Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1899-01-16

| the acquisition of the Philippines. Mr..
Foraker (rep., o. addressed the senate
in opposition to the declaration of the
Vest resolution that the United States
! has no constitutional power to acquire
foreign territory to be maintained as
colonies Much Of his speech was de-
! voted to a constitutional argument in
| support of the right of the country as
a nation to acquire and govern outly-
! ing territory. His strong assertion
| that the acquisition Of the Philippines
was temporary in character created a
| sensation in the chamber. He main
| tanned, however, that we have a legal
right to hold the islands permanently.
| Mr.. FOraker's declaration regarding
| the Philippines was in response to a
query by Mr.. Hoar (rep., Mass.) who
asked:
What of the statement about haul
ing down the American fiag?"
mo one desires to retain the Philip
pines Indefinitely" reiterated Mr..
Foraker, "the president is as much a
Ith'
| is the senator from Massachusetts, and
his love of liberty goes out to the peo-
pie of the Philippines as unerringly as
the senator's"
''Then we are to understand the state
ment that the American flag is not to
be hauled down." said Mr.. Hoar, "dOes
not mean that we are to hold perpetual
nf no
| pines believed their happiness can best
be secured by self government they are
to be given an opportunity to govern
themselves"
with the determination Of our ulti-
mate policy respecting the Philip
pines" replied Mr.. Foraker, 'their
feelings will have much to do. No
one, so far as am able to learn, is
prepared by force and violence to take
hold of them. I am willing to trust
the administration. I have no sym
pathy with those who talk of making
war on Aguinaldo any more than l
had with those who talked of making
war on Gomez It is now for congress
to investigate whether the FilipinOs
are capable of self-government and
whether they desire it. We will know
in short time what the feeling of the
population of the islands is. Then we
can act intelligently and I know that
we will act justly"
Mr.. Allen (pop., Neb.) continued
briefly the debate upon the constitu
tional questions relating to the acqul-
TOL II
ed the position taken by Mr.. Foraker,
maintaining that the United States
government could not cOnstitutionally
acquire the Philippine islands withou
the ultimate object in view of admit
ting them into the union as a state.
Previous to Mr.. ForakeT's speech,
Mr. Allen introduced a resolution de-
claring that aggressive action against
the FiJipinos would be unwarTanted
and in a speech said he did not think
war could be waged without the con-
sent of congress. Mr.. Hoar asked Mr..
Gray, one of the peace commissioners,
where the power came from to use
force against the F'ilipinos.
Mr.. Gray said technically we were
still at war with Spain, but under a
truce, and if making war upon the
Filipinos were violating the protocol,
it would be a matter between the Unit
ed States and Spain. Mr.. Hoar con-
tended it was bad faith.
Mr. Bacon (dem., Ca offered the
following joint resolution:
''That the government and people OF
the United States have not waged the
recent war with Spain for conquest and
for the acquisition of foreign territory,
but solely for the purpose set forth in
the resolution of congress making the
declaration of said war, the acquisition
of such small tracts of land or harbors.
as may be necessary for governmental
purposes being not deemed inconsist-
ent with the same.
"That in demanding and in receiving
the cession of the Philippine islands, It
is not the purpose Of the government
of the United States to secure and
maintain dominion over the same as a
part of the territory of the United
States, or to incorporate the inhabit-
ants thereof, as citizens Of the United