The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-03-17
WHAT DO THEY MEAN !?
The Plea Of the Anti.Expansionis,s.
Experts. Mt Signing Their Names to

Experts ut Signing Their Names to
Petitions.
Louisville Courier Journal: The anti
expansionists are powerful with the pen
whatever disincllnation they may have
to welding the sword. They are eX-
perts at signing their names to petit
lions. addresses and similar literature,
that they have reason to believe Is going
to be published In the public press. 1t
has been said that nothing Is easier
than getting names to any kind OF Pc
tltion. This Is not exact. Something
Is easier. 1t Is easier to get names to
an anti-eXpansion petition than to any
sort OF petition, provided the petition be
placed within reach OF that circle Of
Denmen who have formed the Unsuitable
habit of signing anti-expansion petit
tions-not necessarily in good faith, but
always for publication.
These gentlemen are wont to say that
they represent the preponderance OF
public sentiment In this country. al
though with all their petitions and per-
sonal eNertlons they were unable to
make Congress credit such claim. But
II they are right. then 1t may be per-
mitted TO remark that they furnish a
a. oShihC
ton refutation Of their own contention
that the Filipinos are so radically diff
ferent from the people OF this country
that they are absolutely unassimilable.
II the anti-expansion pen wlelders rep
resent the people Of the United States.
then we are very much like the Filipin-
os. for a great fundamental character
istic common to both races Is their
proncness to spend their lives In issu-
Ing petitions addresses. proclamations,
pronunciamentoes. that mean nothing
and accomplish nothing save furnishing
few people an opportunity to crafty
their propensity for signing their names
to something.
The last document signed on this side
of the Pacific Is perhaps even more abb
| surd than the series which has pre-
coded 1t. The slgners. whose names are
duly printed through the medium OF
| that great instrument OF publicity, the
Associated Press. want:
First-That our government shall
| take Immediate steps toward suspen-
| sion of. hostilitics In the Philippines
and n conference with the Philippine
leaders. with a view to prevent further
| bloodshed upon the basis OF recognition
or their freedom and Independence as
soon as proper guarantees can be had
OF order and protection to property"
| Does anybody know what that
| means? or course 1t Is n good enough
peg for these gentlemen to hang their
names on. but could any OF them ex-
plain just what 1t is? 1t Is clear
enough. for one thing. that 1t Is de-
mandcd that We at once discontinue our
work OF restoring order In the Philip
pines: that we abandon our purpose TO
Vindlcate our authority there; that we
enter upon conferences with the leaders
of these savages. wnose highest concep-
| ton Of diplomacy Is the acceptance OF
brides and whose Interpretation OF
conference Is an opportunity to shoot
their opponents under n flag OF truce.
We must abruptly reverse the policy OF
maintaining our authority by the man.
hesitation OF powcr-the only policy
which thcse people can understand un-
der such circumstances as now prevail
In the islnnds-and thus give them war;
rant for the assumption OF weakness on
| our pnrt and the iatoIIcation OF ignor-
ant and unbridled triumph on their
| part. This much Is plain; and yet the
| siSners OF this document. in the very
same sentence. make the recognition OF
the freedom and independence of these
bnrbarlans the basis OF the whole plan
OF action urGed-a recognition. mark.
which IL to be made by us ''as soon rs
proper guarantees can be had of order
and protection to property"
we repeat. what does that mean?
VINO Is to guarantee order and protec-
lion to property II we withdraw from
the Islands? What Is such 4 proper
guarantee" What would any such
guarantee by the FilipInos be worth
after We had got II hundred miles from
me shores Of the Philippines? Do our
friends. the slgncrs. mean by proper
guarantee guarantee that guarantees
or guarantee that holds Just long
| enough to give us n preteXt to with
draw from the islands?
These gentlemen have signed enough
SUCH papers now to Mt least tell us
what they mean when they put forth
policy and call upon the country to
rally to It. The country is not likely to
| rally unless It can see whittier II Is
ra!lying, especially rs the only results
OF the proposed policy which do seem
visible are national weakness, cow
ardicc. sclilshness ind criminal chaos
inflicted upon the archipelago which we
have deprived OF the only government
1t had.