The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-02-25

| 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. We
| are told, sir, that this address was re-
| ceived with an enthusiastic applause
by those who heard it, but we who read
| it in cold print in the light of indefenSi-
| bic 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 osten-
tation to those about him my friends,
| let US be moral and who was the
father of two daughters, one of whom
he named Charity and the other Mercy.
ROASTS MCKINLEY.
"His excellency declared upon this
occasion if not in so many words, at
least in effect, that he had never en-
tertained any policy with respect to the
of peace was ratified; but that he had
simply held them as commander-in-
chief the questions as to their DISPOSE
ton and control to be determined there
after by congress.
IF the chief executive really feels as
he declares at the banquet that he did
that the disposition of the Philippines
is matter to be determined by con-
gress, why does he not call a special
session of congress to settle the matter
at once and then keep his hands off.
Heaven knows there is need of action.
If he is sincere why did he permit his
supporters in the senate to vote down
the other day the Bacon resolution
which distinctly declared that the Uni
ted States entertained no intention of
permanently holding these islands. Why
did he insist that the McEnery resolu-
ton should be passed; a resolution
which is a fraud,a delusion and a snare,
a shameful evasion, which, like Chist-
mas tree has something upon it for ev-
erybody. That resolution is intended
simply to quiet the conscience of the
American people, to lull all opposition
SlaRn president
waging rentless and merciless war
against the Filipinos and laying deep
and secure the foundations for a per-
manent American colony.
Mr.. Chairman, I am determined
that the president shall neither befog
the issue between himself and those of
the Republican party who oppose his
Philippine policy nor miSlead the public
judgment, nor shirk the responsibility
for the gross official blunders which he
has committed in connection with this
great problem. I insist that the whole
policy is not simply an error, but that
it is a crime, and that the chief eXecII-
tive of this nation is the one who has
precipitated upon US the embarrass-
ments and the difficulties by which we
are now confronted. I insist that he
did not simply hold the Philippines as
communicative chief, leaving the QueS-
ton of disposition and control of them
to congress, but that he formulated and
put into execution an affirmative and
aggressive policy, that of their perma-
nent annexation to this country, and
forced it on to the senate with all power
abled him to employ.
HIS FATAL ERROR.
"The presidents first impression was
to demand of the people of the Philip
pines simply coaling station, meas
ure amply sufficient for all our legiu-
mate purposes, and the evacuation of
the island by Spain without a compen-
sation by the taxpayers of the United
L. 70 17nxx
ever, all would have been we'll The
whole union would have followed him
cheerfuly. and today he would have
been at peace with the Philippine re-
public; our army and navy, which is
now waging war against our former
friends and allies, would have been dis
banded. No army bill for standing
army of 100000 men would have been
pending, and we could now be getting
ready to reduce instead of getting
ready to greatly increase the burden of
taxation. But the president committed
a fatal error. He wrote into that treaty
the absolute transfer of Spanish SOW
ereignty over the Philippines to our
selves and the payment of $20,OOO,OOO
as a consideration for the cession. Then
he issued to the people OF the Philip
pines that proclamation in which he in
formed them that the United States had
succeeded to the title of Spain, declared
that the government and control of
their territory belong to US, ordered
them to pay their taxes to the military
government which he established over
them and blandly made known to them
that our mission in their midst was one
of benevolent assimilation
1.-THE president drove the treaty
through the senate by the unlimited ex-
ercise of all those powers and influences
which the great office he holds makes
possible.
what, then, did the chief executive
mean by telling those who gathered
around the banquet board at Boston
70 Z ], fRo ion Of frn9 tU
he had simply held the Philippines as
COMMUNICATIVE chief without any policy
of his own, leaving the whole matter
to be determined afterward by the con-
eress? Was he foolish enough to be-
lieve that this, 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 his falsity
so near at hand?
MIR. 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? I have
heard it stated that the applause of
the people who greeted him just about
this juncture of public affairs, while
he was on his tour in the west, was the
reason 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 great prerogatives
to be so supinely representative that he
must needs abdicate them at every I'M
popular wind that blows?
IS HE AFRAID?
"Does he feel that his high office gives
him no latitude for the exercise of in
dividua1 judgment and of independent
action Did he make no allowance for
transient ebullitions of public enthu-
siasm and excitement and overlook his
opportunity to save the people from
themselves, lose sight of all the sacred
traditions of the country and fear to
make his appeal to that ultimate trib-
unal which has so often in our national
history Nindica ted those who have fear