Delaware gazette and state journal., 1899-10-26
An1mper,al,s, orrnn stumpea.

s s
An Imper,aiist orran stumped.
The straits TO which the organs of
imperialism are frequently reduced in
their desperate attempts to justify our
criminal and unlawful war of conquest
and oppression in the Philippines
would be laughable were it not for the
serious nature of the issues involved.
The Philadelphia Record is the
latest OF these organs to make an ex-
hibition of itself in frantic effort to
twist out of hole A correspondent,
Mr. G. V. Wallace of Easton, Pa,
took it to task for its unpatrictic
attitude and asked it some pertinent
questions Among other things, Mr..
Wallace said:
The people of those islands are only
asking what our fathers did in their
contest with Great Britain during our
Revolutionary struggle-the right of
self-government. After q servitude Of
three hundred years under the despntio
rule of Spain, foreign Power, with
heavy taxation and no prospect of
bettering their condition, they at last
rose up in revolt against their task
masters and declared their indie
pendence and established government
for themselves. Shall we now say to
these people--that they were wrong,
that they had no right to do this?
Shall We now, after more than
century, turn around and ignore the
fundamental doctrine, so CLEARLY and
ably set forth in our own Declaration.
of the inalienable rights of men to
life, liberty and the pursuit of hap
pinessY"
In answer to this poser the Record
lamely says:
1t will not do to assume as basis Of
argument that tho title of Spain to the
Philippine Islands was> defective when
they were ceded to the United States.
Her title was as good as the title of
the thirteen colonies at the outbreak
of the Revolution to possession of lands
ON this continent.
Mark the logic of the Record:
Spain's title to the Philippine Islands
was rs good as the title of the thir-
teen colonies at the outbreak of the
Revolution to possession of lands on
this continent. Here is complete
reversal of facts. Had the Record said
that Spain's title was as good as Great
Britain's title to tho American Colonies
at the outbreak of the Revolution, it
would have been correct. The situations
were analogous. Great Britain had the
title of possession to these colonies,
and the people of the colonies revolted
successfully and established their own
| government. SPAN had the title of
possession to the Philippine Islands,
ard the people there, like the fore
fathers Of the American Republic,
entered upon a revolution, with the
object of securing liberty and inde-
pendence, and establishing for them
selves government deriving its just
| powers from the consent of the
governed" !" Have they not as much
right to this form of government as
had the people Of the American
Colonies9 Did they lose this right By
virtue of the payment of $40, coo, 600 TO
Spain by the United States? Suppose
that Great Britain, in 1776, Ind sold
the revolving American Colonies to
Russia for $4,000, 900? Would we
have been subjects of the Gear today,
instead of citizens Of the greatest re-
public in the world?
Squirm as they may. the imperialist
organs cannot escape the analogy be-
tween the situation in this country
during the days of the American Revo-
luton and the situation in the Philin-
pine Islands today. They are identical
they stand upon all-fours. We cannot
continue in the policy that has been
unlawfully thrust upon us by President
Mckinley, in defiance of the Consti.
tuition, without repudiating the solemn
declaration made by the patriots of the
American Colonies at Philadelphia, on
the fourth day of July, 1776.
1t is a matter of regret that a raper
like the Philadelphia Record, won
derful newspaper and one so widely
read and admired by the masses of the
people, should lend its aid to the un.
American policy of imperialism, and
find itself reduced to such pitiable
straits in defence of its unratriotic
course.