The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-01-10

DtGlSlOll'
WASHINGTON. Jan. 9.--Mr. Hoars dis
cusslon of Mr.. Vests anti-eXpansion
resolution and Mr.. Platts reply thereto
WAS the event of todays session Of the
senate.
without adverting to the proposed
policy of the United states entering
upon au expansion Of its territory eN-
,,pt ia a general and indirect manner,
Mr.. uoar entered upon u discussion of
the constitutional phases OF the qucS-
tion involved in the resolution under
consideration. prefacing his argument
with "a statement Of his personal posi-
tipn on the subject
He said. Il am to opcak for my
country, for its whole past and for its
whole future. / am To speak to a peO-
pir whose fate is bound up in the pres
ovation Of our great doctrine Of con-
sttutiOnal liberty. | am to speak for
the dead soldier who gave his life tOr
liberty that his death might set Il seal
upon his cuuntry's historic glory.
am to speak for the Republican party,
al of whose great traditions are at
stake and all of whose great achieve
monts are in peril
1t is not my purpose, of course, 10
discuss the general considerations
which affect any acquisition Of sOVer-
eighty by the American people over
the Philippines which has been or may
he proposed. ! am speaking today
only of the theory of constitutional in
depreciation prOpoundnd by the sena-
tor from Connecticut (Mr Plato. If
at any time hereafter the senator shall
seek to put his theories into practice
by reducing to subsection a distant
people, dwelling in the tropics, aliens
in blood, most of them Moslem in faith,
incapable to speak or comprehend our
language Or to read or to write any
language, to whom the traditions and
the doctrines of civil liberty are un-
known it will be time to point out
what terrible results and penalties this
departure from our constitutional prin-
ciples will bring upon us"
THE WISEST BUILDERS.
Mr.. Hoar said that our fathers who
framed the constitution were the wisest
builders of states the world has yet
seen. They had studied ancient his
tory and had learned that while there
is little else that a Democracy cannot
accomplish it cannot rule over vassal
states or subject peoples without bring
ing the elements of death into it's own
constitution.
Only once was Mr. lIOar interrupted
and then by Mr.. Platt (Conn) at whom
the speech was specially directed
When Mr.. Hoar said that within the
past few months Mr.. Platt had chang
Cd his position, as, during the Cuban
H.. L.. 1,
sition that the Cubans are and of right
ought to be free and Independent. Mr..
Platt interrupted to say: II think the
senator has misstated my position. |
did not vote for that proposition"
In reply Mr.. Hoar inquired if Mr..
Platt. while he may not have voted
for the proposition, did he not actually
think the people of Cuba were entitled
10 be free and independent
Mr.. Platt-"The senator is tempting
me into a speech which he would not
tolerate if l should deliver it here"
MR.. PLATr'S SPEECH.
When Mr.. Hoar had concluded, Mr.
Platt addressed the senate He said:
Il cannot ask the Indulgence of the
senate at this time to reply extern
poraneously to the carefully prepared
argument of the senator from Massa-
chusetts. l can only say that / have
listened to it with great attention and
interest. The senator is a master of
language and an adept at the use of
sarcasm. lie has succeeded in cOnjur-
ing up a specter. which is really only q
snecter. lie has spent a large portion
of his argument in erecting n man of
straw and the remainder of his argu-
nent in demolishing that man Of straw.
lie has not answered the argument
which ! haG the honor to make, but
has misrepresented what | said"
Mr.. Platt maintained that Mr. HOar
had admitted his contention that this
country had the right to acquire and
govern distant territory, but that he
had unfairly presented what he (PlatD
had said about the acquisition and
government of such territory. He then
read from his own speech a paragraph
showing that ne held it to be the duty
of this country to provide for acquired
territory a most liberal and enlight-
ened system Of governmental govern
lnent in accord with the spirit of the
Declaration Of Independence and of the
Constitution,
Yet" said MIR Plat, with empha-
sis ana feeling, he holds me up here
as opposed To applying 10 the people of
this acquired territory the principles of
legislation in accordance with the spirit
uf the Declaration of Independence and
Of the Constitution. The United States
never has legislated i'm opposition 10
the declaration of independence and to
the constitution and 1t never will.
want to say, Mr., President, that an ap-
plication Of the doctrines Of the sena-
tor from Massachusetts would have
prevented our expansion westward
across this continent 10 the Pacific
coast. We found here this continent in
the hands Of the Indians, who lid not
want AS here nor did not want 10 be
placed undo our government. Not
Withstanding that condition, Ne estah-
lished our government here, and now,
AT last, We have brought many Of the
Indians 70 state of civilization and