The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-09-28
Ex-Governor Pattison of PennsyI.
vania Talks of Philippines.
MUST SEE THEM PACIFIED
ALL AMERICANS SHOULD SUP
PORT THE PRESIDENT.
Question of a Government Must Be
Decided After Peace Has Been
Decentralization Flag Will
Fly Where It Is Planted-His
Views on Politics.


American citizen commands my sup
port of the country's president at this
juncture,' said former Governor Robert
E. Pattison of Pennsylvania, at the
Great Northern hotel. When the
president said in his Pittsburg speech
that the Philippines were just as much
American soil as were Texas or Alaska.
he spoke the truth.
The islands are ours by title of
! treaty, and we have no title to
! Louisiana or Alaska except that con-
tirmed by treaty. AS they are ours, we
are bound to see them pacified, to set
up law and order in their midst. This
our first duty, it is a national duty and
Democrats and Republicans alike are
bound to help fulfill that duty.
The immediate object confronting us
is the reduction of the Philippines to
order, and it is as vain as it is wrong
to speculate about what we shall do
with them or what sort of government
we shall set up or how much self gov
eminent we shall extend to the natives
until we have solved the immediate
question. To take trouble about these
ultimate matters when an Immediate
matter threatens is as impractical as
it is un-American.
Flag Will Float There.
Il have no doubt the American people
will readily consent to erect around
them a ring of self governing republics
once they are convinced the respective
peoples are capable of autonomy. But
l have no doubt that the American flag
win float wherever it is now planted
until such time as there is no doubt
that free and orderly government can
be established and exercised by those
peoples. We have stepped in, and our
paramount duty, superior to all others,
is to afford protection to those lands
and to the individuals and the trade
in those lands. We cannot withdraw.
Withdrawal would wound our honor
and would invite the invasion of other
nations into the affairs of those lands.
Whatever be our state now, with
drawal would make our last stage far
worse than our first.
AS to what our establishment in the
Philippines may lead US into in the fu-
ture there is no occasion to speak. Suf-
ficient unto the day is the evil thereof
and no bridge should be crossed until
we come to it."
Out of Politics.
Former Governor Pattison declared
he was out of politics, had been for
three years, and knew nothing but
what he head in the newspapers, Fin |
ally he consented to say:
In the east we lllnk Inc rdulcdi
wing of the Democracy is still in power. |
1t looks to us as if the Chicago plat !
form were to be re-enacted, and as a |
Democrat, if the majority want it,
say let US have it. The majority to |
rule, that is a great Democratic princi-
pie.
However, the Democratic party has
been a conservative party, and this
triumph of radicalism in it's councils
VI -. -
own again and after 1900 possibly the I
old traditions and principles will be
again asserted The English govern
nent is the most conservative on earth
and makes few plumbers. We may well
emulate such conservatism. Radical
SIN does not even cure the evils it
ages against, and it is good Demo-
ratio doctrine to let things alone,
.rusting to time and the natural oper-
alton of events to mend all the tears.
Matters of Trusts
"Now, there is the matter of trusts.
The trusts will break of their own
weight. They will cure themselves.
Always give plenty of rope if you want
thing hanged. Besides, there is no ;
egislation which can be devised which
Will regulate or crush them SO long as
n overwhelming public sentiment ex- :
SITS to demand their extinction. il
No law ever of itself accomplished :
remedy. What works the cure is the
ublic will, which enforces law Take
ailway rebates and drawbacks Laws
orbidding them adorn every statute :
COX, but rebates flourish because in {
eality people want them. Until the !.
eople want trusts restrained no law |
ill accomplish anything. However, |
he trusts can be safely left to them
elves to cure their own evils
Former Governor Pattison spoke last q q
light at the dinner of the underwrit- l.
rs at the Union League club. L