The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-10-12
FIRST
PUBLIC
UTTERANCE
OF Judge william X. Day, Who
was President of the Ameri-
can Peace Commission.
HE SETS FORTH THE REASONS
Which Justified the Payment Of
Twenty Millions for the
Philippines.

AAhRHAHSSe
COLUMBUS, Ohio. oct. 1.-THE first
public utterance OF Judge William n.
Day. who was president OF the Amerl-
can Peace Commission, concerning the
deliberations of the commissioners at
Paris, is contained in a letter written
to former Congressman D, K. Watson,
OF this city, and was read by him az
a Republican mass meeting on the East
Side tonight. Judge Day sets forth
the reasons which. in his mind. Justified
the payment of twenty million dollars
for the Philippines, declaring that 1t
was never contended by the American
commissioners that the United States
had right to the Philippines as mat
ter of conquest. The letter follows:
In reply to your recenS inquiry as
to my understanding Of the reasons
which Induced the agreement on the
part of the American commissioners,
in negotiating the treaty at Paris, to
incorporate in the treaty an article
which should require the payment by
the United States to Spain for the ces-
sion OF the Philippines the sum Of TWEEN
ty million dollars, beg to say 1 think
this subject is made quite plain by a
reference to the printed protocol of
the Joint commission. which you will
flnd in Senate Document No, 50, Fifty
nth Congress, third session. being the
printed volume published last winter
after the treaty was submitted to the
senate of the United States. You will
discover that this subject was first
brought by the American commissioners
to the attention of the Spanish COM
mlssIoners in a proposal for an artl-
Gle in the treaty in which Spain should
cede to the United States the archl-
pelago known as the Philippine Islands,
which proposal concluded with the
statement:
1.-The American commissioners beg
fnrther to state that they are pre-
pared to Insert in the treaty a stlpu-
iatIon for the assumption by the Uni
ted States of any existing indebtedness
Of Spain Incurred for public works and
Improvements of a pacific character in
the Philippines" Csenato Document
g.. p. 1O9.).
ut is unnecessary to review the long
discussion which ensued, or to re-state
the grounds upon which the Spanish
commissioners rejected this proposal
and declined to cede the Islands TO the
United States. You will find the dis
cussion fully developed In the record u
you see fit to read It. On the 2lst OF
November following the American
commissioners. in Joint session Of the
commission. presented a proposition
which the American commissioners re-
garded MS final. in connection with
which It was said:
Cession of the Philippines.
"The proposal presented by the
American commissioners in behalf Of
their government for the cession Of the
Philippines to the United States having
been rejected by the Spanish commits
sloners, and the counter proposal Of the
latter for the withdrawal Of the Ameri-
can forces from the Islands and the
payment OF an indemnity by the United
States to Spain having been rejected by
the American commissioners, deeming
Il essential that the present neRotia-
tIons, which have already been greatly
protracted, should be brought to an
enrly and definite conclusion. beg now
TO present a new proposition embody-
ing the concessions which, for the sake
OF immediate peace, their government
Is. under the circumstances, Willing to
tender. The government of the United
States is unable to modify the proposal
heretofore made for the cesslon OF the
entire archipelago OF the Philippines.
but the American commissioners ara
authorized to offer to Spain, in case the
cessIon should be agreed to, the sum or
twenty million dollars (S200OO ,OOO to be
paid in accordance with the terms TO
be fixed in the treaty OF peace" (Sen-
ate Document So, p 2lO)
on the 2Sth OF November the Spanish
commissioners accepted the terms Of
fered by the representatives Of the Uni
ted States. You will observe that in
making this proposal It Is distinctly
gnId that II embodIes the concessions
which for the sake Of Immediate pence,
the American government was willing
to make. There were doubtless other
reasons actuatlng the commissioners in
making this proposal, though l think
the chief one Is embodied In the state
ment above written. II was not claim
cd that the United States had right to
the Philippine islands as a matter of
conquest.
The United States hns never underta-
ken, 30 far as know. to wrest from n
foreign country lands or possessions
simply by right Of conquest.