The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-12
THE F|L|P|N0S' WILL NOT
Be FORCED INTO ANNEXATION
Foraker Makes Startling Announcement Of the Policy o.
the Administration One Desires to Retain the
Philippines Permanenty-The People Will Be Con-
suited.

|
ress in the senate. Heretofore all of
the speeches, with the notable exception
OF that of Mr.. Platt of Connecticut,
have been in opposition to what is pre-
sumed to be the policy of the admins
tratlon With respect to the acquisti On
OF the Philippines. To-day Mr. Fora
ker OF Ohio addressed the senate in op-
position to the declaration of the Vest
resolution that the United States has
no constitutional power to acquire for
e1gn territory to be maintained as COL
onles. While much of his speech was
devoted to constitutional argument in
support of the right Of this country as
a nation to acquire and govern out
lying territory, he gave particular at
| tention to the utterances that have
been made in contravention of that
! position, especially those of Mr. Vest
| and Mr.. Hoar Mr.. Foraker has a
clear, direct and forceful style of ora
| tory which commands attention, not
only by reason of the recognized abil-
lty of the man, but also by his i'm
petuoslty and power as speaker. He
| IS at his best in running fire debate,
| ana the frequency of interruption to-
day afforded him ample opportunity to
elucidate his argument to the best ad-
| vantage. He laid down the broad prop
osltlon that to adopt the Vest resolution
| was to declare that our fathers had
brought forth nation that was m
| ferlor to all other nations regardless of
| the generally accepted idea that one
! natlon was the equal of another ard
| all equally restricted. He maintain I'd
| that the right to acquire territory was
| an inherent right of nationality, and
| / h h. ,trrl,+
and to enter into treaty agreements, it
follows logically that we have the
poWerbto acquire territory by conquest
and to assume the responsibilities that
| may accrue therefrom. Mr.. Forak ar's
strong assertion that the acquisition Of
the Philippines was temporary in char
actef created a sensation in the cham
Der. He maintained, however, that we
have legal right to hold the islands
permanently. Prior to the speech by
Mr. Foraker a sharp debate was pre-
cipitated by Mr.. Allen of Nebraska by
some remark he made upon a resol-
ton he had introduced Mr.. Hear Ct
Massachusetts and Mr.. Gray of Della
ware We're drawn into it.
Vice President Hobart presided
over the senate for the first
time since the holiday recess, hav-
ing been detained at his home by an
attack of grip. A bill authorizing Lieu
tenant Colonel Vifquain of the Sd Ne
braska to accept from the Emperor of
China the decoration of the Order of
the Double Dragon for distinguished
service rendered was passed. Mr.
Bacon of Georgia offered the following
joint resolution:
l. 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 terri
tory, but solely for the purpose set
forth in the resolution of congress,
making the declaration of said war:
the acquisition of such tracts of land Or
harbors as may be necessary for gov
ernmental purposes being not deemed
inconsistent with the same
y. That in demanding and receiving
the cession of the Philippines it is not
the purpose of the government of the
United States to secure and maintain
domain over the same as a part of the
territory of the United States or to
incorporate the inhabitants thereof as
citizens of the United States or hold
said inhabitants as Vassals or subjects
of this government
8. That, whereas, at the time
OF the declaration of war bv
the United States against Spain
and prior thereto, the inhabitants
OF the Philippine islands We're actively
engaged in war with Spain to achieve
purpose and the military operations
hereunder have not been abandoned
but are still being actively prosecuted
hereunder, therefore, in recognition
OF and in obedience to the vital princi-
pie announced in the great declaration
that governments derive their just
powers from the consent of
the governed the government
of the United States recognizes
that the people of the Philippine islands
of right ought to be free and indie
pendent; that with this view and to
give effect to the same the govern
ment of the United States has required
the ttlhe government of Spain to relinquish
its authority and government of the
Philippine islands and to withdraw it's
land and naval forces from the Philip
pines and from the waters thereof
4. That the United States hereby dis
claim any disposition to exercise soy
erelgnty, jurisdiction or control over the |
said islands and assert their determine
tlon when an independent government |
shall have been duly erected therein,
entitled to recognition as SUCH to trans |
fer said government, upon terms which |
shall be reasonable and just, all rights |
secured under the cession by Spain and |
to thereupon leave the government and |
control of the islands to their people.
Faraker Replies to Hoar.
Mr.. Foraker was recognized and pro-
ceeded to deliver his set speech on the |
general question of the power to extend |
our territory. He based his remarks |
upon the Vest resolution, in
giving attention to Mr.. Ma
sons measure. The resolutions he said |
were different propositions-the Vest |
measure raises the question of power;
the Mason resolution that of policy. We
had been told by Mr. Hoar that the |
question of power was the most i'm
portant ever raised in the history of the |
government. Mr.. Foraker did not agree
with this dictum. On the contrary, it
had no Importance whatever as a ques-
tion of practicable considerations 1t |
was a mooted question and nothing
more. The resolution expresses the ex-