Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1899-07-12
APATRIOTIC
ADDRESS.
Senator Mantle the Orator al
Butte on July 4th.
His Remarks in Striking Contrast
to Those Of Some Other Mon
tana Politicians.

Senator Mantle delivered the pri1-
cipal address at Butte on the Fourth b
of July and his entire speech Ia well
worthy of reproduction, would space
permit.
Referring to some OF the issues oi
the present day. and especially to the
application Of the constitutional
clause. "the consent Of the governed
as concerns the conditions In the
Philippines, the senator said:
81 have said that an a nation we
have made marvellous progress since
the days Of '76, but there are many
problems Of government yet con-
fronting us which remain to- be
solved. Not all the abstract truths
contained in the declaration Of indie.
pendence have yet been reduced to a
concrete form; not all the great
principles therein enunciated have
yet been crystallized into practice
The declaration that all men are
created equal and that all are en-.
titled to life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness, remained empty and
void, mere glittering generality, un'
til the martyr Abraham Lincoln
signed the proclamation Of emanci
patton, which struck the shackles
from the limbs of four millions o
human slaves.
1.-THE truth is that a. fast as one
great problem is solved other prob
lens arise for solution. This is tn,
history of the past; it VIII be The
history Of the future.
Just at this moment the policy
now being pursued OF enforcing re
spect for our authority and our flal
in the Philippine islands is causing ;
division of sentiment among som,
Of our people. have the creates
respect for those who honestly be
lieve that the safety of our republi
is being endangered by the polio,
which the logic of events has forcet
upon us. although personally l be
their fears are groundless.
THE arguments against expansion
are based mainly upon that clause il
the declaration Of independence I,
which you have just listened, whicl
says that all governments deriv
their just powers from the consent o
the governed. But it should be re
membered that this clause was mean
for civilized peoples and not 70
savages. We have never eurselve
observed IL in our dealings with on
own Indians. who were the origina
possessors Of this continent.
"The literal enforcement of tha
declaration would place an impas
sable barrier across the pathway u
civilization and progress.
"Thomas Jefferson was the great
est expansionist that this nation ha
ever produced. He it was who pur
chased from Napoleon the territor,
of Louisiana out OF hich l5sovereigI
states of this union have since beel
carved, including our own state o
Montana. With that purchase wa
included large population of French
Spanish, negroes, Indians and hall
breeds. whom Jefferson at once pro
ceeded to govern without ever ask
ing their consent or consulting then
in any way.
"In 1918, az direct result OF tn
dering acts of Andrew Jackson
Spain ceded Florida to the Unite,
States, together with it's population
They were not consulted and thei
consent was not asked.
"ln lS4S, having conquered Mexico
| we tooh ITOlll HeT lHt tcifltoiS ou
of which the states of Colorado
Utah, Nevada and California, ant
the territories of Arizona and New
Mexico have been carved. Her
again we took large population
and governed them without asking
their consent.
$50 1t appears that in many time
we have governed people withou
asking their consent, but In ever.
case we have given them a bette
government than they had eve
known, and there are none who's
condition has not been vastly i'm
proved by coming under the protec
tlon OF our laws and our flag.
"The truth il that this clause O
the declaration OF independence mus
be construed in the light OF reasol
and common sense, and with due re