Rocky Ford enterprise., 1899-01-19


u.aughtcr.l Shall we take them sim-
pie of u Legislature that Will vote II
fifty-ycar franchise TO u street railway
company! tAppllusc.l Shall we take
them Illustrations Of how the franchises
OF the United States have been bar
tered away by corrupt Legislatures:
Shall We take them Instances OF our
Doodle aldermen who have dlsgraced
nearly every large city of this nation?
We have no quarrel with those vii,
differ from us. hut ! want to stop the
war and not give the nation a single
excuse for continuing n standing army.
tApplauscJ ! want to deal with II ns
nn American question. ! don't want 10
have to settle the Philippines question
with nm adopted name that makes no
conccalment OF Its III will. want to,
do II by the easiest way. instead OF th..
hardest way. G.. u-|r rf- ID
You tell me we can't get rid OF the
aliens II We once get them. want to
say to you that II you catch u mar.
with stolen property you may mak,
him take II back to the man from
whom he stole II. or you can take Il
from him and deliver II yourself to III,
man from whom he took II. If I coul.i
have my way I would have had thu.
commission secure FOR the Philippine
I would have put them On the same
footing and insisted that Spain should
release her sovereignty In the Philip
pines as she was compelled to do IL
Cuba; but the commission did NOS
do II. ...t
The commission took another meth
II procured the REIMBURSEMENT oi
Spanish authority In Cuba, and the ccs
sion OF the Philippines to the United
States. But, In my judgment. II IL
easier to give to the Philippines tha;
| which the commission ought to hav.
compelled Spain to give them. than IL
throw this question back into the hand;
OF diplomacy and, send another com
mission over to treat with them: To dc
what we can't do ourselves.
You need not talk to us about thu
profits of Imperialism. tell you. mt
| matter what the profits may he. othe',
nations must be permitted to cnjoy
| them. Other nations can dream of dis
tnnt dependencies and government by
force. Not 20 with the people of the
| United States. National idea IL every.
thing to the people. and our national
| idea IL self-government. Self-govern-
ment is the national idea of the Amer
lean people and you can't surrender 1t
In the case of the Philippines unless
you are ready TO abandon II forever.
That is my idea! may he wrong.
but II we make our fight against the
| treaty and are defeated that Is the end
OF our fight; hut II we make our fight
on the resolution that resolution viii
stand until the American people hav,
u chance to be heard upon It.
| II we make II upon II declaration %!
policy we appeal TO the people and We
cannot lose our fight unless the peO-
pie have lost their love for American
institutions. We bring the two ideas
| face to fnce-self-sOvernment against
| imperialism. We ask the American
people to choose which they will serve.
My friends. l believe we will triumph.
| have no. doubt in my mind ais to
what the outcome will be because !
have faith n the Intelligence and pa.
triotism of the people. gf-f 49,. - b.
Ny friends, II you will take from the
national hymns of our nation the fo,r
words free" '.freedom," ''independ
ence." '.libcrty.'' Those hymns will be
us meaningless as would be old glory
| IL we robbed 1t of the red, white, and
blue. 49, ,f,-,, .ss, .,rrrssg-i. 30 s.ss=.,ei
Other nations can do it: we cannot.
Imperialism. whether its fruits. bitter
or sweet, must be left to the subjects
of monarchies. sTliis Is tlie;ftrec of
| which the citizens Of a republic may
not partake. 1t Is the voice ofrthe seI+
pent and not the voice Of God that
bids the American people eat of the
forbidden fruit. t-Applarse.p Ggr
| II