The San Francisco call., 1899-05-07
OUR VOLUNTEERS INSULTED.
ONG ago anticipating the present situation il
the Philippines, The Call drawing an analog,

ONG ago. anticipating the present situation in
the Philippines, The Call drawing analogy
= from the history OF the Roman republic, OBJ
served that our army, especially the volunteers
almost wholly composed OF American citizens edu-
Gated in our common schools, who would not desire
to remain permanently in any Asiatic possessions we
might acquire and that il we determined to retain
Asiatc colonies or territory, they would inevitably
have to be replaced by rnercenaries
1t was not expected, however that year after our
great victory in Manila Bay our volunteers would be
characterized by civil military officers as if they
were already included in the category OF mercenaries
Yet apparently such the fact The good OF the
distribution OF pointed additions to Congressional
literature against imperialism by Edward Atkinson
may be fairly questioned but suppress their circu-
laton through the mails on the avowed ground that
they tended to excite INSTRUMENTATION among the
citizen soldiers OF this republic is a gross and
rantable imputation, which is OF piece with the
tabshnent OF a press censorship at Manila Citizens
OF the United States whether at home abroad,
whether in civil military and naval occupations,
carry their citizenship with them and qualified to
hold their own individual opinions on questions OF
law or policy and simultaneously to stand by their
cohntry and by their flag They need no such exclu-
sion from domestic and foreign information as might
be indispensable maintain the loyalty Of paid mer-
cenaries, reduced to the condition OF subjects
Ii Edward Atkinson has broken a law OF the United
States he has incurred the penalty attached to the act
Upon this ground, but not to prevent discomfort or
mutiny in military force in the Philippines the
action OF the Postal Department may be justified II
has been frequently stated without apparent contra
dicton, that an overwhelming majority OF our volun
tcers opposed to the permanent retention of the
Philippines in which exercise OF their constitutional
rights they have so lar antagonized any official
utterance OF the Government Their personal views
have not dampened their military ardor or their pa
trlOtc Amercanism or caused the slightest break in
our victorious progress.
tremendous effort to drag this country into an
imperial policy is apparent not in President McKin-
ley and his Cabinet nor among the industrious and
intelligent producers who compose nineteen TWEEN
heths OF our population even, except to a limited
extent, among the aborous representatives OF solid
enterprise and OF accumulated capital but in the class
OF speculative monoposts, who enjoy their ease at
home and are searching for new fields for their un-
American methods abroad. These men are not only
willing but anxious that their wealth be increased not
by legitimate operations within our undeveloped ter
rtory on this continent, but through the sweat and
toll and bloody sacrifices OF our young citizens in
foreign parts, who expected to open the door TO
cheap labor and to supply unlimited opportunities for
unpatrotc opulence.
1t has not yet been settled that our institutions are
to be abandoned has the power Of the law or the
political authority OF the people yet been successfully
disputed.