The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-10-21
M'Kinley'S Bad Policy.

At the meeting OF Republican anti
c>pansioasts in Chicago, Prof Albert
III. Tolnlan, OF the local university, de
li>crcd 4 stirring speech and said in
part:
just one important official message
was sent to the Filipinos by this GOV
eminent previous to the outbreak oi
llcs,ilitics at Manila. This was the
| proclamation OF President Mckinley.
dated Dec. 81, 1903. and made public i'll
this country on Jan. 5. 1890 There is
one adjective that will describe this doc
unlcnt fully and fairly. 1t is Il Spanlsl,
proclamation. just such a one as the
I'ilipinos had many times listened to.
| There is the same parade OF bcncvolcn,
purposes and the same tyranncal sub
stance. The natives recognized the doc
u,nent as one OF the kind To which they
were accustomed.
| Not only are the most n-Amcrican
| things present in this proclamation, but
all The most important things that
should have been stated are omitted. 1t
has been we'll said that this document
takes not the slightest notice OF any
rights on the part oi the people OF these
islands except what we are graciously
pleased to grant them. 1t contains no
recognition OF their, long struggle
against Spain, their arduous struggle for
liberty, no recognition OF their long sui
icrings under her rule. M acknowledge
mcnt oi their fitness Tor scll-govcrn
mcnt. no expression OF our desire or
even OF our willingness that they should
govern themselves Mr. Mckinley sim
ply promised the l'ilipinos protection
I'm their personal and religious rights
| aud Il "lul measure Ol individual rights
and liberties" Nothing Is said about
those political rights for which our an
rcstors fought as these people are now
fighting. There is not one word III this
document, not one, which says or sue
gcsts that the I'ilipinos will be permit
ted To have self government AT any time,
either soon or late either as Il right or
as a privilege.
| The indifference and even contempt
which President Mckinley here dis
played toward American ideas and to-
ward the proper aspirations OF brave
people. ! for one cannot forget, and,
politically speaking, cannot forgive. He
| l.. Il
statue in the New York larbor, OF
Liberty cnlightcning the world, into Il
colossal joke. He has made us and our
boastcd ideals the dcrision OF the people
OF Europe. He has caused the nations
OF our own continent to drill armies
and stand guard against the United
States as great free bootcr, watching
to rob them OF their birthright. He
and his councillors have largely thrown
away our finest national posscssion-our
moral influence. He has put into our
history black page which will shame
us forever My humble vote he cannot
have again. The gold OF our coinage
is not so precious to me as the fine gold
oil our history
Hon. Whitclaw Reid. Senator Davis
and Senator Frye, three Of the five
commissioners who made the treaty
with Spain, have defended it heartily on
the ground OF the pccunary and com
mcrcaI- advantages likely to result to
the United States from our possession
OF the Philippines. This has been the
burden of their uttcranccs. The well
fare OF the Filipinos, to say nothing OF
their scli-govcrnmcnt, has not occupied
a prominent place in their thoughts.
Not destiny and duty, but dollars.
The terms OF the Presidents original
proclamation make it plain that We arc
really carrying on in the Philippines a
war against liberty; we arc not simply
restoring order There was no disorder
in Luzon and had been none for months
until our President deliberately de-
mandcd that the Filipinos accept taxa
ton without representation and govern
nlcnt without consent Soon after that
there was disorder in the form OF armed
resistance, and, thank God that there
! yaci II WAC fine for If