The San Francisco call., 1899-09-27
OUR NATIONAL DUI 7.
The Question Of Expansion and Annexation
Of the Philippines.
BY Frank H. Short.
PART I.

II w ROIE ana puDUSDeQ az sum-
length in December, 1885, my views
upon the question Of the propriety'
advantage and expediency of annex
ing the Philippine Islands. At that
time the presumption was that without
force and substantially by their consent
the Philippine Islands and their 1nhaol-
tants could be annexed and become part
of our country practically by the consehC
of the inhabitants, either as moolhea
colonial acquisition or in the shape ol
Territories having in view that they
might ultimately become an integral part
of the United States. The situation as II
now exists is much less favorably viewed
either from a consideration of eXpedlency
or right and justice.
While the San Francisco Chronicle oc-
cupies the position of advocating that
the islands shall be annexed as Ierrl-
tories and prospective States, no other
great journal and no leading statesman
has taken this position. So this one paper,
being quite alone in its advocacy OF state
hood and citizenship for the Philippines,
ii is fair to assume that the question Is
now one of granting them independence
or annexing them for colonial purposes
in one form or another.
Since my former article an open rupture
has occurred between this country ana
the islands and a continued and aggres-
present situation is one where we nave
purchased the islands and their lnhaplt-
ants from Spain and are prosecuting
war TO enforce our dominion ana SOW
ereignty, so called, over them. lhs at
tempt is evidently quite as mucn against
their consent and will as was the attempt
of King George to continue MS SOW
ereignty over our colonies, ana thelr op-
position is apparently more unanimous
the Philippines apparently nothing cor
responding to the Tory party IN thls
country during the Revolution.
The maintenance of the position FORM
erly taken upon this question is more EN-
barrassing than at the time OF my FORMER
article upon this subject, for the reason
that at this time we are engaged III an
actual and more or less important war IA
which it becomes the duty OF every cltl-
zen. whatever his view may be OF the
real right or wrong of the controversy,
to give his support TO the GoVeTninehs
and the al and maa navy believe G n and does
believe that the controversy ana tne war
are unnecessary and the ENDS soughl are
unjust. There is very raalcal az anu u IN I'M
proper disposition TO confound such po-
sition and to undertake to hold ali per
sons in opposition TO the pohcy upon tiie
grounds of morality ana eXpeaIency d.. ~ "a
opposition to their own Government ana
its army and navy. The further unpleas-
ant complication is that by reason OF M Mlts
responsible position in CONNECTION WIN
the Philippine question the RepuDHcdn
party is more or less committed IN ao-
vance to the policy of annexaton4 tne
continued prosecution of the war ana the
further policy of continued domination
over the occupation of these Islands; TINS
latter policy or question being the one
obviously material at this time;
The position L occupy IN TINS contro-
yersv is one common with many others
much more prominent in the history and
counsel of the Republican party than u l.
claim to be. 1t is therefore OF sufhclently
general application to be stated that L
have 10 political connections, past, pres
ent or. prospective, with any party other T
than the Republican party. L believe that
its policies and principles as mtherto
maintained and carried out have been for
the continued advancement and pros,
perty of the country along constltutlonai
and fundamental lines. As founded by
Lincoln and his compatrlots II was essen,
TALLY party of equal rights and civil
ditions; as matured and subsequently
carried on by Blaine and his adherents,
the party is one having equal respect
its first and foremost principle the doc
trine of protection and reciprocity, the ad-
vantages of internal development and
trade as compared with foreign trade ana
its CONSEQUENT necessary dependence upon
international peace and foreign support
TO these policies of the Republican party
l have given my most candid ana T. unall
vided allegiance, have always given 1t ana
now give it the presumption Oh pelng
right. unless obviously wrong.
We have always been taught that ex-
cessive party spirit and zeal is dangerous
to civil liberty and the continuance or re-
publican institutions. The predominance
of such q spirit is illustrated hy the pres. res;
ent situation. There can be little question
that if Mr. Bryan had been elected, II the
war had been prosecuted and his admin
istration had adhered to the poilcy OF the
present administration in all of its details,
the majority of the Democratic party would
have been carried with it and would have
now been arrayed on the SIDE OF expan5,
sion; while the Republican party would
have been in practically united opposition.
This is more plainly true when we come
to consider that the acquisition OF foreign
territory and the furtherance of foreign
commerce means an ultimate and ineVlt-
able destruction of the doctrine or protec-
ton; therefore the Republican party is
naturally the opponent OF the policy or
expansion. and if there could be any nat
ur9i support of the policy Its support
could come and come. alone from the
branch of the Democratic party ultra free
trade and gold standard So the fortunes
of war and of politics have placed the
Republican party where nothing but party
enthusiasm and supposed party loyalty
could have placed it. 1t is the spirit of
party dominating not only the national pol
Icy of the country, but actually subvert-
ing the fundamental principles OF the
party itself.
So that / may not be misunderstood
desire to say that wtile stand in un-
changeable opposition to the policy of ex-
pansion or imperialism, whichever 1t may
be called. I do so wholly within and as
member Of the Republican party. and
with no thought of allegiance or alliance
with any other party. Every party has
many principles and it Is hardly possible
that member of independent mind could
give full support to every varying prin-
ciple of his party. In this instance the
principle involved is of such overshad-
owing Importance that fealty and loyalty
TO party does not in my judgment. and
could not. mean silence or acquiescence
The policy cannot be the policy of the Re-
publican party until it. in it's representa-
tive capacity and in convention has so
declared. When this event has transpired
as 1t plainly may and probably will. while
I cannot and do not expect to give any
countenance or support to the policy and
shall labor as far as I can to assist in re-
versing it, overthrowing 1t and defeating it,
/ shall nevertheless do so as member of
and within the Republican party. labor
ing not for the destruction of my party
but for its return to those principles that
thus far have proved sufficient in every
trial not only sustaining the party but
advancing the prosperity of the country;
fully realizing In the meantime however
that any party usefulness will be i'm
paired and that in order to stand by and
advocate what conscientiously believe. I
shall be misunderstood by my political
| friends. and that all political preferment
If ever thought of, must be abandoned
and laid aside.