Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-09-08
President McKinley'S Policy.

In his welcoming speech to the returned
Pc Ylvania troops the president clearly pre-
se. his policy towards the Philippines. He
says: "They assaled Our sovereignty and there
will be no useless parley-no pause-untl the
insurrection is suppressed and American
authority acknowledged and established. "
His justification OF this war policy of subjuga-
ton is based upon these words: "Peace
brought to us the Philippines, by treaty cession
from Spain. 1t became our territory and is
ours, as much as the Louisiana purchase or
Texas or Alaska"
As one of the sovereign people the writer did
not understand that we were still in the slavery
business, purchasing people by wholesale to-
gether with the islands which they inhabited.
He understood that we had entered upon a
humane mission, and out of real goodness paid
Spain $50, 900, 900 to relinqush all claims on
Cuba and the Philippines, that we might
give the people such liberty and such repre-
sentative government as we ourselves enjoy.
These people were struggling tor liberty and
a representative government, they desired
voice as to what principles should govern them,
and the writer supposed that we were going to
give them the rights for which they had been
fighting to obtain, and help them 10 establish
th. best possible government. But this is not
the presidents idea. The Philippines were
o &c Spain's, and they are now ours. Spain
once ruled the people, and now have right
to ru- the people. Spain once carried on war
with those assaling her sovereignty; we have
right to carry on war with these same parties
assailing our sovereignty. The president is
wrong in his position. 1t is neither American
nor Anglo -Saxon. It is a Norman idea, against
which our torefathers labored for more than
five centuries. If our presidents position is
right, &c rse Washington was wrong, and our
Fourth of July celebration sin. Through ex.
ploration and founding colonies and granting
charters the English government had posses
sion Of those portions and people where arose
the revolutionary war. The English govern
ment was under no more obligation to counsel
with the people settling in her possessions than
the United States to counsel with the Flip
mos. Nor had our forefathers any more right
to rebel against England because shut out of a
voice in government than the Filipnos
have right to rebel against the United States
hecaNse shut ont of voice about the future of
themselves and their lands Our nation has
no right to purchase lands and force the peo-
pie to accept of our ideas, nor has any govern
ment this right. All people have the same in
herent rights that we have and which we have
written in oui constitution. If the Filipinos
Ia r.q leste ,i)n with the United Suites,
aud il Our government had been established at
their request, or by their consent, and rebellion
had afterward broken ont, the United States
would have right to put down tine rebellion;
but there Is no trne justification Of our prtsi-
dents pesition and policy. It is simply the
policy of lherty-loving Greece de priving thous-
ands OF captives of enjoying the privileges
which they enjoyed. If this war is justifable,
it cannot be justified on the ground that the