The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1899-04-20
The Shame of the Nation
Senator Hoar on War Against the
Fllipin0s.

A letter bearing date of February
4, and signed by 100 or more of the
most prominent men in and around
Boston, headed by Ex-Governor
George S. Boutwell,, commencing
the attitude in Congress of Senator
Hoar and inviting him to address
them at future date, has been
made public. Accompanying it is
the letter of acknowledgment from
Senator Hoar, bearing date of
March 80, in which he says:
81 do not think there is any reas.
on personal to me for holding such
public meeting. Undoubtedly
there should be and there will be
many public meetings the country
over to protest against trampling
under foot the rights of a brave
people struggling for their liberties,
the violations of the principles of
our own Constitution AMI of the
Declaration of Independence, and
the continuance by the American
people in the costly and ruinous
path which has Brought other re-
publics to ruin and shame, which
will dishonor labor, place intoler-
able burdens upon agriculture, and
fasten upon the republic the shame
of what President Mckinley has
so lately and so truthfully declared
to be criminal aggression.
"But think it will be wiser to
have meetings of that character a
little later rather than just now.
We do not yet know whether the
present war for the subjugation of
the people Of the Philippines is to
continue indefinitely, or whether
there is to be a speedy submission
to the overwhelming power of the
United States.
"If the war shall shortly be end
ed, we shall then be able to discuss
the question of our national duty
free from the disturbing influences
which exist always when the coun-
try is at war. If, on the other hand,
the war shall long and indefinitely
continae, the people will begin to
feel the burden of increased debt
and increased taxation, the loss of
life and health of our youth, and
the arrangement of trade and
peaceful industry.
"An attempt has been made to
persuade the American people that
the resistance to our arms by the
people of the Philippine Islands
has been due to those who oppose
the attempt to subjugate them and
opposed the ratification of the
treaty by which sovereignty over
them was purchased and paid for as
| an article of merchandise. There
was never a more unfounded or a
more foolish calumny. A strict
military censorship was exercised
over the cable to the Philippine
Islands during the whole period
| have in my possession one of the
original circulars of the cable com.
pany, warning all persons that nc
dispatch would be transmitted hav.
ing the least relation to politics
without the assent of the military
authorities of the United States"
After quoting some personal ex
periences growing out of his posi-
tion, Senator Hoar says;
"The blood of the slaughtered
Filipinos, the blood and the wasted
health and life of our own soldiers
is upon the heads of those who have
undertaken to buy people in the
market like sheep, or to treat then
as lawful prizs and booty of war
to impose government on then
without their consent, and to tram
pie under foot not only the people
of the Philippine Islands, but the
principles upon which the Ameri
can republican itself rests"
Continuing, Senator Hoar refers
to the pledges of the country to
ward Cuba and the Presidents
declaration that any other conduc
on our part would have been "crim
inal aggression" and continues:
"The law of righteousness ant
justice on which the great and free
American people should act, anC
in the end, l am sure, will act, de
pends not on parallels of latitud,
and meridians of longitude or point:
of the compass. 1t is the same yes
terday, to-day, and forever. 1t il
as true now as when our fathers
declared it in 1776. 1t is as bind
; ing upon William Mckinley to-day
as it was upon George Washington
or Abraham Lincoln. The only
powers of government the Ameri
can people can recognize are JUS
| \ A 4.