The labor world., 1899-04-01
Ten Reasons
Senator HOar Ens Grave Fears
For the Republic If the Philip
pines Are Held. 3G
LETTER bearing date of Feb

LETTER bearing date Of Feb.
II 4, has just peen made public;
a written by !, Senator Hoar Of
Massachusetts,, in answer to an invita-
tion to speak at a pubic meeting upon
the question of why the Philippines
should not be held. In acknowledging
the letter he says: ts n.
II do not think there is any reason per
scEal to me for holding such q, public {
meeting. Undoubtedly there should he
and there will be many public meetings
the country over to protest against
trampling under foot the right Of q brave
people struggling for their liberties. the &
violations Of the principles Of our own
constitution and Of the declaration Of In
dependence, and the continuance BY tn q 1
American people in the costly and fuinous
path which has Thought other republics
to ruin and shame, which will dishonor
labor, place intolerable burdens upon ag-a
riculture, and fasten upon the republic
tile shame of what President Mckinley
has so lately and SO truthfully declared
to be criminal aggression. But I think 1
it will be wiser to have meetings Of that
character little later rather than just
now. We do not yet know whether the2S
presen war for the subjugation OF the
people Of the Philippines is to continue In 81
definitely or whether there j Is to be a i
speedy submission to the Overwhelming
power of the United States. II the wa.
shall shortly be ended, we shall then ne b
able, to discuss the question of our ma
tional duty free of the disturbing inf
ences which exist at always when the 4
country Is at war. If, on the other hand,
the war shall long and indefinitely con- 8
tinue, the people will begin to feel the;
burden of increased debt and increased
taxation, the loss Of life and health ot 4
oIr youth and the arrangement Of trado
and peaceful Industry z
After quoting some personal experiences
growing out Of his position, Senator Hoar
says: r a5
'The blood Of the slaughtered Filipinos
the blood and the wasted health and life u
Of our own soldiers, is upon the heads sf q
these who have undertaken to buy q PEG -s
pie in the market like sheep or to treat
them as lawful prize and booty Of war,
to impose government on them with -iss
out their consent and to trample under
fcot not only the people OF the Philip-
pine Islands, but the principles upon 81
which the; American republic Itself rests s.
Continuing, Senator Hoar refers tos;the
pledges Of the country toward Cuba and
the presidents declaration that any Other
conduct on our part would have been
criminal aggression" !" and continues: Il
"rhe law of righteousness and Justice
on which the great and free American
people should act and IN the end, ain VI
sure, will act. depends not upon parallcis f
o. latitude and meridians of longitude or B
points Of the compass. It Is the same ycs-s
terday, today and forever. It Is true nov
as when our fathers declared it in 11.6 II I'll
is as binding upon William Mckinley to-
day as it was upon George Washington u
or Abraham Lincoln. The only powars
Of government the American people can 1
recognize are just powers, and those pow.
ers rest upon the consent or the governed.
: No man during this whole discussion
has successfully challenged and no mas
will successfully challenge:
''First, the affirma tion that under tim
Of the United States the ac-
QUESTION Of territory, as of other, prop.
arty is not a constitutional end but only
4 means to a constitutional end, and that
while%the making Of new states and pro-
v.ding national defense are consti-
tutional ends so that we may acquire and
and hold territory for those purposes the
governing Of subject peoples is not q con. az e
;t1,f
fore no constitutional warrant for .ac-
luiring and holding territory for that pur
pose. ~ AS
Second, that to leave our own countrs,
to stand on foreign soil Is in violation OF =
the warnings Of our fathers and Of the
farewell address Of Washington.
Third, that there was never tropical
country governed with any tolerab;e
success without system Of contract La
Dor.
Fourth, the trade advantages OF the
Philippine islands, If there be any, mus
Do opened alike to all the world, and that
Du. share of them will never begin to
pay the cost Of subjugating them by war
or holding them In subjugation in peace.
Fifth, that the military occupation OF
these tropical regions must be kept at an
immense cost both to. the souls and ihe
bodies of our soldiers.
Sixth, that the declaration as to Cuba
by the president and by congress applies T
with stronger force to the case Of the
Philippine islands.
Seventh, that Aguinaldo and his fol-
overs, before we began to make war upon
them, had conquered their own Territory
and independence from Sapin, with the
ea ception of a single city, and were get 4
licn.
Eighth, that while they are fighting
Tor freedom and independence and the
doctrines of our fathers, we are fighting
,Introl and govern another In spite OF its
'esistance and against it's will.
Ninth, that the language and argumen.
i those who object to this war are, with
'ut change, the language and argumenl
# Chatham, of Fox, of Burke, of Barra,
# Camden and of the English and Amer
can wings, and the language and argu-
ncnt of those who support it is the lan-
'rase and argument of George Ill, ,,f
lord North Of Mansfield, of Wedderburn
Continued ON Page -.