The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-09-24
POLICY OF PETTIGREW
VOICES THE VIEWS OF ANTI-EX-
PANSIONISTS OF THE
WEST
WOULD WITHDRAW THE ARMY

Direct Reply to the Questions Pro-
pounded by Senator Chandler
Relieves the FiIipinOs Are Capn-
BILE of SeIf-Goyernment and
should Be Given Chance to Try
Present Policy Is All Wrong.
SIOUX FALLS, S. D., Sept. Ex-senator
Pettigrew, of this state, and Senator VIII
liam E. Chandler, of New Hampshire,
have become involved in a long-range
controversy over the Philippine question
as the result of an interview given by
the latter few days ago, in which
number OF questions were propounded to
Senator Mason of Illinois. Senator Petit
grew has sent the following letter to
Senator Chandler which is interesting as
indicating the views held at this time
by Western anti-eXpansionists in refer
encc to the Philippine question:
Il see that you have issued catechism
which you claim to have propounded to
Senator Mason. OF course you have not
only propounded it to him. but to every
of the Philippines, and your questions un-
doubtedly embrace your best arguments
in favor of your position. 1 take the lib
erty of quoting them:
Il. Do you approve of Admiral Dew
ey's conduct in going from Hong Kong
with his fleet and destroying the Spanish
fleet in Manila bay?
"'2. Do you think that. after, he nd
thus destroyed the Spanish fleet, he
how al
sells to American waters?
ct" % Do you approve Of the landing
of the United States troops and the selz.
ing and holding by them of the city Of
~ Do you approve of the advances
made by our troops until they held tie
waterworks which supplied Manila with
IS Do you approve of the subse-
quent successive advances of our troops
after hostilities began at Iuzon?
:" g. Would you now shCl thy Withdi aW
our troops from the Philippine ISLANDS?
If so, to whom would you deliver possess
sion of the islands?
at. Are Aginaldo and his immediate
associates at the head of any government
entitled to recognition by US? IS the
any monarchy there? Is there an en-
rolment of voters there? Is there
suffrage there? Is there any government
there representing the whole or the iarg-
er part of the people there? Ii 50, de-
IS. Do you approve Of the treaty Of
the United States acquired the sDEer--
eighty of the Philippines, and is that
treaty the law of the land?
80 Is President Mckinley bound %
maintain the sovereignty in cur ha ds
until otherwise directed by laws or con-
gress?
10. Can any, power but CONGRESS, act act
ing by law, make the Philippines u col
ony OF the United States?
I'll. Has any power but congress the
right to surrender our sovereignty IN tie
" mig Has President Mckinley any
right to forestall the action of congre:
in either direction toward making II
Philippines a colony or su1rend I ng
them so that they cannot pc MAJ Noi-
ony. if congress so decides!
13. Do you think the United sites
should do anything to prevent lhe asli-
ton of China among the conlhehtal pow
ers of Europe?
IA. Is not the maintenance of Ia ted
States power in the Philippines essential
to enable us to aid in preventing me
Acknowledgement of emma!
- Is. What is Your ann 1naJlFe F-IiiiP-
pine policy, il you have one?
APPROVES OF DEWEY.
..,ro YOUR first question there can be hut
one answer. OF course every one ap-
proves OF Admiral Dewey 5, conouct ~ 60
ing from Hong Kong with his fleet ana de-
stroying the Spanish fleet in MAMMA pay:
He was fighting Spain. and you know lnat
every one will approve Of his conduct
tbaf oV When SHE he had a thus destroyed the
Spanish fleet he should have sailed away
with his vessels to American waters :.
saw no He should have remained anu IN
connection with his ally, Aguinaldo, nave
taken the city at once, which he could
have done beyond a question and let
Aguinaldo organize within that city MS
native Yn nifad tef Fo5ps
should have been taken to the Islands at
all. We should never have been put TO
this expense and no such loss OF life can
result of our conduct. | do not approve
Of the landing of roOps in the city or Ma
Mia and there IS no necessity or answer
ing your fourth, ffth and sixth questl0ils'
because if we had not sent troops to Ma
Mia there would have been no occasion
for asking the questions.
you cannot reply that Aguinaldo would
have sacked the city. That is an exploded
falsehood. started by sympathizers with
Spain for his force captured lloilo, a city
of So 600 or 10000 people, and preserved lie
and property and administered the civil
government with entire satisfaction TO
every one until our fleet bombarded and
burned a large por ion of that place.
"Aguinaldo and his immediate asso.,
ciates who are the entire population or
the Philippine islands, except the Moham-
medans who have now become our allies,
have a government entitled to recognition
and one that they can maintain against
and give them an opportunity, and this
we ought to do, and do at once.
FILIPTNOS HAVE A GOVERNMENT.
81 do not know whether there is an en-
rOllment of voters. l presume not. But
there is system of voting to elect mem
bers of congress and local governors and
local civil officers, and undoubtedly they
have as good a government as they are
capable of maintaining, and one far bet
ter adapted to their wants and wishes
than any government we VIII set up. Inc
native government represents the entire
Christian population, as we have found
to our sorrow, except the MohammedanS,
who are polygamists and Shareholders and
are acting in sympathy with us.
'Of course l do not approve of the
treaty with Spain, whereby the United
States acquired a pretended sovereignty
over the Philippines, for the reason that
those islands from Spain, she having been
Invested of all title or possession by a
revolution, as thoroughly as Great Britain
was Invested of title to the American
more title than France would have OBJ
tanned if she had treated with England
for the sovereignty of the United States.
Your ninth qestion. Is President Nc
Kinley bound to maintain sovereignty
in our hands until otherwise directed
by law of congress? is begging the ques-
ton President Mckinley could have said
to Aguinaldo and his government: You
shall maintain your government as it
now exists in all the territory of the
Philippines and occupied by you until
congress shall otherwise direct. and in
the meantime we will live at peace with
each other If he had done that there
would have been no war in the Philio
pines Besides. the president can call
congress together whenever he chooses.
'Your tenth. eleventh and twelfth
questions are answered by my answer
to the last. President Mckinley is fore
stallipg the action of congress in waging
war in violation of the constitution. and
is trying to establish a sovereignty over
a people which he must conquer first bv
force of arms. and he cannot crawl be-
hind the pretense that he must do this
because congress has not said he shall
| not If he was going to do this he
/ CHI hoT- 4 L