The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-25
JOHNSON ST|RS THE HOUSE
WITH A BR|STL|NG PH|L|PP|C
Sneers for Mckinley the Great American Pecksniff.
Incompetent Alger Kept in the Cabinet by His
Campaign Contributions Irony for
Secretary Long

president. This address, divested Of
it's verbiage, considered apart from its
platitudes and the ostentatious profess
sion of virtue with which it was inter-
laced, was nothing more or less than n
carefully devised and studous mis-
statement of the issue between the
chief executive and those of his own
party who are opposed to his wretched
policy in the Philippines. 1t was an eff
fort to befog the subject and to mis-
lead the public judgment.
I'VE are told sir, that this address
was received with enthusiastic applause
by those who heard it, but we who read
it in cold print in the light of the in
defensible tragedy now being enacted
near the shores of Asia invountarily
think OF that creation of Charles Dick
ems, who was accustomed to roll his
eyes piously to heaven and eXclaim.
with great ostentation to those about
him, My friends. let us be moral and
who was the father of two daughters,
one Of whom he named Charity and
the other Mercy.
His excellency declared upon this
occasion, if not in SO many words, at
least in effect, that he had never en-
teftained any policy with respect 10 the
Philippines up to the time the treaty
Of peace was ratified; but that he had
simply held them as commander in
ton and control to be determined there
after by congress.
A Shameful Evasion.
'If the chief executive really feels
as he declared at the banquet that he
did, that the disposition of the Philip
pines is a matter to be determined by
call special session of con-
gress to settle the matter at once
and then keep his hands off. Heaven
knows. there is need of action. If he
is sincere, why did he permit his sup
porters in the senate to vote down the
other day the Bacon resolution which
distinctly declared that the United
States entertained no intention of per-
manently holding these islands? Why
did he insist that the McEnery reso-
luton should be passed-a resolution
which is a fraud, a delusion and a
snare; a shameful evasion which, like
a Christmas tree, has something on it
for everybody. That resolution is in
tended simply to quiet the conscience
of the American people. to lull all to
sleep, While the president goes ahead,
waging relentless and merciless war
against the Filipnos and laying deep
nent American colony.
Mr. Chairman, [ am determined
that the president shall neither befog
the issue between himself and those of
the republican party who oppose his
Philippine policy, nor mislead the pub
lie judgment, nor shirk the responsible
ity for the gross official blunders which
he has committed in connection with
this great problem. l insist that the
whole policy is not simply an error,
but that it is a crime, and that the
chief executive of this nation is the
one who has precipitated upon US the
embarrassments and difficulties by
which we are now confronted. l in
sist that he did not simply hold the
Philippines as commander-in-chi
leaving the question of disposition and
control of them to congress, but that
he formulated and put into execution
an affirmative and aggressive policy,
that of their permanent annexation to
this country and forced it to the SEN
ate with all the power and influence
which his high office enabled him to
employ.
THE presidents first impression was
to demand of the people of the Philip
pines simply a cOaling station, a meas
ure amply sufficient for all of our legit
innate purposes and the evacuation of
the islands by Spain without compen-
sation by the taxpayers of the United
States. Had he adhered to this, how
ever, all would have been well. The
whole union would have followed him
cheerfully, and to-day we would have
been at peace with the Philippine re-
public; our army and navy which Is
now waging war against our former
friends and allies would have been dis
banded. No army bill for a standing
army of 100000 men would have been
pending and we could now be getting
ready to reduce instead of getting ready
tn h1lc of
taxation. But the president committed
a fatal error. He wrote into that
treaty the absolute transfer of Spanish
sovereignty over the Philippines to
ourselves and the payment of $20000,-
900 as consideration for the cession.
Then he issued to the people of the
Philippines a proclamation in which
he informed them that the United
States had succeeded to the title of
Spain, declared that the government
and control of their territory belonged
to us, ordered them to pay taxes to
the military government which he es-
tablished over them and blandly made
known to them that our mission in
their midst was one of benevolent as
similation.'
THE president drove the treaty
through the senate by the unlimited
exercise of all those powers and in
t1uences which the great office he holds
makes possible.
banning Proof of Falsity.
what, then, did the executive mean
by telling those who gathered around
the banquet board in Boston that up
to the ratification Of the treaty he had
simply held the Philippines as COM
mander in chief. without any policy of
his own, leaving the whole matter to
be determined afterward by congress? =?
Was he foolish enough to believe that
his mere statement would be allowed
to pass unchalienged? Was he vain
enough to suppose that his ipse dixit
would conclude the matter. with the
damning proof of its falsty so near
at hand?
Mr. Chairman, why did the president
change his original in ent on as to the
terms to hn inc rparatsd into the
traatN2 What h. ind hn