, when they
expelled the armies of Spain, expelled the last authoritative
representatives of what order there still was in the province. To him
fell the task of keeping order, of preventing the insurgent visiting
upon the Spaniard his own terrible wrongs, of preventing the taking of
that revenge which to his wild nature seemed eminently justifiable, the
preserving of the rights of property, of keeping unharmed the people who
had been pacific, and yet of gradually giving over the administration
of the island to the people who had fought for its freedom, just as fast
as, and no faster than, they proved that they could be trusted with it.
He has gone about that task, devoted himself to it, body and soul,
spending his strength, his courage, and perseverance, and in the face of
incredible obstacles he has accomplished very, very much.

Now, if we are going to administer the government of the West Indies
Islands which we have acquired, and the Philippines, in a way that will
be a credit to us and to our institutions, we must see that they are
administered by the General Woods. We have got to make up our minds that
we can only send our best men there; that we must then leave them as
largely unhampered as may be. We must exact good results from them, but
give them a large liberty in the methods of reaching these results. If
we treat those islands as the spoil of the politician, we shall tread
again the path which Spain has trod before, and we shall show ourselves
infinitely more blameworthy than Spain, for we shall sin against the
light, seeing the light.

The President says that this is New England doctrine. So it is. It is
Dutch doctrine, too. It is the doctrine of sound Americanism, the
doctrine of common sense and common morality. I am an expansionist. I am
glad we have acquired the islands we have acquired. I am not a bit
afraid of the responsibilities which we have incurred; but neither am I
blind to how heavy those responsibilities are. In closing my speech, I
ask each of you to remember that he cannot shove the blame on others
entirely, if things go wrong. This is a government by the people, and
the people are to blame ultimately if they are misrepresented, just
exactly as much as if their worst passions, their worst desires are
represented; for in the one case it is their supineness that is
represented exactly as in the other case it is their vice. Let each man
here strive to make his weight felt on the side of decenc