Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-01-30

AlSA0 ASA paw 49, 80
land held hers now-ruled over by
| military satraps. He drew a parallel
between our revolutionary struggle
and the struggle the Filipinos made
for independence. He argued that to-
day they have a stable government,
republican in form, a President, a Vice
President and Congress, the whole
founded upon the free consent OF the
governed. To attempt to subvert this
government, he charged, would be an
"unspeakable crime that should bring
the blush OF shame to the cheek OF
every ~free-born American"
IF William Mckinley ever changes
his policy regarding the Philippines
declared Mr.. Johnson, in stentorian
tones, 'he will bend to the weight OF
popular opinion, to which he bows
right or wrong" This utterance
raised a storm of applause, and the
speaker continued, Public sentiment
should be aroused. 1t is being aroused,
as evidenced by the great public meet
ings in New York and Philadelphia,
and, my word for it, it will MOI be
many months before the tide of public
sentiment which the President vainly
imagines is now carrying him to a
second term, will recede and leave him
high and dry He added:
IF the treaty is ratified without being
coupled with d resolution declaring Tor
the ultimate independence of the Islands
II will be the death-knell OF all our Ell
forts to stop the torrent.
He would vote for a bill to reorganlze
the army, but before God he would never
vote for a standing army or 1860 whose
ultimate object was to establish a colo
NAL system.
IF / were in the Senate he said, Il
would rot in my seat first. L would
and the clamor of the press. / would let
them maEgn my character and mlsinter-
pref my motives, but / would never swerve
Mr.. johnson next referred to the part
Great Britain had taken in inducing the
United States to enter into controversies
of the Far East and OF the manner IN
which British Assistance was being given
to the 'in.quitous policy of William NC
Kinley.'
LET there be a new treaty" he pleaded
NtItIutiltly. lie L UOt SlNc lNVhty hiii
lions for a cession of the Philippines to
the United States. but let it provide UNI
equivocally that Spain withdraw from the
Philippines and give to the Filipinos the
inestimabie blessings of liberty. This
world policy means constant war and ru-
mors of war, the hurrying of ships, the
concentrating of great forces of armed
men. the glisten of bayonets and sabres,
the fitting out of vast expeditions of trans
ports, the building of great dockyards.
the e~mbarking of a course like that OF
nglan which had embroiled 1t IN war
uninterruptedly for 100 years"
The Indiana member now turned to the
'~'costJof expansion" He detailed the cost
of the war and the of $14o, 0W,0jJ
for the military and $41, oe9.Go for the ma
val establishment for the next fiscal year.
1t showed, he said. that our war budget
exceeded that of the great military powers
of the world.
1t was within three millions of the cost
of Great Britain's vast establishment by
which she ruled her colonial empire; 1t
was more than the. war budget of Ger
many: more than that of France or of any
other nation on the face of the globe. And
this was to realize The wild dream of eX-
pans!on.
Mr.. johnson is not alone among the
patriotic, high minded and independent
members of his party in opposing the
administrations imperial policy, which
is not being assisted by the Presidents
apparent double-dealing with Congress.
The latter body is decidedly suspicious
of his ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
pose-of-it-afterward plan. In the Sem
ate, Mr.. Hoar has a resolution declar-
ing the Filipinos independent, which
he declares he will keep before the
Senate until action is had upon it.
Meanwhile, opposition is growing in
Congress on the Republican side to
both the ratification of the treaty with
out modification and the Hull bill, for
an imperial increase in the army.
All of which is gratifying and re-
assuring to sober-minded and patriotic
americans who have not been bereft
of their senses by the imperial and
military spirit hat has been threaten
ing to override intelligent patriotism
and common sense.
If the Hull bill for the reorganization
of the army was obnoxious when it
called for a standing army of LOG, 900
men, it is none the less obnoxious
amended so as to reduce the number
OF men called for directly to $4,000 and
leaving it to the will of the President
to raise the number to 100, 600 enlisted
men. That is simply getting at the
same object by another route, and is
merely beating the military devil
around the stump. AS Mr.. Johnson, Of
Indiana, puts it, Congress should stead
lastly oppose any scheme to assist the
nolanial nnlinu Of the adminiStratinn