The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-11
He TRUSTS THE PEOPLE
Mason Speaks for the Rights of
the Filipinos.
PREDICTS TEA PARTIES
Yankee Doodle Has Been Heard in the
Archipelago-No Such Thing as
Teaching the Art OF Self
Government.

Washington, Jan. Ex-senator Mason
of Illinois occupied the attention of the
senate for nearly an hour and half
to-day with speech in support of his
resolution declaring that the United
States will never attempt to govern the
people of any country without their
consent. In many respects the spec III
was one of the most notable utterances
in the senate thus far this session.
Rugged in language, pointed and effect
i've in Illustration. Mr.. Mason COM
manded the attention of the senate and
galleries from the first sentence of his
speech to the apostrophe. to liberty
which formed his peroration. Several
times spontaneous applause swept the
galleries, but under the stringent rules
OF the senate it was Quelled quickly.
1t was several minutes after the con-
clusion of the speech before the senate
could proceed with it's business on ac-
count of the confusion incident to the
congratulations with which Mr. Ma
sons friends FASTENED to extend to
him. The Nicaragua canal bill was dis
cussed by Mr. Turley of Tennessee, who
opposed the pending measure. An
agreement was reached to consider the
piil VII ueSudN, Will 10 minutes 10 us
cuSS each amendment.
At the beginning of to-day's session
of the senate, Chandler introduced
resolution for the distribution of the
appropriation bills and indicated that
he would precipitate this fight soon
The senate passed the bill authorizing
the secretary of agriculture to prepare
a report showing the average tiuctua-
ton from year to year of farm pro-
ducts.
Senator Mason then took the floor for
his announced speech upon his 'resolu-
ton declaring all just powers of gov
eminent are derived from the consent
of the government and that the United
States should make no attempt to gov
ern a people against their will.
1T is easy to drift with the tide" be-
gan Mr.. Mason, but it is not always
safe. The simple resolution I have in
troduced has nothing necessarily to DO
with any treaty, nor do / intend to
speak of any proposed treaty. The res
olution does not involve a question of
law, but is question as to tho further
policy of this republic | am willing to
trust the people, and I want the people
to hear both sides of the case before
the verdict is rendered. Distinguished
editors and statesmen say the republ-
can party favors governing certain ma
Who dares speak in advance for the
party that speaks only in it's conven-
ton? That party sprung like a young
giant from the womb of conscience and
made it's first fight for human liberty.
1t has never bowed to the storm of ex-
pediency. and if I may be allowed to
prophesy, I predict that the delegates
will go soon again and the rafters will
ring again and again when they de-
H.. i
citizen of the Philippines as they did
two years ago for Cuba.
DO you say l am speaking for the
Philippines? Yes. one word for them
and two for ourselves. A black man
said to senator the other day I thank
you for speaking of my race and the
senator replied I am speaking one
word for your race and two for n Y
own; nothing ever in the war fettered
the white race so much as trying for
a hundred years to keep the black man
down.. l may appear to speak one
word for the Philippines, but two for
my own people, when l plead for the
broad manhood of the man who wrote
All Just powers of government are de-
rived from the consent of the govern
ed. You cannot govern the Philip
pines without taking them. You nave
not yet their consent and the PROPOSE
ton of taxation without representation
is made again. Look out for tea par
ties. Those little semi social functions
are likely to break out even there, for
Hail Columbia and Yankee Doodle have
been heard in the archipelago.
I'VE may talk of it as we please, but
there is nothing that satisfies the hu-
man mind in an enlightened age unless
man is governed by his own country
and the institutions of his own govern
ment. We are now asked to say to the
citizens of the Philippines: You poor,
ignorant creatures; you cannot govern
yourselves; We will extend our COM
merce and we will do it for you. You
don't know how to tax yourselves and
in order that we may continue to eXer-
else our Christian duty to you we will
prevent your exercising sovereignty
we will exercise that function our
selves
Mr. President, they will never learn
to govern themselves while we govern
them. There is no such thing as teaclr-
ing the art of self government. For
over 100 years every lover of liberty
has pointed to this sentence within
this resolution, that all just powers
of government are derived from the
consent of the governed as a reason
for their fight for liberty. This SEN
tence has been pillar of fire by night
pressed all over the world. In the light
of this sentence crowns have fallen into
dust and the foundation of republics
has been laid. You ask for expansion.
See how We have expanded in the time
since this sentence was written. Not
only have republics started up in place
of monarchies, but monarchies have
themselves gradually broadened into
constitutional governments, getting
nearer and nearer to the voice of the
people. Our own was the first great
republic and in the better and broader
sense our flag floats from the dome OF
every republic. From Brazil to Mic
aragua and Venezuela, the brave little
republican flag is floating. 1t may not
be striped or starred like our own, but
it breathes defiance to the monarchies
of the world because our flag is in our
sky and because the Monroe doctrine
is written forever in the hearts of the
people,"