Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1899-11-10
STRANGE LArsr OF MEMonr.
Presld ent McKInicy's talk About
Acquiring Territory Through
Providence.

pStu Il uIAIe more CAESiul III MS ISdI
platform speeches on his car tour
through the country. He made a
serious break in his talk at Cedar
Falls. Ia.
After saying that since he was last
in Iowa we have added some terri.
tory. meaning the Philippines he con-
tinuej:
Il believe, my fellow citizens, that
this territory came 10 Us Ill the piovi-
dence OF Cod. We did not seek it.
Ii is ours with all the responsibilities
that belong to IT; aud rs a great,
strong, brave nation We mean to meet
them and we mean 20 carry out u
education and and onr civilization
there
II bens very early in lie morning,
possibly the President WAS not quite
awake, or surely he would have re-
membered the letter written the other
day 10y Judge Day, III the interest OF
his friend, the President, Tor effect
on the Ohio election.
Judge Day made no preteDse that
tue Philippine territory zane &c us
but III distinctly declared tina; We did
seek it. Our i,rccs had not captured
it, and 1T 10 time held more than the
bay Of Mauila and q small part of the
land adjoining. While the peace ne
gotiatIons were in progress at Paris.
with Judge Day Is chief agent for
tee President. Uo hint Was given
Tor some time that we wanted the
Philippine, OF more than 4 small bit
of territory il We wanted my. The
proposition when az last made took
the SPsuiards 10y sa.rriau and obey
protested vigorously.
Then Judge Day made an offer Of
$4,000, go Tor the entire group and.
still protesting vigorously against
being forced to sell, the Spanish com
mssiouers finally consented to tie
deal. Here is the judges own Ian
guaGe in his campaign letter.
Our proposal at Paris embodied
the concessions which for the sake OF
immediate peace the American gov
meut WAS willing TO make. There
was doubtless other reasons a~cuating
the commissioners in making the pro.
posais.
1T was not claimed that the United
States had q rigni to the Philippines
as a matter Of conquest. The United
States has never undertaken go far as
| know, TO vrest from 4 foreign coun-
Try lands az possessions simply by
right % conquest. Had We b, en- dis
posed to do 50. it must be remember
cd that We were in possession Of tie
the city, bay and harbor Of Manila
unde. tile protocGl of August II, 1888
The capturc after the signing of the
protocol, Whatever It's legal effect
may have been included no more
territory atan sc were entitled to
hola under the PROTOCOL
The otIer was made partly for the
sake q: immediate peace. but there
were doubtless other reasons actual
ing the commissioners III making pro.
pofals.7 Very likely, Judge Day, as
one OF the commissioners and recog.
nized rs the immediate confidential
agent Of the President, knows all
about those other reasons, though he
may not deem it advisable to tell
But here is the fact clearly stated
in his letter. The territory did not
10 us IN the providence OF God
without seeking it. On the contrary
it was not III our keeping. we had not
won it, it was still the property OF
Spain to hold. Or sell or give away.
Mckinley desired il and
commissioners made a bid for it.
will be remembered that at the
1t was distinctly declared that
every step taken by the commission
era at Paris was directed from Wash.
and that the President Was
-the whole thing Ia tie transaction.
When the Spanish commissioners be.
indignant at the proposition.
they were told that they must sell
and that they could not get a raise Of
another dollar on the bid.
1t is strange that President Nc.
should have forgotten these
circumstances and Judge Day's letter
detailing diem when he told the pcUs
pie OF Cedar Fails that the Phlip.
PINES came 70 us III the providence OF
God and without u seeking IT. But
1t was very early in Tie morning and
the President hal not cleared bis
ininu wits his morning coffee
Cleveland Plain Dealer.