Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-06-18
Opening Speech of Temporary Chairman Julius Caesar
Burrows at the Republican National Convention

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and that part needed for the niainten.
ance of the coast defenses. Work upon
the coast defenses has proceeded both
upon the mainland and in the de.
Tendencies upon well devised
scheme for their completion. The time
is near at hand when we can rest
secure that both our mainland coast
and our dependencies will be proof
against the sudden capture of any sea
port in which the nations flag is fly
ing
important Progress In Development of
National Militia.
1 Most important progress has been
made In the development Of the ma
tlonal militia as an aid to the regular
army Of the United States. BY we'll
directed legislation and by the activity
OF the proper bureaus of the war de-
partment, for the first time in the
history of the country adequate steps
are being taken to bring about an APP
Proclamation of armament, equipment,
and discipline of the militia to those
OF the regular army. The Importance
OF this development for national de-
tense can not be over-estimated.
The medical department has render.
ed most valuable service in stamping
out yellow fever, without which it
would have been impossible to con-
struct the Panama canal. The army
has aided the stricken people of San
Francisco, saving them from starva-
ton and death due to the earthquake
and fire with which that city was
visited.
Another and most remarkable in
stance of the efficiency of the army
has been the work done by it during
| the year Of its stay in Cuba as force
for the maintenance of the tranuuili-
cation Of that island. Not a single
report of any abuse by officers or man
has reached the department during the
entire time.
The management of our outlying
possessions under Republican admins
tration has been attended with re-
markable success. Under American
occupation and control the commerce
OF the island of Porto Rico, which in
the most prospectus days of Spanish
rule aggregated but $4,000, 900
was, in 1907, $56,000,OO0 The pro-
duction of sugar has advanced from
| 100000 tons to 204 1000 tons, valued at
S15,O0O,00O.
Great Progress in Establishing
Schools.
When we took possession of the is
land there was but one school build
ing owned by the government. Now
there are over 80, built and under con-
struction. and the number of pupils in
the public schools is 10000. Peace
and order prevail throughout the Is
land, and representative is accord
ed to the United States
In the Philippine Islands the people
have been given legislative body, the
ful power Of conducting their own
municipal and provincial governments,
7 the establishment of their own tariff
system, the direction of the postal
service, and indeed greater rights ana
powers than those possessed by any
other people subject to our sover-
eighty. A sound and reliable currency
system has been established, schools
so enlarged that the number of pri-
mary schools now aggregate between
5000 and 1000, with a total en-
rollment in March last of 479,97S.
Postoffices have been established
throughout the archipelago and
free delivery service in the city
OF Manila, practically 10000 miles OF
telegraph and cable lines are in opera
ton, and several hundred miles of
new railway are under construction or
contract; while less than 10 per cent
of the government employees and
municipal offices are Americans, and
of the police and constabulary force
SO per cent are Filipinos.
The work of ciyilizing and uplifting
the inhabitants of the Philippine Is
lands have gone forward with remark
able progress. The president of the
United States aptly summarizes the
whole matter as follows:
mo great civilized power has ever
managed with such wisdom and dis
interestedness the affairs of a people
committed by the accident of war to
it's hands. If we had followed the adj
vice of the misguided persons who
wished to turn the islands loose and
let them suffer whatever fate might
befall them, they would have already
passed through period of complete
and bloody chaos, and would now I'M
doubtedly be the possession of some
other power which there is every rea-
SUI W DelleVe WOulQ not nave done
as we have done-that is, would not
have striven to teach them how to
govern themselves or to have develop
ed them, as we have developed them,
primarily in their own interest. Save
only our attitude toward Cuba, ques-
ton whether there is a brighter page
in the annals of international dealing
between the strong and the weak than
the page which tells of our doings in
the Philippines.
Peace prevails throughout the is
lands today in greater degree than
ever In the history of the islands,
either under Spanish or American rule,
and agriculture is nowhere now i'm
peded by the fear on the part of the
farmer of the incursion of predatory
bands. Under the policy already
stated, inaugurated by the instructions
Of President Mckinley to Secretary
Root, in reference to the establish
nent of temporary government N
the Philippines, a community con-
sisting of 100000 people, inhabiting
80 different islands, many of whom