The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-20
OPPOSING ANNEXATION
ORGANIZATION THAT is WORKING
AGAINST COLONIAL EXPANSION.
Address Issued by a Party of Boston
Men Who Do Not Want the
Philippine Islands.

BOSTON, Nov. 19.-The organizers of the
movement against the annexation of the
Philippines met in this city to-day. A con-
stitution was adopted, officers were elected
and an address was issued to the people of
the United States, urging prompt co-opera-
ton in getting signatures to protest
against the annexation of the Philippines.
Edward Atkinson presided. Before the
meeting he received a telegram from An
drew Carnegie that he had sent him check
for $1,000 for the use of the movement.
Funds have already been subscribed LIBERAL
ly. The address says in part:
Whatever islands we take must be an
nexed or held in vassalage to the Republic.
Either course is dangerous to the physical
and moral safety of the Nation, inconsist-
ent with our professions and must result
in foreign complications, which will inn
peril and delay the settlement of pressing
financial, labor and administrative cues ions
at rome. Impressed with the Importance
OF these views and recalling the declaration
OF the President that the war with Spain
could never degenerate into war of con-
quest, we have deferred action until it has
become apparent that pressure was being
brought upon the President to convince him
that public opinion demands the inclusion
of alien territory and great masses of alien
people into the territory of the United
States. We stand by the Presidents dec
laration, and in order to give evidence of
the opposition to foreign expansion policy
by vast body of our people, have organ
lied an anti-imperialist league upon the fol-
lowing general plan:
Flrst--The center of the movement to be
at washington, with local secretary there
for executive work.
''Second-Committee of correspondence to
conduct the work in such manner as to
bring together the united efforts of men of
repute throughout the country without re-
gard 10 party, to deal with the subject in
all its aspects, as follows: First, the moral
!nlqulty of converting a war for humanity
into a war of conquest; second, the physical
degeneration, the corruption of the blood
and all the evils of militarism which will
ensue II the troops are to be kept in the
philippines and elsewhere longer than alb
solutely necessary to enable government to
be established which will protect life and
property; third, the political evils and the
necessity OF preserving the Union upon the
principles of it's trainers; fourth, the clear
necessity of large increase of taxes for the
support of armies and navies, with a great
probability that voluntary enlistment will
have to be supplemented by drafts.
Committees of correspondence have be-
gun work under the name of the Anti-im-
perialiSt League, the first measure being to
organize the moral forces of the country for
the purpose of presenting the following pro-
test to the President and to the Congress
of the United States:
g To the President and the Congress of the
United States:
The undersigned citizens of -, in
the State of -, protest against any ex-
tension Of the sovereignty of the United
States over the Philippine islands, in any
event. or other foreign territory, without the
free consent of the people thereof, believing
such action would be dangerous to the Re-
public, wasteful of it's resources, in violation
of constitutional principles and fraught with
moral and physical evils to our people
Name and residence
every citizen believing in the above is
urged to copy it, obtain as many signatures
as possible and send forward the signed
protest to the secretary of the Anti-impefi-
alist League, Washington where the names
will be enrolled, without liability to assess
ment, as members of the league, and the
protest presented to the President and Con-
gress."