The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-18

had ceased to possess and could therefore
not sell and deliver.
APPEAL TO COMMON SENSE
I am not here as a partisan, but as an
American citizen anxious for the future
of the republic And | cannot too ear
nestly admonish the American people, if
they value the fundamental principles Of
their government and their own security,
and that Of their children for a moment
to throw aside all partisan bias and So
berly to consider what kind of a prece-
dent they would set if they consented to,
and by consenting approved, the presi-
dents management OF the Philippine bqsl-
ness merely because we are in ii" We
canot expect all our future presidents
to be models of public virtue and wis
dom, as George Washington was. lmag-
Inc now in the presidential office man
well-meaning. but, may be, short-sighted
and pliable, and under the influence of
so-called friends" who are greedy and
reckless spectators, and who would not
cations in order to get great opportuni-
ties for profit or a man Of that inof-
dinate ambition which intoxicates the
mind and befogs the conscience; or q
man of extreme partisan spirit, who hon.
estly believes the victory of his party to
be necessary for the salvation of the uni
verse, and may think that a foreign bron
would serve the chances Of his party:
or man Of an uncomfortable combatiVe-
ness of temperament which might run
away with his sense Of responsibility
and that we shall have such men in the
presidential chair is by no means unlikely
with our loose way of selecting candi-
dates for the presidency. Imagine, then,
a future president belonging to either Of
these classes to have before him the
precedent of Mr. McKinley's management
of the Philippine business sanctioned by
the approval or only the acquiescence Of
the people, and TO feel himself permitted
nay, even encouraged-to say to him
self that. as this precedent shows, he may
DlInQn the country into w9rliyp conflicts
of his own motion, without asking leave
OF congress, with only some legal tech
nicalit1es to cover his usurpation, or, even
without such, and that he may, by ma
chinery of deception called war-censor-
ship, keep the people in the dark about
what Is going on; and that into howev-7
er bad mess he may have got the coun-
try, he may count upon the people. as
soon as drop Of blood has been shed, to
uphold the usurpation and to ory down
everybody who opposes it as a traitor"
you conceive more baneful precedent.
more prolific source of danger to the
peace and security Of the country? Can
any sane man deny that it will be all
We drift into a foreign policy full of
temptation for dangerous adventure?
say. therefore, that, If we have the
future of the republic at heart, we must
in its course. because I'VE are in it, but
just because we are in 1t, having been
got into it In such way, the American
people should stamp the Administrations
proceedings with a verdict of disapproval
SO clear and emphatic, and get out of it,
in such a fashion. that this will be a SOL
emn warning to future presidents instead
or seductive precedent
AMERICAN HONOR.
know the imperialists will say that I
have been pleading here for Aguinaldo
and his Filipinos against our republic.
No-not for the Filipinos merely although,
as one of those who have grown gray
in the struggle for free and honest gov
eminent, 1 would never be ashamed to
plead for the cause of freedom and indie
pendenoe. even when its banner is car
RED by dusky. and feeble hands. But L
am pleading for more [ am pleading
for the cause of American honor and
self-respect American interests Ameri-
can democracy--ay, for the cause OF the
ton of our public affairs which has wan
tonly plunged this country into an ini-
auitous war; which has disgraced the re-
pubic by scandaious breach Of faith to
whom We had used as allies; which has
been systematically seeking to deceive
and mislead TIE public mind by the man
ufacture of false news; which has struck
tiona1 government by an executive usur-
patton of the war power; which makes
sport Of the great principles and high
ideals that have been and should ever re-
main the guiding star of our course; ard
which, unless stopped in time, will trans
form this government of The people, for
the PEOPLE, and by the people in o an i'm
perial, government cynically calling Itself
republican, government in which the
noisy worship Of arrogant might will
drown the voice OF right; which will i'm
pose upon the people a burdensone and
demoral:Zing mtlitarism. ard which will
De driven into a policy of wild and rapa-
cious adventure by the INSCRIPTIONS
greed Of the eXplo ter--a policy always IA
tai 20 democracy
plead the cause of the American peo-
pie against all this, and 1 here declare
my profound Conviction that ii this adj
ministration of our affairs We're SUBJ
mitted for Judgment to popular vote on
clear issue, it would be condemned by
an overwhelming majority.