Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-10-27
DEFms TIE CONSTITUTION.
Principles In the SuIu
Affair.

ident Mckinley by the Massachusetts,
republicans in state convention one of
the causes alleged in their platform
for ecstatic admiration of that public
functionaTy is 1.-The tact, the patience,
the skill and the statesmanlike spirit
with which the president has ap-
preached the perpleXing problems arts
ing from the war" Without discuss
ing the spirit in which Mr.. Mckinley
has approached" these problems, which
is altogether a matter of opinion, we
may be permitted to regard the man
ner in which he has solved them, which
is simply matter of fact.
The only one of the problems aris-
ing from the war" which President Nc
Kinley has not only approached" but
actually solved is that of the establish
ment of the United States sovereignty
over the Sulu archipelago, lying to the
southwark of the Philippines proper,
which was included in the purchase for
which we paid S2O,0 100000 to Spain. We
have no possible use for these islands,
of course: they must always be an eX-
pense and nuisance, but Mr.. Mckinley
insisted upon having them, and he has
got them, and he has actually estab-
Hshed sovereignty over them. 1t is the
one completed act of his admnistra-
ton in the adjustment of the new re-
lations of the United States arising
out of the war. 1t is the crown of his
tact, patience, skill and statesman
ship
The esta blishment of the sovereignty
of the United States over the Sulu ar
chipelago has not been made by con-
quest but by diplomacy. The president
has made a treaty, or agreement, or
bargain, with the sultan" of these is
lands. He has pledged the American
people to pay to this magnate an an
nual tribute to keep him quiet, and in
consideration of his acknowledgment
Of the sovereignty" of the United
States. This is cheap enough, in COM
parison with the cost of Mr.. McKiuley's
policy in respect to Aguinaldo in Luzon.
We might buy up and pension the local
posses of all the islands in the China
sea at far less expense than the coun-
try is put to for the maintenance of
Otis authority on a few square miles
about Manila by the force of arms.
But the craftsmanship of President
Mckinley does not stop with the pay
ment of tribute to this yellow monarch:
it includes the guarantee of certain pc
culiar institutions of that country for
which the sultan has great affection.
We may pass over the Mohamedan
tenet of polygamy, with which Mr.. Nc
Kinley has pledged the United States
not to interfere; this is merely mat
ter of morals or sociology. But the
question of slavery is another story.
The thirteenth amendment to the
constitution of the United States de-
clares as follows: Neither slavery
nor involuntary servitude, except as
a punishment fof-crime whereof the
party shall have been duly convicted,
shall exist within the United States, or
in any place subject to their jurisdic-
ton This amendment was pro-
claimed as a part of the organic law of
the republic, December IS, 1865. Pres
ident Mckinley cannot plead ignorance
OF the law Every child in our public
schools knows it by heart, and knows
that wherever the jurisdiction of the
United States extends no man or wom-
an or child can be held in servitude.
Mr.. Mckinley has established, by the
payment of tribute to the yellow po-
ereignty of the United States over these
islands. By the terms of the consti-
tuition under which the president holds
his Office and exercises his authority,
the establishment of that sovereignty
frees every human being held in bond
age on those islands. Mr.. Mckinley
has no right to say that slSvery shall
continue. Whatever he may say can
count no more than the word of the
least of his fellow citizens. The peo-
pie OF the United States have freed
every slave in Sulu. 1t is decrced by
the organic law of the land.
But what has been done by this wise
and patriotic administration" as the
sycophantic republican state conven-
ton styles the Hanna-McKinley syndi-
cate at Washington? A treaty has
been made with the ''sultan" of this
slaveholding territory whereby call
slaves have the right of buying their
freedom at a price to be fixed by dis
interested parties or another may buy
a slaves freedom for him. Such, at
least, is the statement made regarding
the treaty with the sultan of Sulu
effected by Gen. Bates and heralded
as a great diplomatic triumph by the
organs of the administration. If Pres
ident Mckinley has not consented to
this fragrant violation of the constitu-
ton of the United States he cannot too
speedily absolve himself by giving pub
Lefty to the terms of the treaty by
which he has established the sover-
eighty of the United States over SuIu.
There is every reason to believe that
A. ci4 g
Slavery has existed in Sulu from time
immemorial. The slaves are captives
of war, poor debtors and the children
of such unfortunates born while their
parents are in a condition of servitude.
Everyone of these slaves is free to-day
under the constitution of the United