Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-11-03

f
try's welfare BY saddifng foreign is
lands inhabited by semi-savages onto
the American people and their govern
| ment. Although leading Republi-
| can, Senator Hoar does not hesitate to
openly antagonize the administration
| and the most influential Republican
leaders on the expansion" policy.
: He strikes straight from the shoulder
at the Wall Street spectators in poll
| tics, who dominate the administra-
ton. 1--WE have not oyerthrown
| Spain,' he said, 1--WE have not periled
the precious lives of our sons, that we
may add to our possessions, or that
we may make money out of our new
| relations"
ION the contrary" he continued,
| II believe that the highest service the
American people can render to man
| kind and to liberty is to preserve I'M
stained and unchanged the republic
as it came to us from the fathers.
| 1t is by example and not by guns
or by bayonets that the great work
of America for humanity is to be ac-
complished. And in my opinion we
I are to-day in a greater danger-a
greater than we have encountered
since the pilgrims landed at Ply
! mouth. The danger is that we are
to be transformed from republic
( founded on the declaration of indie
pendence guided by the counsels Of
/ Washington, into a vulgar, common
place empire founded upon physical
force"
| This venerable democratic Republi-
| can raised a constitutional question
as 20 whether the United States has
the right to acquire foreign territory
except by treaty. He said:
| 1T is said that Porto Rico is already
| ours. 1t may be that Porto Rico is 10 be-
| come ours. But there is no authority I'M
] der the constitution of the United States
! to acquire any foreign territory, save by
a treaty approved by the Senate by two
| thirds vote or by an act of legislation in
which the President, the House of Repre-
sentatives and the Senate must unite.
1T is said the Philippine Islands are al
| ready ours by the right of conquest. For
! one I deny this alleged right of conquest.
| Human beings-men, women children,
| peoples-are not to be won as spolls OF
war or prizes in battle. 1t may be that
| such a doctrine finds a place in the an
| cient and barbarous laws of war, but it
| has no place under the American ounsu-
| tuition. 1t has no place in the code of
morals of the people of the United States.
! | have stated elsewhere the conditions in
| which my judgment warranted the acqul-
! stion of Hawaii Hawaii came 10 us with
| the consent of her own government, the
only government capable of maintaining
| itself there for any considerable length
of time In the case of the Philippines we
| are asked to subject a nation and to hold
| it in subsection. We get them by con-
| quest and hold them by force. In the
case of the Hawaiian Islands we get them
by compact made by their lawful govern
ment."
Speaking of high-sounding cam
paign cries to deceive the people and
dazzle their better, sober judgment,
Mr.. Hoar said:
Some of our good friends have said
| thoughtlessIy in their zeal that where the
| American flag goes it must stay. But
| surely they cannot wish to commit the
| country to that doctrine. We planted 1t
on the city of Mexico. But no man de-
manded that it should stay there. If the
war goes on, we shall plant it on the
coast of Spain, but we have no desire to
hold permanent dominion there
IF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS Be
| COME OURS, THEN UNDER THE
LATE DECISION OF THE SUPREME
COURT, EVERY CHILD HEREAFTER
BORN IN THEM BECOMES AN AMER
ICAN CITIZEN, FREE TO COME,
FREE TO GO. ARE YOU GOING TO
HOLD THEM AS SUBJECTS? Are
you going to have ID trained and
governing class? Are you going
to have the national tax-gatherer
the most frequent and the best known
| visitant to every American house? Are
you going to increase many fold our ma
tional debt? These things are involved in
this wild and impassioned cry for en-
pire For myself I disbelieve and hate
the notion that the American people are
to submit to such a transformation"
The attitude of Senator Hoar and
many other sober minded and patriot
ic Republicans is evidence that a very
large element of the Republican party
who place their country's welfare be-
fore that of their party organization,
will not support at the polls next
Tuesday the costly dangerous and
un-American policy of imperialism to
which the administration, through
it's grasping, greedy Wall Street con-
| nections is committed.