The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1899-10-13

VI reNenue, AGRICULTURAL, cOmmerclal
and manufacturing, and wasteful
issue of high-priced bonds to meet the
current expenses of the government.
You, gentlemen, have stood squarely
and bravely by the republican party in
the past, and | know you will do SO
with equal fidelity in the future, seeing
that the republican party is more than
ever now the guardian of the national
honor and the protector of the national
flag.
Very few republican editors of Michi-
gan have deserted or rebelled. They
have regularly patronized the barber,
and kept their hair clipped. The isms
of heresy have made little impression
upon them. Now and then one has
been found who felt that he was attract
ing insufficient attention, and fearing
oblivion by steady course of patriot
ism, has committed himself to q violent
policy of political hari-kari. But con-
graduate you upon the small area of
the cemetery holding the remains of
those who departed life by this route of
self-destruction. When a man feels i'm
PEELED to desert his party and decry his
country, he generally labels himself
Independent, and goes down into the
sand as a clam does in high water, just
leaving little piece of seaweed stick
ing up to show where he lies, in case
anyone should want to dig him up. L,
for one, favor leaving all such in the
graves they have selected.
In few states is there found so clear a
grasp of the political issues of the day
as in Michigan. Since the great repub-
lican victory of 1896, 10 which you,
gentlemen, as l know of my own per-
sonal knowledge, so largely contri-
buted, your opponents have tried to
raise new issues, at critical juncture
in the nations history. They now de-
claim against Expansion" or what
they term imperialism" In some re-
spects the present crisis may be COM
pared with that which confronted
President Lincoln, the republican party
and the Federal army in the field at the
outbreak of our Civil war. There were
carpers then, disloyal men in the north,
who would have Withdrawn our forces
and capitulated to the rebels. The
conditions which existed then, however,
differed from those existent at the out
break of the war with Spain When
Fort Sumter was fired upon there were
honest differences of opinion among the
people and well.defined domestic
policies at stake. But when the Maine
was blown up in the harbor of Havana
all distinctions of north and south and
east and west were obliterated, and a
universal cry for retribution arose from
every section of our country. Where
were then the Anti-Imperialists? If
there were any Atkinsons then they
sang exceeding small. 1t was not until
our arms had been triumphantly suc-
cessful that the Copperheads ventured
to come out of their holes.
What course, let me ask, would these
men have had the United States to
follow? What in honor or humanity
could the United States have done,
other than what has been done? Should
we, as soon as the Spaniards sur
rendered Manila, have turned over the
Philippine islands, and all any and
everything thereon to the tender mercies
of Aguinaldo and his camp followers?
Had we done so, those who surrendered
to the Americans and. passed under the
protection of our flag would have been
subject to rapine, plumber and death
and we would have had upon our hands
the innocent blood of the conquered.
1t was due to our honor and to
humanity that the very course pursued
by the administration at Washington
should be followed. Who were to
govern; what character of government
was to be finally established, was not
proper, question for settlement at that
moment The first thing TO be secured
was peace and protection And for
that we are now fighting in the Philip
pines. We are pledged to the world to
secure it, and if the United States is to
maintain her position among civilized
nations, we must in good faith perform
those duties which stand higher than
the determination of what men shall
hold the civil offices in the Philippine
islands.
In the cloud of Misrepresentation and
calumny which our opponents have
raised on this Philippine question they
ignore the facts of history. They talk
about the slaughter of innocent
Philippines who are begging for mercy
and peace" There is no slaughter of
innocent Philippines. Those whom
our troops are encountering are armed
rebels, seeking to destroy the authority
of the United States in the territory
which by the arbitrament of war and
4 Il l..