The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-11-09

ken on the Subject.
THE PRINCIPLE OF fQUAL-
Worcester Mass, Nov "A
large and enthusiastic audience greet
ed Senator George F. Hoar, Con-
gressman William H. Moody and
Speaker John L Bales in Mechanic s
hall to night. Three hundred Re
publican leaders occupied seats upon
the platform with the speakers
Senator Hoar presided and was the
principal speaker.
He said in part This year has
been crowded with history aud
crowded with glory. 1t is also, to
my mind, crowded with danger
The fag of Spain. formerly the
proudest power on earth since the
days of the Roman empire, has gone
down in darkness and in blood before
the victorious navy and army of the
United States. The flag of the Uni.
ted States had risen in the eastern
sky like new constellation Let US
not accept the duties and responsible.
tiles of. this victory in any temper of
vulgar vainglory. still less Of vul-
gar greed of power or gain. The
United States comes to the oppress-
ed people, east and west as great
deliverer To deal with this great
occasion by talking about coaIing
stations and trade advantages de-
grades and belittles it. We have not
overthrown Spain. we have not per-
lied the precious lives of our sons,
that we may add to our possessions,
or that we may make money out of
our new relations
sit is by example and not by guns
or by bayonets that the great work
of America for humanity is tos be
accomplished. And in my opinion
we are to day in great danger-a
greater danger than we have encoun
tered since the pilgrims landed at
Plymouth. The danger is that we
are to be transformed from a repub.
lie founded on the Declaration Of In
dependence. guided by the councils
of Washington, into vulgar, com
monplace empire founded upon phys
icai force.
ri for one am not dazzled by the
exehple of England. The institu.
tions of England which have en-
abled her to govern successfully dis
tant colonies and subject states are
founded, as Mr.. Gladstone pointed
out, or the doctrine of inequality.
Our institutions are founded on the
doctrine of equality If we are to
outstrip England in national power it
must be by pursuing our own path
and not by following in hers
ssIt is said that Puerto Rico is al
aeady ours 1t may be that Puerto
Rico is to become ours But there
is no authority under the constitution
of the United States to acquire any
foreign territory, save by a treaty ap
proved by the senate in two thirds
vote. or by an act of Legislation in
which the president. the house of
representatives and the senate must
unite. L ;s said that the Philippine
islands are already ours by the right
of conquest For one deny the
alleged right of conquest Human
beings-men, women, children, peo-
ples-are not to be won as spoils of
war or prizes in battle 1t may be
that such doctrine finds place in
the ancient aud barbarous laws of
war, but it has no place under the
American constitution 1t has no
place in the code of morals of the
people of the United States *
"Some OF our good iriends nave
said thoughtlessly in their zeal that
where the American flag goes it must
stay But surely they cannot com
nit the country to that doctrine. We
planted it on the City of Mexico.
But no man demanded that it should
stay there. If the war goes on the
flag may be victoriously planted on the
coast of Spain, but we have no de
sire to hold permanent dominion
there
"If The Philippine islands become
ours, then under the late decision of
the supreme court every child here
after borne in them becomes an
American citizen, free to come. free
to go Are you going to hold them
as subjects ! Are you going to
have trained aud governing class :?
Are you going to have the national
tax gatherer the most frequent and