The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-14
Race Problem Involved In the Phil
ippine Question.
MR.. M'LAURIN's SPEECH
SOUTHERN SENATOR SAYS
SOUTH IS INDICATED.
Northern Imperialists Now Defend
the ''Divine Right" of the Whites
to Govern the Blacks, and Univer-
sal Suffrage Is a Failure-Medal
For Miss Gould.

| washington, Jan. LIN the senate
today, Mr.. McLaurin Oem., S.. CO,
took strong ground in a carefully pre-
pared speech, against the policy Of ex-
pansion by this county. lie cited, as
one Of the principal reasons why the
United States should not assume
dominion over the peoples who are
widely dissimilar to the people OF
this country, the experience of the
south with the negro race. He advo-
| Gated the adoption of the Vest resolu-
| ton, declaring that this country could
not maintain permanently as colonies
! such territory as the Philippines, and
held that it would be in opposition to
the ssiIit Of American institutions to
do SO.
THE manifold and serious questions
growing out Of the war with Spain now
absorbing the attention of the Amer
! lean people," began McLaurin, Il am
satisfied that our action in the next
month viii settle the question of eX-
Dansion. There are his time in the
senate at large two wei defined and
| distince views-one a policy of expan-
sion, involving a new definition of our
| government and the inauguration of a
| colonial system, with all the perpleXing
! problems incident to it. The other view
/ opposes a policy of imperialism and is
| based upon the governmental policy OF
| the last century, and in my Judgment
/ is the only position that is in harmony
/ with the constitution and the spirit
| and genius Of republican institutions"
| Mr.. McLaurin felt that as a repre-
| sentative Of South Carolina he was
! peculiarly qualified to speak on the in
corporation OF a. mongrel and semi
barbarious population into our body
! polite.
s.rFN1--
past thirty years with the negro ace
said he, lis pregnant with lessons of
wisdom for our guidance in the Philip
pines. 1t is passing strange that SEN
atorS who favored universal suffrage
should now advocate Imperialism.
There is a glaring inconsistency in heir
positions. IF they are sincere in their
views as to the Philippines, they should
propose an amendment to the conStitu-
ton, which viii place the inferior races
in this country and the inhabitants of
the Philippines upon an equality as to
their civilized political rights and thus
forever settle the VeXed race and suf-
frage questions in this country, IS we'll
as in the outlying territories.
How can they consistently, Justly
and I might add. constitutionally, adj
vocate policy for outlying territory,
embracing races so nearly akin to the
negro. which differs so radically from
the policy adopted as % that race in
the south?
There can be but one answer 10
that question and that is that they
substantially admit, in the light of a
third Of a century's experience, that
universal suffrage is 9, monumental
failure and that the time has come for
the correction Of this stUDendous gov
ornamental error
Universal Suffrage IN the south long
since degenerated into a race ques-
ton continued Mr.. McLaurin, land
as such led to the practical elimination
Of the negro from poliIics-a policy that
is today wisely advocated by the great
leaders Of the race like Professor Miller
and Booker T. Washington, and which
in time, under the guidance of the best
thought Of both races. viii lead to a
just settlement Of the gravest prob
lens that have ever confronted any
people in modern times.
The senator from Connecticut has
most amply indicated the south, per-
hapS unintentionally, but thank him
the more heartily for his complete an
noUncement of the divine right of the
Caucasian to govern the negro races"
MI. McbaETln then entered upon
constitutional discussion Of the uues-
ton presented by the resolution.
maintaining that ali Of the rights and
powers Of the federal government are
enumerated specifically in the consti-
tuition and such as were not thus
specifically defined did not exist
IF we embark on a colonial system,
1t means the inauguration OF a despotic
power in Washington. It means a
large standing army that will not only
be used to rule outlying territories with
an iron hand, but that, sooner or later,
viii be used at home to overawe and
override the popular will. An imperi-
2lfstic democracy, like an athejstic re-
IGion, is an impossible hybrid
Better than wealth, better than
territory upon which the sun never
sets is the transmission to our chill
dren of republic built upon the in
destructible rock OF constitutional gov
eminent"
Mr.. McLaurin occupied the attention
Of the senate for an hour and ten min
utes, and was accorded good attention
by both senators and people in the gal
leries.
Mr. Allison of Iowa, chairman of the
committee on appropriations. called up
the Indian appropriation bill, and the
reading Of the measure was begun.
When the paragraph relating to the
employment of practical farmers, in
addition to the agency farmers now
employed. was reached, Mr.. Allen en-
tered e. protest against the employment
OF men who were merely political
hangers-on, marplots and meddIers be-
tween the settlers and Indians. He
offered no amendment, however, and
the paragraph was agreed to.
MEDAL FOR MISS GOULD.
At this juncture Mr.. Gray of Della
ware introduced a joint resolution as
follows: That in recognition Of the
patriotic devotion and bounteous be-
nevolence Of Miss Helen Miller Gould,
to the soldiers sf the army of TIE
United States during the war with
Spain, the cordial appreciation of con-
Gress is hereby rendered to her. and
congress hereby authorizes and directs
that a gold medal, with appropriate
designs, be prepared by the director of
the mint, and that said medal be pre-
sented to her by the president of the
United States, at such a time and in
such manner as he may determine.
The resolution was referred to the COM
mittee on military affairs.
The senate passed a resolution au-
thorizing the admission of Louis Igle-
sias. son of President Iglesias of Costa
Rica, to the military academy at West
Point, and bill authorizing the Ar
kansas & Choctaw Railway company
to- construct and operate a railroad line |
through the ChoctaW and Chickasaw |
nation in the Indian Territory.