The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1899-06-07
INIT I" SAYS
232J MURRAY.
In Answer to a Question on Ex-
boon pansiOn. u
We Should Not Retain the PhliIl-
I.T pines.

YtHN6s
At banquet given by the Young
Mems Democratic Club, at Louisville,
Wednesday night, c |. d. r. Murray. in
response to the toss', SHOULD We retain
the Philippine" spoke as follows:
Mr. Toast Master, &c ntlemen The re
Is not a man in this sudiencs whose
head will not lie in death before this
question and its resu Is are settled.
The subject involves the questions for
us to kolve-conquc Of, or succor to,
struggling people, Imperislitm or Dem
ocracy, liberty or srFjugatiOD.
In discussing thit question we must
consider the consti utlonaliiy ri it, the
justice OF it, the tc)i omy Of it. know
that it may now bs'considered too late
to ditcues the con- nationality of this
question, or perhaps any other. The
instrument is, to slme, effete, and it
seems to have lost it, power and author
ity when it stands IN the way OF the &C.
accomplishment of tie designs end pur-
poses Of certain classes and conditions Of
men, but becomes powerful and impreg-
nabls %hen appealt / TO by them in the
behalf If their ends or aims.
will not discuss ne constitutionality
of the retention OF the PHILIPPINE Islands
further than to remark that il it be one
of the inherent powers Of TINS govern.
ment to conquer and hold the territory,
il is certainly power not thought OF by
the fathers who formed and adopted that
instrument They surely never dreamed
of the right, or even the desire, to subju-
late foreign people and hold their terri
tory. THOSE who fought for Ibis rty and
for freedom did not think while doing 30
that they were leaving iDgrafted in their
government the power, either expressed
or implied, to entlage or subjueaGe eth
err.
The relation that the Flipinos will
bear to us and to our government after
they are conquered is question that no
one has yet answered, and those who adj
yocate the doctrine Of expansion have
never, even in their silent 81 II commnn-
ion, dared to form an opinion on this
point. They will appeal in vain, il in
Booth they appeal &C all, to the fathers
for the solution. They who wrote and
spoke in the formation of our govern
ment wrote and spoie only OF a govern
ment by and with the consent oil the
governed.
Amy other idea is horribly repugnant
to the spirit of our institutions. The
subjugation Of the Indian may be ex-
cused on the idea that they are within
our own borders AID selfpressrvation
n quired it. The annexation Of Cuba
may be apologiz FIR by reason of the
fact of its proximity to us, ano that it
was our duty to int, fere for the protec-
ton of Its citizens, and that we should
hold the island as bulwark and protec-
ton from foreign inv sion.
None of these ret sons apply to the
philippines, and tn ir retention could
only be an exercist Of power over
weaker people again their consan and
without excuse or apology. Taking them
from Spain was riglL Buying them
fIom Spain was wro g. Dewey's shells
into the fleet which uarded Ma lila and
his occupation Of Ma lila as Spar ish ter
ritoTy were acts in the crippl ng and
conquering OF power with wi ich we
were at war. The taellinG of tue Fill
pinOs is, l fear, pr ting to de ath the
spirit OF rs, there I'd here. fol which
our ancestors fought at Concord and
Bunker Hill. ADM that was anxious
to see Spanish blood spilled for She pro-
lection Of the Cuban, was willing to see
the Spaniard fall to give freedom to the
Filipinos, but I am unwilling to see the
blood of the Filipin q flow at tile hand
of the American soldiers in the iubjuga-
ton of that people. God Almie hty will
not bless the .posterity of an ancestry
who fought for fire., dom and liberty if
that posterity seeks to enslave or Cypress
Others.
The cODqueriDg OF the FilipinOs will
mot satiate the spirit Of conquest, and
when II finds no more FilipiDol to con-
quer IL may find p, ople at home over
whom to assert its power. and thus will
the spirit Of liberty and Of freedom 6ud
foe and its victims in our own borders.
The question of the Capability of the
FilipinOs for self government need not
be discussed when the permanent reten-
ton Of their territory is intended. We
will be compelled TO exerciAg the func.