Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-01-26
s5th CONGRESS-.


tney nau q stable government IOuHueu
upon the free consent of the governed.
To attempt to subvert the government.
he charged, would be an 'unspeakable
crime that should bring the blush of
shame to the cheek of every free born
American"
They had not waged war for a change
of masters. They had rejected with the
high sounding manifestos of the Presi-
dent of the United States. They preferred
20 be free, and they now stood with arms
in their hands undaunted, standing
against the United states for indepen-
dence and liberty they stood against
Spain. A people with such stamina are
worthy of their freedom.
"Could it be called criminal aggression
to, annex Cuba and not criminal aggres-
sion to annex the Philippines? 1t was
true the natives We're alien in race, lam
guage and habits of thought, and there
fore the whole scheme was to hold them
as Spain had held her colonies in times
of peace, as England held hers now,
ruled over by military satraps They
might not be as capable as we for seif
government" said johnson, with biting
sarcasm They might not be able to cor
rupt legislatures in order to hold dishon-
ored seats in the Senate as we are.
They might not be able to decide con-
tested election cases according to party
considerations, instead of their merits as
ave were; they might not be able to prac-
tice fraud and chicanery at elections.
They might be lacking all these essential
attributes to republicanism. but they were
capable of constituting d government ac-
cording to their own ideas.
Johnson paid high tribute to Agui-
nado and Agoncllo. IF William Nc
Kinley ever changes his policy regarding
the Philippines he declared in stento-
rian tones, she will bend to the weight OF
popular opinion to which he bows, right
or wrong"
This utterance raised storm of APP
plause from the Democratic side. John
son requested that such Interruptions
cease, they took up his time. Several
times before he had made a similar r
quest.
" should imagine the gentleman could
tolerate Democratic applause" inter-
rupted Henderson. r. l.
1.-The gentleman can always tolerate the
applause of honest men, no matter
whence it comes replied johnson, quick
ly. 81 pride myself. Mr.. Speaker" he
continued, that / have broadened since
/ entered public life. My party is means
not an end with me, and when l believe
my party is wrong. nothing can make me
abat4 my independence Great Demo-
cratic applause).
He denounced the Presidents course as
a policy of evasion and charged that
his supporters were conjuring up spectres
to drive in the opposition.
Al say we should fight this treaty from
start to finish. We should meet this whole
question on the threshold and strangle II
to death. My word for it, it will not be
many months before the tide of public
sentiment which the President vainly
magines is now carrying him to a second
term, will recede and leave him high and
dry
''If the treaty is ratified without be-
ing coupled with resolution declaring
for the ultimate independence Of the
islands it will be the death knell Of all
our efforts to stop the torrent He
would vote for the bill to reorganize
the army but before God he would
never vote for a standing army of l00,-
900 whose ultimate object was to es-
tablish a colonial system. IF | were
in the Senate he said, Il would rot in
my seat first, l would scorn the de
mands of a state legislature and the
clamor of the press. / would let them
malign my character and misinterpret
my motives but | would never swerve
from what | believed to be right
johnson next referred to the part
Breat Britain had taken in inducing
he United States to enter into con-
troversies of the Far East and of the
manner in which British assistance
WAS being given to the ubiquitous
policy of William Mckinley. Lex there
be a new treaty. he vehemenuy plead
cd. Let it not give $20000,e00 fer Il
cession of the Philippines to the tnltei
Dates, but let it prove unequiVocaiiN
that Spain withdrew fl om the Philip
pines and give to the Filipnos the m
eStimable blessings Of liberty THIS
world grabbing policy meant constant
war ana rumors of war, the hurrying
of ships, the concentration OF great
forces of armed men, the gliStenlng 81
bayouets and sabres. the fitting 0ut OF
vast expeditions of transports, the
building of great dock yards, the en-
barking on a course like that of Eng
land which had embroiled it in war uu
interruptedly for 100 years.
The Indiana member now turned to
the cost of expansion" He detailed
the cost of the war to be estimated at
Sl45 900 for the military establish
ment and $il000.000 for the naval es-
Establishment for the next fiscal year. X
showed, he said. that our war budget
exceeded that of the great military
powers of the world" 1t was within
$4,000, 900 of the cost of Great Britain's
vast establishment by which she ruled
her colonial empire. 1t was more than
the war budget of Germany. more than
that of France or of any other nation
on the face of the globe. And this was
to realize the wild dream of expan-
sion"
The Monroe doctrine. he declared.
would vanish with the annexation of
the Philippines. If we reached out into
the other hemisphere we could not
with propriety resist aggression on
this. In concluding Johnson said that
the cup of our national humilia ton
was filled to overlooking. and in clos
ing, said:
We have witnessed the splendid
achievements of our soldiers and sailors
in no nj n