The Forrest City times., 1899-10-27
DEFIES THE CONSTITUTION.
Mckinley's Violation of American Principles in the SaIu
 Affair.

ident Mckinley by the Massachusetts republicans in state convention one of the causes alleged in their platform for ecstatic admiration of that public functionary is the tact, the patience, the skill and the statesmanlike spirit with which the president has ap- preached the perplexing problems aris- ing from the war" Without discuss ing the spirit in which Mr. Mckinley has approached" these problems, which IS altogether a matter of opinion, we may be-permitted to regard the man. ner in which he has solved them, which is simply matter of fact.
 The only one of the problems aris- ing from the war" which President Me Kinley has not only "approathed' but actually solved is that of the establish ment of the United States sovereignty over the Sulu archipelago, lying to the southward of the Philippines proper, which was included in the purchase for which we paid S20,000, ,o0O to Spain. We have no possible use for these islands, of course; they must always be an ex pense and nuisance, but Mr. Mckinley insisted upon having them, and he has got them, and he has actually estab- Gshed sovereignty over them. It is the one completed act of his administra- tion in the adjustment of the new re- lations of the United States arising out of the war. 1t is the crown of his 'tact, patience, skill and statesman ship"
 The establishment of the sovereignty of the United States over the Sulu ar chipelago has not been made by con- quest but by diplomacy. The president has made treaty, or agreement, or bargain, with the sultan" of these is- lands. He has pledged the American people to pay to this magnate an an- nual tribute to keep him quiet. and in consideration of his acknowledgment of the sovereignty" of the United States. This is cheap enough, in com parison with the cost of Mir. McKinley's policy in respect to Aguinaldo in Luzon. We might buy up and pension the local posses of all the islands in the China sea at far less expense than the coun- try is pat to for the maintenance of Otis authority on a few square miles about Manila by the force of arms
 But the statesmanship of President Mckinley does not stop with the pay ment of tribute to this yellow monarch; II includes the guarantee of certain pe- cular institutions of that country for which Il sultan has great affection. We may pass over the Mohamedan tenet of polygamy, with which Mr. Me- Kinley has pledged the United States not to interfere; this is merely mat ter of morals or sociology. But the question of slavery is another story.
 The thirteenth amendment to the constitution of the United States de- ciares as follows Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States. or in any place subject to their jurisdic- tion." This amendment was pro- claimed as part of the organic law of the republic, December IS, 1865. Pres ident Mckinley cannot plead ignorance of the law. Every child in our public schools knows it by heart, and knows that wherever the jurisdiction of the United States extends no man or wom- an or child can be held in servitude.
 Mr. Mckinley has established. by the payment of tribute to the yellow po- tentate of the Sulu archipelago, the sov- ereignty of the United States over these islands. By the terms of the consti- tuition under which the president holds his office and exercises his authority, the establishment of that sovereignty frees every human being held in bond age on those islands. Mir. Mckinley has no right to say that slavery shall continue. Whatever he may say can count no more than the word of the least of his fellow citizens. The peo- pie of the United States have freed every slave in Sulu. It is decrced by the organic law of the land.
 But what has been done by this wise and patriotic administration, as the sycophantic republican state eonven- tion styles the Hanna Mckinley syndi- cate at Washington? A treaty has been made with the sultan" of this SidNNHoidluS lcIIIIOiN WneEeDN all slaves have the right of buying their freedom at price to be fixed by dis interested parties or another may buy slaves freedom for him." Such, at least, is the statement made regarding the treaty with the sultan of Sulu effected by Gen. Bates and heralded as a great diplomatic triumph by the organs of the administration. If Pres ident Mckinley has not consented to this fragrant violation of the constitu- tion of the United States he cannot too speedily absolve himself by giving pub licity to the terms of the treaty by which he has established the sover- eighty of the United States over Sulu. There is every reason to believe that the situation is as stated.
 Slavery has existed in Sulu from time immemorill. The slaves are eaptives of war, poor debtors and the children of such unfortunates born while their parents are in a condition of servitude.