The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1898-12-02

WASHINGTON, Nov. 25.-Gov.. elect
McMillin stopped over in Washing
ton to-day en- route to New York,
where he is going on private busi-
ness. Mr., McMillin will return
here the first of next week and will
remain until about Dec. %, when he
will leave for Nashville, prepara
tory to his inauguration.
Mr.. McMillin is much averse to
the annexation of the Philippines,
as he was opposed to the anneXa.
ton Of the Hawaiian Islands. In
speaking of the Philippine question
he said:
II am opposed to taking the
Philippine Islands, because l believe
in the ability of the people to gov
ern themselves. l believe in self
government. This republic is the
first exemplificaton of the fact that
the people can and shoulo rule.
This vital principle must be sur.
rendered if We take and hold the
islands.
"If we give these people the right
of suffrage, they will be entitled to
forty five Congressman. If we do
not give them suffrage, we surren
der the principle of self government,
and we denOunce the declaration of
Abraham Lincoln that this shall b.
government of the people, by the
people, and for the people, and we
admit that the monarchies are right
when they say that the people are
not capable of self-governmeEt.
81 don't know many men in the
United States who would be rash
enough to allow this new territory
to be admitted and give it forty -1v,
seats in the House of Representa-.
tives, for forty five seats would be
the balance of power in any Con
gress for the next twenty years.
don't know any people in this
country who would be willing to
turn the destinies of this great re-
public over to any other people n
the world, however ignorant or ell
lightened.
Rome tried to govern the world
through the Roman pro consul, ana
the provinces they wasted are known
to all men who have stud ed history
EITHER the new territory pro-
posed for annexation is capable #
self government or it is not. If it is,
[ suppose that our people would ad
NIT the forty-five Representatives
in Congress. If it is not, | do not
see what we want with them.
Il am slow to believe that the re
public of the United States would
willingly take terri ory and estab
lish colonial government, refuse
local self-government and thereby
admit that such system of govern
ment is failure.
This is the greatest government
on earth. We have become 50 by
attending to our own business ano
letting the etfete mOnarchies of the
world go into slow decay, pin them
selves together by bayonet and hole
themselves together the best they
can. 1t would be sad spectacle fol
the people of the United States tC
take 100000 of population, deny
ment and deny them local self gov
ernment and home rule, thereby
admitting the principle of local self
government in this country to be 4
failure.
England has insisted that the
Irish were not capable of home rule
We have insisted that they are
Are we going to admit that part o
the people are capable of home rule
local self-government, but the bal
ance of the people are not? L dom
propose to be dogmatic in my utter
ances, but these are a few thing
that it is we'll enough for us to con
slider as we go along.
Jefferson was the originator, 81
far as [ know, of the doctrine o
local self government, home rul
and States rights. What will hi
disciples think of the fact that hi
followers now confess that he wa
wrong, and that, after all, the peO
pie are not capable OF local self
government, but the only way t.
govern people is through outlying
colonies, as England does, o
through conquered provinces, a
Rome did?"