The Portland daily press., 1899-10-19

~ mo 70 rule themselves anu promi5-
1g 10 recognise the government OF their
Ter isordsr 10 taose islands,
Is any man ready to say OF the finest
arm las the world ever 80 y that they
have been unable IL all these months Of
costly warfare to suppress an insizEiu-
cant upIi Jag OF few anil ious leaders
who ara iookej upon even by their own
countrymen rs dreaded tyrantsg Ia there
any man so BIZ -ded by parlisansbip as to
bell we that the management Of the war
could possibly have been so incompetent
as thats II the majority of the Ri irinos
dread IA Tagal tyranny and look to us rs
thei. deli serers. why do they not enlist
IN large numbers to help us save them
from their enemissq We have heard OF
Agui 1aldo and his rebels. Why have we
heard nothing OF Artacho and his patti
otsl 1t Is sail that Aguinsldo does not
represent the wealth Of the Islands. l can
see how that would seem unpardonabls
IN the eyes of a Clique viii ah represents
nothing but wealth. The argument that
the war IL j1sti led Iecausa Agui1aldo
does not represent bis people, is an argu-
ment with q double edge. / suspect that
the man who il wiling TO lead forlorn
hope aeaiust 3 iyanii1 odds la defence OF
the Declaraiion of Independence l. clnsfr
to the hearts Of the Amsrioan people and
more representative Of their remit ments
than those who tell us that the constisu-
i1ln IL no longer worth oi scussinR' and
tnat II IL time we werl learning the abb
surely OF the p,i,ei pie for which the
men OF bunker hill and Valley Forge
gave their ives.
"But suppose Il b, ADMITTED that the
III iao people have feish In Aguinaldo
anu dai 3 their Independence. sin it
Is stii that they are rot tit for self gov
ernment and aftsr csntuIi8s OF dark
ness, the full Iiyht of liberty would
bii nd them; that to give them their indie
pendsnce now would be to dsliver them
up TO anarchy; but that after q genera
ton or so OF benevolent tutslage they
may be given their liberty with some
hope OF retaining 1t. We do not question
thu sincsfity of those who take this po-
sitlon, though, as Macaulsy suggested,
to tell people that they may have their
freedom when they are fit to use Ii Is
like telling Toy that he may learn TO
swim, but warning him not to go near
the water. How can we tell when a
people are ft for freedom Why, sir, when
they will die foi 1t.
But SUPPOSE that In the end larger
degree OF freedom would come TO their
people by nrst recognizing our fovereign-
ty. Then 1t would be hest for them TO
submit. And those who are sincerely IN
terested In their welfare woulr hope that
they would submit. but IL they refuse,
have We right at the point of the
bayonet to force them against their Will
to take the course which we believe to be
for their best gcolf Does our responsi.
bility end when We have exhauste every
peacsful meanse II they were encroach-
Ing upon our liberties it would be leRi-
innate for us to resist them by force II
necessary. But have we a right to murder
them because they are not as good to
themselves as we think they ought tn be?
That Is power that God Almighty has
net dare to exercise over human SOUL
Mhen We deny to n people t1e right to
detsrmine in freedom what their life
shall be, we subvert the const.tu ton of
nature and substitute our ways for the
ways OF God. What right have we to
compel people to act contrary TO thsir
wish In matters width are their own
concernP What right but the right of
mightl What right but ths divine right
of kings. Away with these savage
wars Of peace
During Rev. Bigelow's speech sssa-
ton was caused by stylishly dressed wo
man who arose in the audience and extend
ing her gioved hand toward the American
flag which hung suspended over the
speaker, exclaimed, "Iake down that
dag. Don't disgrace it any longer" She
was hurried from tho hall by friend and
as she left the building she refused to
give her name but said she was the sister
of one soldier, daughter OF another and
wife OF another, all If them now lighting
in the Philippines.
A declaration of principles was sub
mitted by the resolutions committee and
unanimously adopted. 1t denounced the
policy of Imperialism as hostile to liber-
ty; rs unconstitutional; and as tending
toward militarism.
The policy OF the present national ad-
ministratlon Is condemned and the imme-
diate cessation of the Phillip inc war de-
M anded.
Continuing. 1t says:
1--WE propose to contribute to the defeat
OF any person CT party that stands for the
forcible subiugation of any people. We
shall oppose for reelection all who in the
American liberty in pursuit of un Anne
rican ends We shall hope thai both our
great political parties win support and
defend the declaration of independence in
the closing campaign of this century,"
The declaration closes with an invita-
ton for the cooperation of "all men and
women who remain loyal TO the Deolara-
tlon of Independence and Constitution
of the United States
The last adurefs of the afternoon was
made by Prof. Shorey of TIE Chicago
university.
The meeting came to clcs, tonight,
Hon. Bourke Cochran CT New York deliv-
ering the grafton of the evening. The
hall was fllad and the remarks of the
orator were greeted with approval. MIR.
Cochran based his objection TO the policy
of the government on the broad ground
that one people had no right to force a
government on another. He discussed
the question in a dispas 'ionats manner,
claiming that there were many PERSONS
why the United States shoul hold the ISL
ands. but{no reason why 1t should attempt
to fcr,e upon any people a form of gov
eminent to which that people objected.
The conference adjournei at the cen
olusion of Mr., Cockran's address, those
In nhar~o ho ,,,oattn~