The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-02-25


his seat and there, within the shadow of the
monument of Bunker HILL where Warren
fell fighting for liberty, and within stones
throw OF Faneuil Hall, where time and again
the true sons of the old Bay State have sent
forth to the country their messages of free
dom, he delivered perhaps the most remark,
able certainly the most distinguished address
that ever fell from the lips of an American
president.
This address, Invested of Its verbage. con-
sidered apart from its plattudes and the
ostentatious profession of virtue with which
II was tnterlarded. was nothing more nor
less than carefully devised and studious
misstatement 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 effort to befog the
subject and to mislead the public judgment.
SURFACE PIETY
We are told that this address was
received with enthusiastic applause by those
who heard 1t. but We who read 1t in cold
print, in the light of the indefensible tragedy
now being enacted near the shores of Asia,
involuntarily think of that creation Of Charles
Dickens 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 the father of
two daughters, one Of whom he named Char
ity and the other Mercy.
His eXcel!ency declared upon this occasion,
If not in so many words at least in effect,
that he had entertained any policy
with respect to the Philippines up to the time
the treaty of peace was ratified but that he
had simply held them as commander chief
the questions to their disposition and con-
troll to be determined thereafter by congress.
II the chief executive really feels he
declared at the banquet, that the disposition
OF the Philippines is matter to be determined
|. by congress, why does he not call special
session of congress to settle the matter at
! once, and then keep his hands off. He knows
| there is need of action. II he is sincere why
| did he permit his supporters in the senate
| to vote down, the other day, the Bacon ressolu-
| ton, which distinctly declared that the Unit
| ed States entertained intention of perm
| anently holding these islands. Why did he
insist that the McEnery resolution should be
passed; resolution which is a fraud a
| deIuSion and snare. a shameful evasion
| which. like Christmas tree. had something
| upon it for everybody. That resolution is
| intended simply to quiet the conscience of
| the American people, to luN all opposition to
| sleep, while the president goes ahead waging
relentless and merrlless war against the
Fiiipinos, and lying deep and secure the
foundations for permanent American colony.
IOAlC1 10 "A CRlME.
am determined that the president shall
neither befog the issue between himself and
| those Of the party who oppose his Philippine
| policy nor mislead the public Judgment. nor
| shirk the responsibility for the gross official
| plumbers which he has committed liz connec-
| ton with this great problem l insist that the
| whole policy is not simply error, but that
! 1t is a crime. and that the chief executive
| OF this nation IS the one who has precipitated
upon US the endorsements and the diff
| culties by which we are now confronted
l insist that he did not simply hold the
| Philippines as commandments chief, leaving
| the question of the disposition and control
| of them to congress, but that he formulated
| and put into execution affirmative and az
gressive policy, that OF their permanent an
nexatlon to this country, and forced 1t
! through the senate with all the powers of
influence which his high office enabled him
! to employ.
The presidents first impression was to
| demand of the Fiipinos simply a coaling sta
| ton, a measure amply sufficient for all of
| our legitimate purpose, and the evacuation
OF the Island by Spain without a compensa-
! ton by the taxpayers of the United States
| Had he adhered to this all would have been
| we'll. The whole Union would have followed
| him cheerfully, and today we would have been
| at peace with the Philippine republic; our
| army and navy. which is now waging war
| against our former friends and allies would
have been disbanded. No army bill for a
| standing army of 100000 men would have
been needed. and we could now be getting
| greatly increase the burden of taxation.
greatly increase the burdn of our taxation
But the president committed fatal error.
He wrote into that treaty the absolute trans
fer of Spanish sovereignty over the Philip
pines to ourselves and the payment of S2o,-
/ 100000 as consideration for the cession.
Then he issued to the people of the Philip
pines that proclamation in which he inform
ed them that the United States had succeed
ed to the title of Spain, declared that the
| government and control of their territory be-
longed to US. ordered them to pay their taxes
to the military government which he estab-
lished over them, and blandly made known
to them that our mission in their midst was
one of benevolent assimilation" The presi-
dent drove the treaty through the senate by
| unlimited exercise of all those powers and
influences which the great Office he holds
| makes possible.
BID FOR POPULARITY.
What then did the chief executive mean BY
telling those who gathered around the bane-
ful board at Boston that up to the ratifica-
ton of the treaty he had simply held the
any policy of his own, leaving the whole mat
ter to be determined afterward by the con-
gress? Was he foolish enough to believe
| that his mere statement would be allowed to
pass unchallenged? Was he vain enough to
suppose that his ipse dixit would conclude
the matter with the damning proof Of its
falsity SO near at hand?
Mr.. Chairman, why did the president
change his original intention as to the terms
to be incorporated into the treaty? What
were the influences that brought the change
about? l have heard it stated that the ap-
plause of the people who greeted him lust
about this juncture of public affairs while
he was on his tour in the West was the rea-
son for it. Was it then the condition OF
public sentiment rather than the right or
wrong of the matter which influenced the
presidential mind?
Does the chief executive regard his ereat
prerogative to be so supinely representative
that he must needs abdicate them at every
popular wind that blows? Does he feel that
his high office gives him no latitude for the
exercise of individual judgment and of in
dependent action? Did he make no allow
ance for transient ebullitions of public en-.
thusiasm and excitement overlook his oppor-
tunity to save the people from themselves lose
sight of all the sacred traditions of the coun-
try and fear to make his appeal to that ulti-
mate tribunal which has so often in our ma
tional history vindicated those who have fear
lessly stood for the right in public affairs
the SOBER second thought of the great Amer
lean people.
And is his excelency quite sure that he
properly gagged the condition OF the public
mind on the subject of Philippine anneXa-