Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1899-02-16
aovA. eAk,no eowpsa CO.. NEW YORK

The Argonaut, San Francisco, is the
onlv journal, we have seen so far, advo-
eating the annexation Of the Philippines,
that has the courage to give its reasons
plainly. Below will be found its views
on the subject. which are interesting for
the candid way the cloak of hypocrisy is
discarded
"Now that the treaty has been signed,
we trust to hear no more of all sentiment
al drivel about holy war duty and
destiny" and war for humanity Last
May the Argonaut remarked that the
protestations that this was mot war OF
conquest, mot a war Of revenge and the
countless sermons saying that this was a
holy and philanthropic war were SNUG
hypocrises and lies. We said then that
war was not conducted with bibles and
hymn books, with snuffiing and psalm
singing, with bouquets and rosewa,er.
War is waged with bullets and mems
bodies, and this war, We said, would be
war Of revenge, war to punish Spain,
and war Of conquest.
This journal excited the horror of the
truly good by announcing in such brutal
manner that this was not holy war,
but a war for conquest. The walls OF
press and pulpit wrath were poured upon
our heads. Pulpit Pecksnifis and edi-
torial Chadbands shrieked in horror at
the Argonaut, and denounced us for our
brutality in telling the truth about the
war.
But how about the matter now? Ii we
went to war to free Cuba and to do moth.
ing else, We have not even freed Cuba,
for she is crouching under our heavy
hand, and the entire nation is now specu'
lating as to how we can decently keep
her. 1t is the general consensus of opin'
ion that we cannot decenty keep her
and therefore that we had better keep hel
indecently. But the national conscience
is still little tender, 30 it is practically
agreed that We had better let Cuba go fol
a few months and then annex her. Thus
we save the national conscience, and we
also keep Cuba.
II this war was not II war OF conquest
how about Porto Rico? The Porto Ri
cans never did us any harm. They did
not even annoy us with the tales of theil
suffering and oppression, as did the Gu
bans. If they suffered and if they were
oppressed, they kept quiet about it. Blu,
We have taken Porto Rico from Spain and
annexed her to the United States without
consulting the wishes OF the Porto Ricans
a simple, kindly, and inoffensive people
We have done with their land what We
have done with the land of the Hawaiians
we have taken it because we wanted it
and because We are stronger. Now We
are debating whether we shall keep, sell
or free the land Of the Filipinos, havin.
taken it from Spain. In our Hawaiian
grab we made the hypocritical assump
ton that the Hawaiians de sired annexa
tion-wilich was false. 1t will scarcel
be pretended that the Filipinos desire an
the field with arms in their hands, arc
when they still hold Spanish prisoners
whom by the treaty OF Paris we al'
obliged to free. 1t will soon be matter
of fighting the Filipiros, and then it vii
be difficult for us to keep up our sen.i
mental pretense of "peaceable annexa
ton" Is it not time to lay aside all this
hypoci,ic drivel?
The Argonaut believes in annexin!
Porto Rico. 1t believes in anneXing Cuba
1t believes in annexing the Philippines
But it does not believe in doing all thi
with the sanctimonlous sniveing an'
shifting and psalm-singng which accom-
panied the Hawaiian grab. We stole TIT
land OF the Hawaiian people withou
even the pretense of conquering them
They were so weak that they could no
wage war with us. 1t was not even high
way robbery-it was sneak-thievery
With regard to the colonial possession:
of Spain, we have at least the rude, rough
title given by conquest and war
The good old rule. the simple plan
That they should take who have thu
power,
And they should keep who can
We have taken the Hawaiian Island
because We had the power, and we shall
keep them because we can. But il
heavens name let us stop babbling SINUS
hypocritical lies and snuliling sermons
through sanctmonious noses. Let us ad
nit that we have grabbed these lands a
Great Britain las grabbed land all owe
the globe-because we want them ant
because we think they will pay. Let III
cease talking OF "ameliorating the condi
ton OF the natives" Let us frankly ad