worlds;
and we endeavor to place our relations
with them upon basis of reciprocal adj
vantage instead of hostility. We hold
that the prosperity of each nation is an
aid and not a hindrance to the prosperity
of other nations. We seek interna-
tional amity for the same reasons that
make us believe in peace within our own
borders; and we seek this peace, not be-
cause we are afraid or unready, but be-
cause we think that peace is right as well
as advantageous.
American interests in the Pacific have
rapidly grown. American enterprise has
laid a cable across this, the greatest OF
oceans. We have proved in effective fash
ion that we wish the Chinese empire we'll
and desire it's integrity and independence.
Our foothold in the Philippines greatly
STRENGTHENS our position in the competi-
ton for the trade of the east; but we
are governing the Philippines in the in
terest of the Philippine people themselves.
We have already given them large
share in their government, and our pur-
pose is to increase this share as rapidly
as they give evidence. of increasing fit
ness for the task. The great majority of
the officials of the islands, whether elect
i've or appointive, are already native Fill
ipinos. We are now providing for legis-
latiVe assembly. This is the first step to
be taken in the future; and 1t would be emil
nently unwise to declare what our next
step will be until this first step has been
taken and the results are manifest. To
have gone faster than we have already
gone in giving the islanders a constantly
increasing measure or Self-goVernmenI
would have been disastrous. At the pres
ent moment to give political independence
to the islands would result in the immed1-
public order, as regards the mass OF the
Filipinos, for the majority of the is
landers have been given these great
boons by u.s. and only keep them because
we vigilantly safeguard and guarantee
them To withdraw our government from
the islands at this time would mean to
the average native the loss of his barely
won civil freedom We have estabHsneo
in the islands a government by Americans
assisted by Filipinos. We are steadily
striving to transform this into self-gov-
eminent by the Filipinos assisted by Amer
leans.
The principles which we uphold should
appeal to our countrymen, in all portions
of our country. Above all they should
give us strength with the men and women
who are the spiritual heirs of those WEo
upheld the hands of Abraham Lincoln; Tor
we are striving to do our work in the spirit
with which Lincoln approached his. Dur
ing the seven years that have just passed
there is no duty domestic or foreign which
we have shirked no necessary risk which
we have feared to undertake, or which we
have not performed with reasonable EN-
cheney We have never pleaded lmpo-
tence We have never sought refuge IN
criticism and complaint instead OF &C
ton. We face the future with our past
and our present as guarantors of our prom
Uses; and we are content to stand or TO IalI
by the record which we have MADE ana
are making.