The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-01-10

the Constitution, Hoar cited various au-
thorities, among them Charles Sumner
and Justice Matthews. He then ep-
pealed to Senators who are hesitating
as to what their action upon the Ques-
ton of expansion may be-"the great
est question that has ever been, or ever
will be, put to them in their lives; the
question not of a year or Of century;
not of generation, but a question per-
tanning rather to the great period of
a national life"-not to commit them
selves in principle to such a policy by
supporting the peace treaty and then
say they will consider hereafter how
they will act under it,
In the course Of his appeal to Sena-
tors, Mr.. Hoar said: When you raise
the flag over the Philippines as an en-
blem of domain and acquisition, you
take it down from independence Hail.
He extolled the statement of Louis
Napoleon, made in 1854, that the time
of conquest is past, never to return,
for it is not by extending the boun-
daries Of it's territory that a nation
can henceforward be honored and pow
erful, but by placing itself at the head
of generous ideas and spreading every
where the empire of right and justice,
and added: Napoleon forgot what he
had said when he grew a. little stronger.
He saw his opportunity in Mexico, as
our friends think they see ours in the
Philippines. But the sure and terrible
fate of destiny overlook him in the
midst of his pride and power.
"Our Commissioners come back from
Paris bringing with them the cast
off clothing of this pinchbeck Napoleon,
and ask us who have seen his fate to
discard for them the spotless robes in
which our fathers arrayed the beautiful
genius of America.
"A year ago last December the Presf-
dent of the United States sent a
message to- Congress. In that message
| he said: speak not of forcible annex
alton, because that is not to be thought
/ of, and under the code of morality that
| would be criminal aggression The
time of conquest is past said Louis
Napoleon. All, Mr. President, President
Mckinley but repeated Louis Napoleon,
though in louder and clearer voice.
President Mckinley, when he spoke,
was not thinking even of honor or OF
power, inspiring or alluring as are
honor and power He placed himself
and placed the American people on
the stern, enduring and perpetual rock
! of righteousness, that fOrcible annexa-
ton is not to be thought Of under our
code of morality; that would be Grim
| inal aggression Who shall haul him
down? Who shall haul down the code?
Who shall haul down the PRESIDENT"
Hoar dwelt with emphasis upon the
large increase in national expenditure
which the policy of expansion advo-
! Gated by Plat would entail, placing
the amount at $150,000,O00 annually
He argued that the adoption of Platt's
doctrine would reduce wages, increase
taxation, place an army on the back
Of the workingman, and by the act
of the Government every American
dignity would be dishonored and his
manhood discrowned.
In conclusion, Hoar said he would
not agree that the lesson of our first
/ hundred years is that the Declaration
of Independence and the Constitution
are failures, and that America is to
begin the twentieth century where
| Spain began the sixteenth. THE Mon
roe doctrine is gone; every European
nation. every European alliance has
the right to acquire dominion in this
hemisphere when we acquire it in the
| other"
1t may be, he thought, that in q
tempest of popular delusion a country
for a moment may cover the great
truths of our great declaration. He
had encountered such a storm in his
experience, but the clouds had passed
and the sunshine had come again
Mr. President, this spasm of folly
also, in my judgment, will surely pass
/ by. Whether it pass by or not
thank God I have done my duty an6
that I have adhered to the great doc
| trines of righteousness and freedom
which 1 have learned from my fathers
| in whose service my life has beer
spent
Hear spoke two hours and ten min
utes, concluding at 2:3O p. m. Only
once was he interrupted, and then by
Platt Of Connecticut, at whom the
speech was directed When Hoar said
that within the past few months Plat
had changed his position, as during
the Cuban discussion he had supported
the proposition that the Cubans are and
of right ought to be free and indepen-
dent Piatt, interrupting, said:
Il think the Senator has misstated
my position. I did not vote for thai
proposition"
In reply Hoar inquired if Platt. while
he may not have voted for the PROPOSE
ton, did not actually think the peo-
pie of Cuba were entitled to be free and
Independent.
Platt-The Senator is tempting ms
into a speech which he would not toll
crate, if should deliver it here.
When Hoar had concluded Platt ad-
dressed the Senate. Platt maintained
that Hoar had admitted his contention
that this country had the right to ac-
quire and govern distant territory; but
that he had unfairly presented what hi
(Platt) had said about the acquisition
and government of such territory. He
Tread from his speech paragraph show
ing that he had held it to be the duty
of this country to provide for acquired
territory a most liberal and enlightened
isystem Of governmental government il
accord with the spirit of the Declara-
ton of Independence and of the Consti-
tuition.
Hoar briefly replied to the statement
of Plat, reiterating and calculating
some of the points of his own speech
which he conceived Platt had misunder-
stood
The Nicaragua Canal bill was ther
taken up, and Caffery continued his
speech in opposition to it.
Caffery, in reply to Chiffon said thai
u 49, 90,