The Red Cloud chief., 1899-01-27
Senator Lodges Argument for
Treaty Ratification.
MUST RATlFY OR REJECT IT.
Only Two Things to he Done with tho
Philippines. According to the Massa-
chusotts senator-what Would Folio W
II Treaty Il Rejected.

Mr.. Lodges position upon the for
eign relations committee and his we'll
known antagonism to the expansion
views entertained by his colleague,
Mr.. Hoar, aroused unusual interest in
his address. He spoke in part as fol-
lows:
my own views as to our constitu-
tional rights and powers are simple
and we'll defined and have not been
formed without some study, both of
our constitution and our history. l
believe that the United States has the
undoubted power, which it has fire.
quently exercised, to acquire territory
and to hold and govern It. l am ready
to admit, If necessary, that action in
these directions must be taken for
constitutional purposes. but the con-
stitutionality of the purposes, which
Congress is about to exercise, these or
any other powers must be determined
by Congress itself through its major
ity.
Constitutions do not make people;
people make constitutions. Our con-
stitution is great and admirable, be.
cause the men who made 1t were so,
and the people who ratified 1t and
have lived under it were aud are brave,
intelligent and lovers Of liberty. II
the American people were disposed to
tyranny, injustice and oppression a
constitution would offer only a tempo
rary barrier to their ambitions, and
the reverence for the constitution and
for the law and justice grows out Of
the fact that the American people be-
lieve in freedom and humanity, in
equal justice to all men and in equal
rights before the law, and while they
so believe the great doctrine of the
Declaration of Independence and of
the constitution will never be in peril.
Holding these views as to our con
stitutional powers, the great question
now before the American people re-
solves itself, in my mind, to one Of
policy purely. There is only one
question demanding actual and imme-
date decision now before Congress
and the people, and hat is whether
the treaty with Spain shall be ratified
or not.
Il have heard no opposition ex-
pressed to any part OF the treaty ex.
cept such portions of il as relates to
tho Philippines and that, therefore, is
the sole point upon which i desire to
touch. In our war with Spain we
conquered the Philippine islands, Or
to put it more exactly, we destroyed
the power of Spain in those islands
and took possession of their capital.
The treaty cedes the Philippines to us.
1t is wisely and skillfully drawn. IL
commits III to no policy, to no course
of action whatever in regard to the
Philippines. When the treaty Is rati-
fed we have full power and we are
free to do with those islands as we
please, and the opposition to its ratifi-
cation may be summed up in a single
sentence: That the American people
and the American congresses are not
to be trusted with that power and
with that freedom Of action in regard
to the inhabitants of these distant
islands.
I'VE must ratify the treaty or reject
1t. Suppose we ratify the treaty. The
islands pass from the possession OF
Spain into our possession without com-
hitting us to any policy. [ believe we
can be trusted as a people to deal
honestly and justly with the islands
and their inhabitants.
what our precise policy shall be I
do not know, because for me am not
sufficiently informed as to the condi-
tions there to be able to say what 1t
will he best to do, nor, l may add, do i
think any one il But l believe that
we shall have tho wisdom not to at
tempt to incorporate those islands
with our body polite, or make their
inhabitants part of our citizenship. or
set their labor alongside of ours and
within our tariff to compete In any in
dustry with American workmen. ]
believe that we shall have the courage
not to depart from those islands fear
fully, timidly and unworthily and
leave them to anarchy among them
selves to the brief and bloody domino
ton of some self-constituted dictate,
and to the quick conquest of other
powers, who will have no such hesita'
ton as we should feel in crush
ing them into subsection by very
harsh and repressive methods
1t is for us to decide the destiny of thu
Philippines, not for Europe, and WI
can do it alone and without any assist
ance. l believe that we shall have tn,
, wisdom, the self-restraint and tn
: ability to restore peace and order II
: those islands and give to their peopl
an opportunity for self government
and for freedom under the protecting
shield Of the United States until tn
time shall come when they shall b
able to stand alone, and If they do no
G themselves desire to remain under GU
protection. This is a great and nobl
tssk. believe that American civil
S cation is entirely capable Of ful6llin
G it and | should not have that pre-
found faith which 1 now cherish i