Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-02-25

tudea and tho ostentatlous profession
Of virtue with which it was intcrlarded,
was nothing more or less than care
fully devised and studiOus missaic-
ment Of the issue between the chief
executive and those u his own party
who are opposed to his wrctched policy
Ia the Philippines II was an cnort 10
bofog the subject and to misload the
public judgment. We are told. sir.
that this address was received with
enthusiastic applause by those who
heard II. but We who read 1t In cold
print In the light u the indefenslblc
tragedy now being enacted near the
shores Of Asia. Involuntary think N
that creation of Charles DICKENS who
was accustomed 20 roll his eyes pious-
~ 10 heaven and cNclhim with great
Ostcntatlnn 10 those about him. My
friends. let ua be moral. and who was
the father OF two daughters, one OF
whom he named Charity and the other
Mercy
IFS exceiiency declared upon this
occasion. " not IN 20 many words. at
least IN effect. that h. had ncvof en-
tertuincd any policy with respect to the
Philippines up to the time the trcnty
uf ft0acc WAS ratified. but that h. had
simply held them aa commnndcr-i In
chiof the questions 90 Co their diHpo.
sitlon and control TO be determined
thereafter BY congresF
PERTINENT QUERIES.
~ the chief executive really fccis
~ he declared at the banquet that be-
did. that the disposition Of the Philip
pi1ncB IL q matter to b. dctoi mined 10y
ConHfasr. why duun he not call apc-
clni session OF Congress To- settle the
matter at once. aud then keep his
hands on. Heaven knows thcro u need
of action. n he IL sincere. why I'D he
a. la
vote down the other day the Bacon
resolution. which distinctly declared
that she United States entertained no
intontion 81 permanently holding these
islnudaf Why did be- insist that the
McEnorv resolution should b. passed.
a rcFolutlon which h a fraud. a delu-
sion and "a snare, % shameful evasion
which. like q Christmas tree. has some
thing upon II FOR everybody That
resolution 10 attended simply To- quiet
the conscience of the American people
To- iull ~ 10 sleep. while the President
goes ahead waglng relentless and
mcriclcHH war against the FllipinoH.nnd
laying deep ana secure the foundations
Tor permanent American colony
MIR Chairman. I am determined that
the President shall neither bcfpR the
issue between himself and those ~ the
Republican party who oppose his Phil
lppinr policy. nor miHlcud the public
Judgment. nor shirk the responsibility
fur the gross official blundrra which
he has committed IN connection with
this great problem. Insist that tho
whole policy ~ not simply an error, but
that Il IL q crime, ana that the chief
executive ~ this nation ~ the one who
hHs prccipitated upon ~ the cmhnr-
raFsmcntr ana the difficulties nv which
We nru now confronted. Insist that
h. did not simply hold the Philippines
~ cpmmnndcr-in.chio leaving the dis
position and control of them TO Com
grc"s but that he formulated nnd put
intn execution nm Affirmative and aF-
vrcraiyc rolicy.thnt Of their permanent
annexation Ia this country, ana forced
II To- the senate with all the power and
Influence which his high office enabled
him 10 employ.
a FATAL ERROR.
'rhc Presidents first impression was
10 demand Of the people 81 the Philip
plnea simply a conllng station. a meas
urc IMPLY sufficient for all our lcgitl.
mate purposes. ana the evacuation %
the islands by Spain without compcn-
nntiun by the taxpayers OF the United
States. Had he adhered 10 this. how
ever. all would have been well The
whole Union would have followed him
chcerfully. and today We would have
been NJ peace with the Philippine re-
public. our army and navy. which IL
now wugiug 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, ana We could now BE- getting
ready "a reduce instead of getting
ready 90 greatly increase the burden of
our taxation.
nut the President committed fatal
error. lie wrote into that treaty the
ohnoluto transfer OF Spanish sovcr-
eighty over the Philippines 10 ourselves
and the payment u Sso.o 1000 as a con-
sldcrutinn Tor the ccssion. Then he Is
sued 20 the people ~ the Philippines a
PROCLAMATION, In which he Informed
them that the United States had sue
ccrded 60 the title OF Spain. declared
that the government and control Of
their territory belonged 10 US. ordered
thom Co pay their taxes 90 the military
government which he established over
them. and blandly made known TO them
that our mission In their midst was one
81 benevolent assimilation
"'rhc President drove the treaty
through the Senate by the unlimited
exercise OF all those powers and innu-
onces which tho great Office he holds
makes possible.
MORE QUESTIONS.
what. then, did the chief executive
mean by telling those who gathered
around the banquet board at Boston
that up TO the ratification ~ the treaty
he had simply held the Philippines as
Communicating chief without any poll
Icy " his own. leaving the whole mat
ter o. be determined aftetward by tho
Congress? Was he foolish enough to
believe that his mere statement would
be- allowed To pass unchallengcdf Was
he vain enough 10 suppose that his
lpsc dixit would conclude the natter
with the dumning proof of It's falsity SO
near at hand2
'Mr. Chairman. why did the Prcsl-
dent change his original Intention as TO
the terms 90 be Incorporated Into the
treaty. What was the influences that
brought the change about I have
heard II stated that the applause of tho
people who greeted him lust about at
this juncturc NJ public AFFAIRS while he
WAS ON his tour IN the West, was the
reason for u. Was II, then, the condi-
tlou of public sentiment, rather than
the right or wrong ~ the matter. which
influenced tie Presidents mlndf Does
the chief executive regard his great
prcrOgatiyes TO be no hupinely repre-
sentative that he must needs nhdicntc
TO them at every popular wind that
hiows2 Does he feel that his high Of
Zee gives him no latitude for the eNer-
elise OF Individual Judgment aud of IN
denendont action? Did he make no al
luwnnre for transient ebullitinns ~
public enthusiasm and excitement,
overlook his opportunity To save the
people FOR themselves, lose sight Of all
the sacred traditions Of the country
aud fear 60 make his appeal TO that
ultimate tribunal which has so often
In our national history yindicnted those