Iron County register., 1899-02-23
LET THEM SPEAK
The Republican Aamtnistrafisa ARaz
Treaehery 90 Exast1a
0G Dnry-

The treaty Of peace has been ratified
The TRAITORS -eopperhead<- and ~ab-
structionists" no longer stand in ths
| way Of progress Is il not time tkai
| the administration should declare q
the people of this country its Policy
respecting tbs Philippine srchiPelagO7
Are we not entitled 10 know, either
from the white house or from the sen
ate chamber, just what Is 10 be done
with the islands? Is there any longer
| an excuse for eoncealment or delay@
The question is an important one Il
| involves momentous Consequences We
| are TO continue on war footing in
definitely-paying heavy taxes for ths
maintenance Of large army-0r We
are to revert gradually 10 The status
quo ante bellum, devoting ourselves 10
commerce instead Of conquest We
should know at once which policy We
are to follow. We have no such kEowR-
edge now.
William Mckinley Is the leader of
his party-at least he Is supposed to
be. Can anyone, from his coErradie-
tory declarations. form an idea OF the
republican party's policy with regard
10 the Phihppines2 A year and = half
ago he declared officially that terri
torial aggression would be crime In
September of this year he adopted the
policy he once denounced and through
his commissioners al Paris demanded
and secured from Spain the cession OF
the entire Philippine archipelago
Three months age he proclaimed 10 the
Fihpinos that they were 10 be made
subjects of the American republic
"beneyolently assimilated.- as he pre-
ferred to put II. Yet week later his
personal organ in Chicago. reinforced
by Senator Foraker in Washington. sx-
plicitly denied that there was any in
tention to '.assimilafe- the FIlipinos
against their will Is anything 10 be
made of this tumble of contradiction
affirmations one week, deEials the
next? Why shouldn't the presidents
speak?
Or, if the president won't speak, why
shouldn't the senate speak for him2
We have heard from the senate great
deal of perfervid patriotic oratory dur
ing the last five weeks. Appeals have
been made TO the loyalty of ant<ex-
pansion senators. The old flag has
been waved as persistently as if an
appropriation bill were under discus
sion. ''Ratify the treaty as PATRIOTS
Americans" has been the cry, and It
has been responded to- Yet now that
the treaty has been ratified there il
no disposition manifest TO define the
policy of the government in the Phil
ippines- Thus treachery is added 10
evasion.
Surely this is cowardly and pirifuf
attitude to be assumed by a party which
claims TO have behind it the great ma
jority Of the people-democrats as well
as republicans. All that is needed il
a simple declaration from the presi-
dent or from the senate Are we TO
keep the Philippines temporarily or
permanently? Is territorial aggres-
sion a crime or is it not? Are we TO
lick war stamps until the end of time
or are we some day to return 10 the
comfortable if ing1orious task of mind
ing our own business, leaving the Fill
pinos, the Cubans and all the other
barbarians on earth to take care OF
themselves?
Isn't there manhood enough in the
national administration TO face the
question and make plain answer once
for al?-Chicago Chronicle.