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Show MUST RETAIN THE ISLANDS, SAYS TAFT Secretary of "War Speaks at Appomattox Appomat-tox Day Clebration Day in Chicago. CHICAGO, April 9. Commemorative-exercises Commemorative-exercises throughout the country In honor of Alexander Hamilton were proposed pro-posed tonisht by President Sheridan of the Hamilton club of this city at the annual Appomattox day banquet of the club. President Sheridan pointed out that the twelfth day of next July is the one-hundredth one-hundredth anniversary of the death of Hamilton. Tho principal speaker of the evening was Secretary of War Taft, who spoke on "The policy of the administration; the new duty of the United States, especially es-pecially with regard to tho Philippines." In the early part of his nddress Secretary Sec-retary Taft announced that it was the duty of the Government of the United States to retain the Islands in its possession. It had fitarted on a great task, and so far that task had been well done. It would not be the part of a great nation, he said, for the United States now to turn back from the task which it had taken upon itself. "The only method," he declared, "Is to educate the people of the Philippine islands Into American ideas, and this will require time. I do not agree with those excellent people who are of the opinion that we should turn over the islands to the native population as soon as it Is capable of self-government. It Is going to require much time, perhaps several generations, before the people of tho Philippine islands- are going to bo able to govern themselves as ye of this country understand the proposition. proposi-tion. The only method we can pursue Is by education and by example." Of(the islands themselves tho Secretary Secre-tary had much to say in praise, expressing ex-pressing the belief that with the advent ad-vent of capital they would prove to be prosperous and self-supporting. In speaking of the anti-imperialists, the Secretary said: "I may be pardoned If I say that the antl-lmperlallsts, in an assumption of virtue, choose the easy course of abandoning the Filipinos to their fate, and certain anarohy, tyranny and chaos, and at the same time profess to be following the only righteous path. Their course ia prompted rather by a desire to exhibit what they maintain is a political consistency on the part of this country than by hope of any real good for the Filipinos." In conclusion the Secretary stated that tho Government was building up the islands on the principle of "The Philippines for the Filipinos." The following telegram was received from President Roosevelt: "Permit mo to greet the Hamilton club and its guests. We congratulate ourselves that the struggle which ended nt Appomattox left'us not merely a reunited re-united country, but a country Incalculably Incalcu-lably greater because of the rich heritage heri-tage of the deeds which left it reunited." |