The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-01-20

The democrats will cast their votes
with strong mental reservation
about the Philippines. But they
will do it as a matter of national
honor, that foreign countries may
not say we sent commissioners to
make a treaty ana had so little
confidence in them that we refused
t. ratify theiracts. Not all the dem.
O :ratic senator's will vote for the
treaty but there is no doubt that
the requisite two-thirds vote vii
be secured.
The democrats + perfectly we'll
aware that ratifying a treaty Civ
ing $50, 000, 900 for the Philippines,
we practically accept control of the
islands unless we want to make
Spain a present of $40, 0O0, 900 and
let her buy a new fleet for Cervera.
1t might be cheaper in the end if we
did that and dropped the Philippines
like a hot potato.
The siIvermen very logically
argue that they would only delay
and not defeat the treaty by refus-
ing to ratify it, thus mourning
much adverse foreign criticism.
They still leave the responsibility
for the future management OF the
Philippines on the administration.
A very serious responsibility too.
and Il for which the people will
hold them strictly to account. The
democrats will rise above partly
feeling on this occasion.
While we are talking about it. do
not forget that the anti-expansion
feeling on the republican side is
growing to be a pretty serious mat
ter. Senator Hoar, Senator Hale
and their colleagues will fight to
the last ditch. They are going to
disrupt the party on this issue. 1t
cannot be CLOSED over and forgot
ten. The treaty will be ratified and
the administration may force us in
to keeping the Philippines and 60
verning. But it will be one Of those
victories more costly than defeat.
The division among the silvermen
on this matter is very slight. Some
of them perfer to stand out and not
even ratify the treaty. They want
all the responsibility placed where
it belongs. There is no division
about the Philippines. They know
that we have no use for the islands
and no just claim to them.
Nice prospect of a bloody contest
with the Filipinos almost any day
now. That shows what we are up
against. Flight with the Ameri-
cans unavoidable vas about the
last sweet message we got from
them before we put a censor on the
caole SO the people might not feel
alarmed about what we are gong
to get for twenty millions. THE
harbor of Manila bloked by the in
surgents.' is the latest. The
Filipinos are not fools even if they
are savages. They do not want a
change of masters. Thee want
freedom. They don't mind killing
"a few thousands Of soluiers to get it,.
What a pity to spill American
blood fighting savages who never
did us any harm and whose islands
we do not really want. However,
this may be the sharp lesson the ad.
min;stration needs. Actual BLOOD
shed frightens the %cowardly pluto.
crat more than tons of talk. A con.
flict now may show the fallacy of
trying to keep the Philippines and
say greater los, of life later.
Nicaragua canal legislation is in
danger of defeat. The canal idea is
popular and has plenty of support
ers. The lobby is working the mis-
chief. II IS a well-naid, powerful,
sleek, able and u%nscrupulcus lobby.
Mark the cunning lobby. 1t never
fights in the open. 1t s~killfully ar
rays the friends Of the measure
against each other on little petty
details, gets them quarreling over
trif1es and wastes precious time.
The measure will fail to pass for
want of vigorous and united action
by its friends. The are about a
dozen bills now before the house
canal committee, each one calling
for the construction of a canal and