The Meeker herald., 1899-02-18
SPEECH BY WOLCOTT.
DISCUSSES EXPANSION.
Take, tn. Position rh.. tn. Peace rrea,,
should BE Ratified ON Patriot I
Grounds.

spoke upon the peace treaty. He at-
tempted no discussion of the pending
resolutions, but urged the ratification
of the treaty on purely moral and pat
riotic grounds.
at was not" said he, until it be
| came patent that the resolutions pend
| ing before the Senate We're being used
merely as a cloak with which to defeat
the treaty of peace that he determined
to say few words
His own belief was that discussion
of the treaty should take place in ex'
ecutive session. but senators had taken
opportunity In presenting their views
upon the resolutions TO discuss the
treaty, and lie felt II necessary to say
| something also. He said that the wal
with Spain had had no charms fol
him, and he had walked with perhaps
reluctant feet along the lines of duty
marked out for him.
II the commissioners appointed by
the President had presented TO the
Senate treaty yielding up the Phil
| ippine islands. he would have felt il
his duty to ratify their action; II they
had in the treaty held only Il coaline
station. he would have felt bound
equally to support their action.
In their WISDOM said he, "they
have brought to us a treaty providing
for the taking of the entire Philippine
group, and l see before me my duty
to assist In the ratification of that
action
After reviewing briefly the results OF
the war and the negotiations which
led to the appointment of the peace
commission, Mr.. Wolcott said: "Tho
| f,ta INV thn TBNrc
dent We're men of eminent character
and ability. We may judge something
of the commission by the members of
It that were selected by this body. Not
one man here is there who would not
| trust to any OF them the most intri-
cate and delicate matter. They have
brought back here n treaty with Spain
by which we may deal with the Fill
pinos as Congress hereafter may wisely
determine. Yet we stand here day
after day wrangling over resolutions
of no force and effect and which serve
only to embarrass our own people In
the Philippines and afford comfort to
our opponents on the Islands, There
is not one of these questions raised
which may not properly be dealt with
after the treaty is ratified.
1--WE should present united front
|
ternal policies.
However much we may differ
among ourselves upon questions of in
ternal policy" said he, I'VE ought to
stand as one before n foreign foe. l.
for one, recognize n great difference
between n treaty establishing CONNER
cial relations with another nation and
n treaty bringing to a conclusion a
successful war 1t is important that
we should present an unbrOken front
in meeting a question Of this kind
We owe debt to our brethren across
the sea: We had their unqualified
trained diplomats throughout the war.
Had 1t not been for England we should
not have merged from the late wal
with colors flying SO high. To-day we
have among the nations of Europe
only one friend-Great Britain. The
other nations stand with rapacious
hate. hoping that we may encounter
some repulse."
Adverting to the attitude of the Oh
ponents of the treaty in endeavorinp
to inject. as he said. politics into the
consideration of the pending question
and to force out of it an issue for the
next presidential campaign. Mr.. Vol
colt said:
But it is deplorable that in formu
hitting such an issue and in pursuit of
such policy these leaders should find
1t necessary to seek to dshonor thi.
government and the administration
which has guided us so wisely through
the troubled sea Of international com
plications and brought us to the
threshold of an honorable peace that
they should dishOnor lis in the face of
the nations of the world and they
should seek to bring about some fan
cied political advantage by an attempt
to defeat the ratification of n treaty
which. II unratified. must bring back n
condition Of war as it existed before
the report Of the commissioners, pass
I've 1t may be. but full of uncertainty
and full of disaster to the interests and
the welfare of our country.
II do not believe such tactics can
win. There are men enough on both
sides of this chamber who will stand
by the government. not because 1t is
Republican government. but because
K is an American government
THE results of the war have left lis
charged with duty to 100000 of
people. We found them under the do
minion Of Spain. Nobody wants to
turn them back to that nation We
know little about them. but we dc
know there exists n condition on the
islands which would result in interne-
cine strife among people who may
or may not be fitted for self-govern.
ment.
"Our relations with the inhabitants
of those islands," continued Mr.. VOL
colt, ARE certain to be fair, honest and
Just. We may make mistakes We
have made mistakes in the past But
with our protecting hand over them
those people will find themselves more
secure in their lives. property md
happiness than they have been be-
fore"
In answer to the charge that the
acquisition of the islands would he
contrary to the spirit of our Republic.