The record-union., 1899-01-19


nations. No Asiatic community Is the
ward Of the United States, and to no
Asiatic community do the United States
owe guardianship. am not Indifferent
to the welfare Of such communities,
but am unwilling that the treasure OF
The Government shall be consumed and
the blood Of the American youth be
roured out for their protection. We
have nobler uses both for the treasure
and the young American manhood of
this country.
Il am most deeply impressed with the
importance of the prompt announce
ment by this Government of the dec
laration contained in these resolutions
that the United States do not intend
to establish its dominion over the Phil
ippine Islands. One good result from
such declaration will, in my opinion,
be the prompt conclusion of all ques-
uons growing out of the war with
Spain. Another and more important
result would be most embarrassing
and threatening situation in the Phil
ippine Islands.
1T is not to be hoped that the Fill
pinos, who were fighting for their free
dom before we declared war against
Spain, will surrender their country to
the United States without a struggle.
Every report we receive shows that
they will not do so. If there should
come collision; if there should be a
battle between the Americans and the
F'ilipinos, it would be fearful shock
for US to realizeI that a war undertaken
for the liberation of Cuba has been
converted into one to subjugate the
Philippines"
Bacon said that the Filipinos were
enormously spoken of in dispatches as
rebels and insurgents, and declare ed
these were not true terms, as they were
not rebels against Spain and could not
be called rebels against the United
States.
Bacon then entered upon an argu-
ment against the annexation of dis
tant territory with a dense population
and inferior race. He said:
1T is impossible that our people
should ever consent that these Asiatic
communities should be admitted as
States into the Union, clothed with the
power to assist in making laws for
Americans. What is the result If these
islands are acquired and held as col
onies? The logic of the situation will
be to acquire more Asiatic territory,
and after that to reach out for still
more.
Under this policy our Government
will abandon it's peaceful career and
reach out to the ends of the earth for
empires and power, that we may with
a strong arm dominate and rule over
distant lands and peoples of every race,
condition and color This reaching out
for empire will inevitably lead to great
wars, with all their sacrifices. England
is probably eager that the United
States shall seize the Philippines. Why ?
Is it because she is so anxious to wit
ness the further expansion and ag-
grandizement of the power of the Unit
ed States, or is it because she sees
ahead of her gigantic worlds war
over the partition of China, in which
she wishes that the United States shall
be compelled to take part, and in which
she wishes and hopes that they may
be her ally?"
Bacon made an earnest plea against
war .As war is the greatest curse Of
a nation he said, $50 is peace it's
most priceless possession In this one
respect we are the most blessed of any
nation of the earth Situated as we
are, and powerful as we are, we need
never engage in war, unless we volun-
tarily seek it. When we cease to con-
fine ourselves to our own hemisphere,
when we undertake to meddle with the
affairs of the world, especially when so
doing we surrender the Monroe doc
trine and consent to the intermeddling
of Europe in the affairs Of the Ameri-
can Hemisphere, then indeed will this
priceless immunity be gone forever"
Bacon then discussed the cost, civil
and military, of keeping up colonial
government in the Philippines, and
said that the vast expense makes it
necessary for a heavy tax to be i'm
posed upon the people The great
difficulty and danger of transporting
large bodies of troops across the Pa
cific in the face of hostile fleets was
also commented on by him. Ee also
urged the point that the Philippine
Islands, so far from being an element
of strength, would, necessarily, be the
weakest point if they became part of
the United States; that in case of war
our enemy would strike US there Just
as we struck Spain there, because it
was her weakest point.
He concluded by urging that the
American people had enough to do in
developing their own country. which,
exclusive of Alaska, was ample for a
population of 3O0,O0OOO0, and in de-
veIoping our own resources there was
enough to task the energies and inspire
the hopes of our people for centuries
to come.
Bacon spoke for an hour and half.
White CD of California gave notice
that on Monday next he would address
the Senate on the Vest anti-expansion
resolution.
fore the Senate, and the substitute for
the pending measure offered yesterday
by Caffery of Louisiana was read.
Caffery addressed the Senate in sup
port of the substitute.
White advocated the passage of the
pending bill, although he favored the
elimination of the Maritime Canal Com
pany from the project.
Caffery, addressing the Senate the
second time under the fifteen minute
rule, offered another amendment to his
substitute, with the view of obtain
ing the floor again, but he was ruled
out of order. He then entered a mo-
tion to indefinitely postpone the Nor
gan bill. and upon that motion address
ed the Senate.
Thurston of Nebraska announced that
he would vote for the substitute Offer
ed by Caffery, because he believed the
United States ought to construct the
- IL,
else, but in the event of the failure OF
the substitute he would support the
Morgan bill. He thought the canal
o,,rr,< he 1,,,;Jf ord nh 10 n IL