La Junta tribune., 1899-02-25
N,KINLEY's POLICY.
rs OPPOSED TO IMPERIALISM.
PAnipp,s.s-rhe Quilted States Has =
High Aiasion.

Boston. Feb. l6-President William
Mckinley arrived In Boston to-day to
he the guest of the Home Market Club
at banquet in his honor at Mechanics
Hall.
Messrs. Long. Alger, Bliss, Gage
and Smith of his Cabinet, accompan-
ief him, together with Congressman
Grosvenor of Ohio.
The arrival Of the Presidential train
at the South terminal station at 10
O'Clock was the occasion OF Il great
ouiburst OF enthusiasm from the ihous-
ands OF citizens who lined the streets
on the line of the procession TO the
hotel The remainder of the day after
the arrival at the hotel was spent in
Iuietude by the President until 4:1o.
wsyn he was escorted to Mechanics
Hall to participate in the reception and
banquet of the Home Market Club.
1t was the largest banquet ever ar
ranged in this country, the exact num-
ber Of persons who We're served being
1.914. Besides there We're fully 3.SoO
spectators in the balconies.
The President In his address. which
was the leading feature of the occa-
SUN. tOOh ottAsloh " eAI IicSs lis NsS" :
on the question of expansion. He said:
Every great act In the progress of
the war, from Manila to Santiago,
from Guam to Porto Rico. met univer-
sal and hearty commendation. The
protocol commanded the practically
unanimous approval of the American
people. II was welcomed by every
lover OF peace beneath the flag.
'.The Philippines, like Cuba and Por-
TO Rico. were intrusted to our hands
by the war. and TO that great trust,
upSer the province OF God and in the
name Of human progress and ciyiliza-
tion. we are committed. 1t is trust
we have not sought; 1t is a trust
from which we will not finch. The
American people will hold up the
hands of their servants at home TO
whom they commit its execution. while
Dewey and Otis and the brave men
whom they command will have the
support OF the country in upholding
our flag where 1t now floats, the SYM
Dol and assurance of liberty and JUS
tice.
What nation was ever able to write
an accurate program of the war upon
which 1t was entering, much less de-
cree in advance the scope of its re-
suits? Congress can declare war, but
higher power DEGREES its bounds and
fixes It's relations and responsibilities.
The President can direct the move
ments of soldiers on the field and
fleets upon the sea. but he cannot fore
see the close of such movements or
prescribe their limits. He cannot an
ticlpate or avoid the consequences but
he must meet them. No accurate map
OF nations engaged in war can be
traced until the war is over, nor can
tiAa measure Of responsibility be fixed
till the last gun is fired and the ver-
dict embodied in the stipulations of
peace.
I'VE hear no complaint of the rela-
tions created by the war between this
government and the islands of Cuba
and Porto Rico. There are some, how
ever, who regard the Philippines as in
n different relation; but whatever va
r&ty OF views there may be on this
phase of the question, there Is uni
versal agreement that the Philippines
shall not be turned back to Spain. No
true American consents to that. Even
II unwilling to accept them ourselves.
II would have been n weak evasion of
manly duty to require Spain to trans
fer them to some other power or pow
ers and thus shIrk our own RESPONSE
bility Even II we had had, as we did
spt have, the power to compel such a
transfer. 1t could not have been made
without the most serious international
complications.
'.Such n course could not be thought
Of. And yet, had we refused to ac-
cept the cession of them we should
for their own good. We could not dis
charge the responsibilities upon us un-
til these islands became ours. either
by conquest or treaty. There was but
one alternative. and that was either
Spain or the United States in the
Philippines.
The other suggestions showed first
that they should be tossed into the
arena for the strife of nations. or. Sec
Ond, be lost to the anarchy and chaos
n no protectorate at all. were too
shameful to be considered. The
treaty gave them to the United States.
Could we have required less and done
our duty? Could we. after freeing the
Philippines from the domination Of
apain, have left them without govern
ment and without power to protect
life and property or to perform the in
ternational obligations essential to an
independent state? Could we have
- irft them in n state Of anarchy and
justified ourselves In our own con-
sciences or before the tribunal Of man
kind? Could we have done that In the
sight Of God and man?
.Our concern was not for territory
or trade or empire. but for the people
whose interests and destiny. without
our willing 1t. had been put In our
hands. 1t was with this feeling that
from the first day to the last not one
word or line went from the executive
sA Washington to our military and ma
val commanders Mt Manila or to our
peace commissioners Mt Paris that did
not put as the sole purpose to be kept
IN mind first. after the success of our
prms and the maintenance OF our own