Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-12-23
Democrats Disagree
On the subjsctl OF Impsriaiism---sOme
& OF the striking Remarks OF ex-Consul
General p. A. Collins.

{ OF the Striking Remarks OF ex-COnsul
General p. A. Collins.
The members of the Young Mems Dem
ocratic club of Boston gave expression TO a
variety of views at their annual banquet
at the Quincy House in Boston Monday
night. Mayor Quincy came out emphati
cally for expansion, arguing in favor of
holding possession of not only Cuba and
Porto Rico but of the Philippines. Judge
John W. Corcoran spent most of his time
eulogizing the Democracy, but expressed
the belief that we ought to keep faith not
only with mankind but with the people
whom we have deluded with promises Of
their emancipation. John Thayer of
Worcester, who defeated Joseph Walker
in the Congressional fight in November,
talked at length upon the subject which
the club had set for its speakers-"The
Annexation of the Philippine Islands
the First Step Toward Imperialism, but
did not define his views clearly. c. S.
Hamln, former assistant secretary of the
treasury, strayed away from the subject
and made an alliance with England the
burden of his remarks. Congressman
elect Naphen predicted the defeat Of the
| Republicans if they are too high-handed.
EX-Mayor Matthews sent a long letter in
which he favored Imperialism and greater
trade with the far East. Hon =. A. Col
Inns, ex-consul general to London, opposed
Imperialism vehemently. His bright and
effective speech contained many striking
paragraphs, among them the following
| do not believe that the war begun for
humanity should end in conquest. |, for
one, from start to finish, will fight every
inch of the way to prevent the bondage OF
any human being, black or white or brown,
on the earth's surface, under the flag OF
the United States.
1t will not do to say that we must sup
port the President. The President of the
United States is the servant of the people
1t will not do because of his exalted situa-
ton to usurp one function of the Senate
one function of the House of Representa-.
tives, one right of an individual citizen OF
the United States.
Each people, each race made by God
and allowed by him to stand upon the
earth's surface has a right TO the play OF
their own genius, right TO worship GOO
in their own way, right to have any civ
ilization that suits them. do not believ,
we have any right TO enforce our civiliza
ton upon Cuba, upon Porto Rico upor
the Philippines, any more than England
HIS right to force its civilization, il
creed, its code upon Irish people or tn,
people of the Transvaal.
Some people say we owe something t
the Spanish who are in the Philippines
100000 Spaniards, whose rights would b.
endangered by the abandonment of tn,
islands. They had no business in tn
Philippines stealing the land of the BROW
people, and if they did not make friends o
them it was time for them to go somewher
else.
They say we owe duty to the Filipinos
Yes, duty implanted in our conscience b
the Maker of the Filipinos. by the Make
of the Americans. A duty to let then
work out their salvation in their own way
So say ii is our duty TO Cuba. If Cub
is fit for freedom let it be free, and let Il
take our iron heel from them as we CON
PEELED the Spaniards to do. And so wit
Porto Rico. |, therefore, say that at what
ever cost let us go back to precisely wher
: we were in the early days of the year an
, be again the United States of America.
> 1t is said that not all the wise men /
this country are against expansion. NJ
but all the wild men of Borneo in thi
country are in favor of expansion. Ever
p jobber, every speculator, every defender
every corruptionlst in this country is |
favor of expansion.
am not willing to speak of alliance
with Great Britain. Ny ancestors did nc
learn to speak English until they wer
} compelled to, and speak it rather indiffe
, emily to the members, but my meaning
sometimes conveyed. My friend Hamli
favors the idea of an alliance with thos
T superior beings, the English.
for one believe there is a great DANCE
' in saying that all the political ability an
: all the cardinal virtues reside in men VIII
speak English. 1t is an insult to Franc
= whose cooperation in 1776 was a lars
. factor in winning our independence; it
), an insult to Russia, which tore up the no
n England sent in the civil war to unite wit
} her and Louis Napoleon to break IL
3 Union to pieces. 1t is an insult to Gle
5 many and every other race to say TIL
a some people who came from the mouth
e the Eibe as pirates and managed to get /
II to England are the dominant race of II