Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1899-06-02
,PTRTT OF THE PRESS
ACTS AND OPINIONS GATHERED
FROM CONTEMPORARIES.
IS STILL AN OPEN DUES ION.

Il
ELAPSED, the time will have arrived for
calm dispassionate discussion If the an
exation question, in the estimation of a
Washington correspondent, who says
heretofore there has really been no OPP
ortunity for this discussion without any
rite of the administration policy lay
hg himself open to charges which it was
OF pleasant to bear. While the war
With Spain was in progress it seemed a
art of good citizenship to leave the
Management of campaigns and of con-
uered provinces with the executive
authorities when the peace treaty was
efore the senate there seemed little else
% do than to ratify it. 1t was argued,
nd quite reasonably, that the time for
discussing the Philippine problem had
OF arrived; that we should accept the
reatv, which would remove Spain from
he calculation, and then as domestic
problem settle the Philippine question
mong ourselves.
But even then the time for this discus
ion and settlement did not arrive. The
outbreak in the Philippine Islands, which
began before the day the treaty was rati-
led and has continued up to this date,
rave the administration quite as strong a
Flrcumstantial backing in the minds of
he American people as did the existence
bf the war with Spain or the necessity of
accepting treaty of peace. 1t has on all
ides been declared unpatriotic to encour-
hge the Instruction by any discussion.
Wait until we have restored order and
hen we will discuss the disposition and
settlement of the Philippine question, has
been the virtual request of the admins
ration to the American people. This re-
huest, public sentiment has, with some
striking exceptions, acceded to. The
American people, as a whole, have been
keeping quiet, awaiting a restoration of
order under the American flag, when the
Philippine question could properly
become one for free and open discus
Zion.
For some weeks it has been evident
hat separation in the public mind was
going on between "sustaining the adj
ninistration" and approving the annex
alton policy. Hundreds of men have
freely declared that they were in favor
bf forcibly restoring order in the Philip
pines, not seeing what else could be done
bow that we had got into the affair, but
hat they were against the permanent
retention of those islands. In the same
way, thousands of good citizens favored
the ratification of the treaty. as a
heces sary peace measure. while eX-
pressing their desire at some future time
@ be rid of the acquisitions made under
hat treaty. If any tendency has been
marked in the last four months, it is
IN increasing disposition to regard the
sustaining of the administration as one
thing, and the approving of annexation
hs quite another. If the Philippine war
S now over the two-sided aspect of this
question will have vanished, and an
hexation can be discussed simply and
alone. This discussion is now beginning
in dead earnest. Nor has the delay of
the past few months been unfortunate.
1T has postponed the real Philippine
debate until the first hysteria of the
Spanish war was over, ard the American
people could measure more calmly the
losses and gain involved in the proposed
transaction. No one doubts that the
country is much better able to decide
today whether it permantly wants the
Philippine islands than it was in 1.-THE
tumult and the shouting" of last year
There is much evidence that the annex
alton policy is not so popular as it APP
peared six months ago. A number of
very considerable interests, as well as
beliefs, have discovered themselves. 1t
has been found that good-sized body OF
northern Republicans are in general sym
pathy with Speaker Reed, Senator Hoar
Senator Edmunds and the conservative
leaders. Many of these republicans were
not at first heard, because they were moi
in the front rank of the party organza
ton; they were not machine men, they
were neither holding public Office moi
looking for it; they spoke in many in
stances with difiidence, and hesitated tC
take a position in opposition to wha
seemed the general trend of their party
But now that the smoke of battle Il
clearing away, persons of this class arr
found to be very strong, and tina
strength is sure TO show itself in the party
organization, which was at first STAN
peded for annexation. 1t is also eviden
that the so-called party workers have
gone a great deal further toward impe
rialism than President Mckinley himself
who is charged with founding the new
policy. The president still declares him
self uncommitted, and awaiting the ad
vice of the Philippine commissioners, ant
these commissioners he has instructed t
study the problem from its very begin
ming. If the substantial element of re
publican voters make it known that the
are not expansionists, the enthusiasm G
the ''party workers" will be found yer
transient. 1t is always so.
While it is the Republican party who's
influence is first and strongest in the Sc
Element of this question, other factors o
the outside are likely to influence il
action. There is a pretty serious imm
grafton problem involved, sugar an
tobacco problem, cheap-labor problem