The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-02-25

his seat and there within the shadow of the
monument of Bunker Hill, where Warren
fell fighting for liberty, and within a stones
| throw OF Faneuu Hall. where time and again
the true sons of the old Bay State have sent
forth to the country their messages of free
dom. he delivered perhaps the most remark,
able, certainly the most distinguished address
that ever fell from the lips of an American
president
This address, divested of Its verbiage con-
sidered apart from its platitudes and the
ostentatious profession of virtue with which
II was interlarded. was nothing more nor
less than carefully devised and studious
misstatement Of the issue between the chief
executive and those OF his own party who
are opposed to his wretched policy in the
philippines. 1t was effort to befog the
| subject and to mislead the public judgment.
SURFACE PIETY.
We are told that this address was
received with enthusiastic applause by those
| who heard 1t. but we who read 1t In cold
print, in the light of the indefenstble tragedy
| now being enacted near the shores of ASIA
| involuntarily think of that creation of Charles
| Dickens who was accustomed to roll his eyes
| piousy to heaven and exclaim with great
| ostentation to those about him My friends
| let US be moral and who was the father of
| two daughters, of whom he named Char
! ity and the other Mercy.
His excellency declared upon this occasion
| If not in so many words at least in effect
| that he had never entertained any policy
with respect to the Philippines up to the time
| the treaty OF peace was ratified; but that he
| had simply held them as commander chief
| the questions as to their disposition and con-
| troll to be determined thereafter by congress-
| II the chief executive really feels as he
| declared at the banquet, that the disposition
| he Dnip fca r.,
|. by congress, why does he not call a special
session of congress to settle the matter at
| once and then keep his hands off. He knows
cnere is need OF action. If he is sincere why
| md he permit his supporters in the senate
| to vote down, the other day the Bacon ressolu-
| ton, which distinctly declared that the Unit
| ed States entertained intention of perm
| anently holding these Islands. Why did he
insist that the McEnery resolution should be
| passed; q resolution which is a fraud a
| deiusion and a snare. a shameful evasion
| which. like Christmas tree had something
upon it for everybody. That resolution is
| intended simply to quiet the conscience of
! the American people, to luI all opposition to
| sleep, while the president goes ahead waging
| relentless and merrless war against the
| tlllpinos, and lying deep and secure the
foundations for permanent American colony
POLICY IS A CRIME.
! l am determined that the president shall
| neither befog the issue between himself and
those Of the party who oppose his Philippine
| policy nor mislead the public judgment nor
! shirk the responsibility for the gross official
| blunders which he has committed in connec-
| ton with this great problem. insist that the
| whole policy is not simply an error but that
it is crime, and that the chief executive
of this nation IS the one who has precipitated
! ey,ah hq
! culties by which we are now confronted
| l insist that he did not simply hold the
| Philippines commander-In-chief, leaving
| the question Of the disposition and control
| OF them to congress- but that he formulated
| and put into execution an affirmative and ag-
| gressive policy, that OF their permanent an
nexatlon to this country, and forced 1t
through the senate with all the powers of
! influence which his high office enabled him
to employ.
The presidents first impression was to
demand of the Filipinos simply coaling sta
| uon, measure amply sufficient for all of
our legitimate purpose. and the evacuation
OF the island by Spain without a compensa-
ton by the taxpayers of the United States
| Had he adhered to this all would have been
| we'll. The whole Union would have followed
| him cheerfully, and today we would have been
| at peace with the Philippine republic; our
afny ana navy. Wnlch Is now Waging war
| against our former friends and allies, would
| have been disbanded. No army bill for a
standing army of 100000 men would have
been needed. and we could now be getting
| greatly increase the burden of our taxation
| greatly incrase the burdn of our taxation
But the president committed fatal error.
| He wrote into that treaty the absolute trans
| fer OF Spanish sovereignty over the Philip
pines TO ourselves and the payment of So
/ 0tO.000 as consideration for the cession.
Then he issued to the people of the Philip-
pines that proclamation in which he inform
ed them that the United States had succeed
ed to the title of Spain, declared that the
government and control of their territory be-
longed to US. ordered them to pay their taxes
to the military government which he estab-
lished over them, and blandly made known
to them that our mission in their midst was
one of benevolent assimilation The presi-
dent drove the treaty through the senate by
unlimited exercise of all those powers and
influences which the great Office he holds
makes possible.
BID FOR POPULARITY.
What then did the chief executive mean nv
| telling those who gathered around the bane-
1uI board at Boston that up to the ratifica-
ton OF tho treaty he had simply held the
PnlEpplnes as commander-in-chief withou,
any policy OF his own, leaving the whole mat
ter to be determined afterward by the con-
gress? Was he foolish enough to believe
that his mere statement would be allowed to
pass unchallenged? Was he vain enough to
suppose that his ipse dixit would conclude
the matter with the damning proof Of its
falsity SO near at hand?
Mr. Chairman, why did the president
change his original intention as to the terms
to be incorporated into the treaty? What
were the influences that brought the change
about? l have heard it stated that the ap-
plause of the people who greeted him lust
about this juncture of public affairs while
he was on his tour in the West was the rea-
son for it. Was it then the condition OF
public sentiment rather than the right or
wrong of the matter which Influenced the
presidential mind?
Does the chief executive regard his great
preregative to be so supinely representative
that he must needs abdicate them at every
popular wind that blows? Does he feel thai
his high office gives him no latitude for the
exercise of individual Judgment and of in
dependent action? Did he make no allow
ance for transient ebullftions OF public en-.
thusiasm and excitement, overlook his oppor.
tunity to save the people from themselves lose
sight Of all the sacred traditions of the couu-
try and fear to make his appeal to that uIti-
mate tribunal which has so often in our ma
tional history vindicated those who have fear
lessly stood for the right in public affairs
| the sober, second thought of the great Amer
lean people.
And is his excellency quite sure that he
properly gauged the condition Of the public
mind on the subject of Philippine annexa-