The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-10-04
Outlines Position of His Party
on Question.
WHAT is FAVORED.
Would Have President McEin-
ley Withdraw Forces.
FiIipinOs Should Be Allowed to
Establish Own Government.

pansion, next year, is fully outlined IN
the following statements, made by the
chairman of the state executive COM
nittee, Taylor Riddle. These views are
in harmony with at least some of the
POpuIist leaders. Mr.. Riddle said:
Il favor expansion in the western
hemisphere on American principles. L
oppose an attempt to establish a uni
versal empire on British or other mon
archial principles. I think it was
great mistake on our part to inaugur-
ate the war, and the mistake is made
the more serious the longer it is con-
tinued. OF course, it was all right for
Dewey to sink the Spanish fleet in Ma
Mia bay, but it would have been bet
ter if our government had then ordered
him to sail home with his victorious
fleet.
There was Spanish army at Manila,
too, but the Filipino army had invested
the city, and by the destruction of the
Spanish fleet the natives, the rightful
owners and rulers of the islands, would
soon have achieved their independence
for which they had been fighting for
300 years. And, even if they had been
unable to drive out the Spaniards at
that time, we would have been in no
way to blame.
I'VE had the right in time of war to
strike the enemy wherever found. But
in this undertaking we made the Fill
pinos our allies, and they were induced
to believe that we were assisting them
in achieving their independence. We
did not say that we wanted them to
assist US in destroying the Spanish
yoke so that we might impose an
American yoke in it's place. We acted
treacherOusly with our former allies
They believed us their deliverers from
oppression; but we deceived them, and
as soon as the SpanlardS surrendered,
We turned our guns against the Fill
pinos, refused them entrance to Manila,
and treated their army as a hostile
l. . to-,
between the two armies that had been
allies against Spain continued to in
crease day by day and month by month
until the actual breaking out of hostii-
ties.
THE FiIipinos made che first attack,
though that is a subject of dispute. The
strict censorship of the press, however,
has prevented us from hearing much
but the side most favorable to US; but I
do not attach great Importance to the
question whether the first shot was
fired from a Filipino or an American
regiment, or whether the shot was or
was not authorized by an order from a
superior officer. or by any officer what
ever. The fact is that the victories of
our army and navy had thrilled many
of our people with the love of conquest
with a spirit Incompatible with the
genius of our institutions, which is gov
eminent by consent, not by force. Alex
ander, Caesar and Bonaparte dreamed
of a universal empire by military con-
quest, followed by military despotism,
and this same spirit caught hold of our
people. The glOrieS of an Anglo-Ameri-
can alliance, whereby the so-called An
glo-Saxon race should rule the world,
were sounded here and in England.
The peace commission at Paris had
agreed to pay Spain twenty millions OF
dollars for all her rights of sovereignty
and property in the Philippine islands,
and the treaty of peace was before the
American senate and nearing a vote
when the first shot was fired.
This government had not given and
would not give a word of assurance to
the Filipinos that they should, soon or
late, have their independence, nor that
they should not be governed as they
had been for 300 years by a military
despotism. Nothing was in sight for
the FilipinOs but a yoke. No prepara-
ton was being made for the departure
of our troops, but our military and
naval forces were being strengthened in
that quarter, for what? Could any "a
tional man say or believe 1T was for
any other purpose than conquest and
subjugation? That our government had
such designs. was heralded throughout
the world by the American and British
press, and what was known to all the
rest of the world must have been
known to the Filipinos. An assurance
to them by our government like that
made to the Cubans that our purpose
was not conquest, or a declaration by
our president. similar to that concern
ing Cuba, that annexation by force
would be criminal aggression and not
to be thought Of would have silenced
every Filipino musket and made every
possessor of one our lasting friend. But
under the circumstances existing, it
matters little from which direction the
first shot came.
1T is never too late to do right or re-
trace a false step. It might not be best
to withdraw all our troops from the
islands at once. But the Fiipinos ought
to be assured that our purpose is not
conquest or subjugatiOn, and that we
will recognize their independence as
rxrIH nf
eminent are set in motion, and that we
will aid them in starting as in Cuba
This would not be a back down or re-
treat on our part. Tt would be a SpIen-
did diplomatic victory and would end
the war on American principles.
1T may be, according to our Ameri-
can standards, which have been the
growth of centuries. the F1IipinOS are
not capable of government, but
they should be allowed to establish and
maintain as good a government as they
are capable of, and we could not be
blamed if it is not as good as our own.
The South and Central American re-
publics, Mexico and even France have
governments inferior to ours, but we
made haste to recognize them. Most
of those who are encouraging this war
on the Filipinos are imperialists. They
do not favor the right of those people
either to govern themselves or to be-
come citizens of this great republic
They say the British colonial system
must be adopted.-that these people
can not De admitted to equal citizenship
with US, but must be governed as sub
iects and held in subsection by military
force as Great Britain holds and rules
India. We are expanding too fast when
it becomes necessary to subvert the
principles of our own government
adopt those of a monarchy, and rule
part of our people as subjects, not as
citizens. Such a policy would indicate
to the people of the old world that we
had acknowledged the failure of popu-
lar government, and that the Declara-
ton of Independence, though establish