The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1899-06-22


''Where do we need large increase
i'm the army? In the Philippines |
Why. my fi1ends2 The President, In
his Boston speech, said that the qucs-
tinn was to he settled by the American
people, and until the American people
settled II how do you know that 1t VIII
need seventy thousand soldiers there
pprmanently2 But if we do, accord
ing to their argument need seventy
thousand soldiers there permanently,
then | ask you, my friends, what Is
the expense going to bet
II Is estimated that 1t costs $1,000 a
soldier TO keep the army in the United
States. and 81, 900 soldier to keep an
army outside of the United States.
Seventy thousand soldiers mean 500.
100000 year. Who pays the money!
The Filipinos? Why2 My friends,
If we make the Filipinos pay the ex-
penses of our army we will have to
tax them several times as much ms
Spnin ever taxed them.
sixteen months ago forcible annex
alton could not be thought of. Now
10000 soldiers in the Philippines are
on tlle way to carry forcible anneXa-
ton to the Philippine Islands. Sixteen
months ago, contrary to our code or
morality, now religious duty. Six
teen months ago criminal aggression,
now manifest destiny"
"Now this question, according to the
President, Is in the hands of theAmer-
lean people How will they settle It?
If am compelled 10 guess, | Will
guess that they will settle 1t in ac-
cordance with the principles that have
governed them in the past.
II read the other day in his speech
of a distinguished Republican who
tried to lay upon those who opposed
the ratification of the treaty the blood
shed at Manila. I was not opposed to
the ratification OF the treaty. l be-
licve it was better to ratify it and
ficlt the battle in this country. If we
had the right to take the title from
Spain, we had right to give title
to the Filipnos. I am not opposed to
ratification. but ! want to defend
those who did oppose it. 1t was not
those who opposed the ratification
who are responsible for the bloodshed
at Manila.
"Who pay the taxes? The great
common people: they furnish the sol
dicrs who die in the jungles and the
taxes to pay the soldiers.
"Fol. their waste of blood and money
who gets the returns? The syndicates
that refuse to pay their share of the
eXpcnsesot the Government WhatDet-
ter condemnation of the doctrine of
Imperialism can be found than this
argument. If they wanted to discuss
the question from a financial stand
point let them prove the returns
from the islands will equal the eX-
penditure, and when they have done
that then let them show that the
money when it comes back will
reach the pockets of the people they
have taken it from.
But, my friends, | want to fight
this question on higher ground than
dollars and cents.
According to the plan thus far out
fined the constitutional guarantees
which protect the people of the United
States will not he extended to the Fill
pinos: our people will govern them
selves tue Filipiuos will be governed
by the Executive through officers ap-
pointed by him. In this country we
Shall have republic; in the Philip
pines despotism. a despotism is not
relieved of its name because of its
beneVOlence.
"A government wherein authority
rests upon force and where the people
have no voice in making and eXecut-
inc the laws under which they live, is
deSputic in its form. When we plead
cd for Independence for the Filipinos
we pleaded for our own people rather
than for them. We believe in the doc
trinc of self f-government and are not
| only unwilling TO deny it to alien
races, but we fear that Il denial of 1t
| in one part of the nation will lead to
| the Abandonment of it entirely
"The moment force is raised above
reason, the moment might be substi-
tuted for right in the government Of
any part of this country, that moment
decay attacks the fundamental princi-
pies of the republic. If the people be-
come sufficiently Indifferent to the
doctrine of self-government to permit
| it's abandonment in the Orient, they
will not long defend it here.
ut is q significant fact that those
who in 1896 were willing to borrow a
financial system from England are
now foremost among the people who
would borrow colonial policy from
England. How long before they would
be willing to borrow the laws of en-
tail and prlmogeniture and the
splendors of a royal court and titled
nObilityT
The principles which Thomas Jeffer-
son inculcated in the minds of his
time are the foundation stones of
| American Democracy, but we do not
always recognize that fact. Particu-
larry during the past year we have al
lowed ourselves to be parted from
them. It's well, therefore for man
like Bryan to call us back to our old
| moOrngs.
Jefferson's expansion policy, which
Is appealed to Just as a justification
Of our conduct under the Mckinley
Administration in the Philippines, was
entirely in consonauce with the insti-
tutions of our cour try. 1t is only ig-
norance that compares 1t with the ac
tion of the Renubican leader to-day
to justify the latter.