The age-herald., 1900-01-31
BACON SPEAKS
 ON IMPERIALISM Addressed Senate for More Than
 Three Hours. WASA VIGOROUS ARGUMENT He Maintained That United States Gov ernment Owes as Much to the
 Filipinos as It Does
 to Cuba.
WASA VIGOROUS ARGUMENT

Washington, January 90.-For more than three hours today MT. Bacon, democrat of Georgia; occupied the attention of the sen- ate with a discussion on the Philippine question. His argument which had for it's basis his own resolutions declaratory of the governments policy toward the Phil ippines was listened to carefully by his fellow senators and by large gallery au- a4ence. He maintained that the United States owed as much to the Philippines as it does to the inhabitants of Cuba, to whom by reason of congress, self-govern- ment had. been promised, and he strongly urged that his resolutions declaring 1t to be the intention of this government to con- fer the right of government upon the Fil- ipinos be adopted a means not only of terminating the war, but extending to a struggling people justice and freedom.
 Mr. Bacon, after discussing some pre- liminary points, said in part:
 Under these resolutions if adopted, the United States will do for the Philippines practically the same as they have under taken to do for Cuba.
 
 ly stated as follows:
 "'When the conditions are ripe, when peace has been restored, and author ity of the United States is no longer resisted in the Philippines shall the government of the Philippines be independ- enuy exercised by them, or will the United States thereafter return possession and de- mand sovereignty of the Philippine Islands with the view to their permanent reten- ton as a part of the territory of the United States"
 Previous Acquisitions
 After discussing previous acquisitions of territory, MT. Bacon said: "In each of these vast acquisitions and in the uses made of them there was expansion and great expansion. But it was not simply expansion of the territory subject to the Jurisdiction of the same political systems and political institutions which existed in the original states-the expansion or ex- tension of a system of states inhabited by people of our own race, people free and self-governing and with equal rights with the people in the original states for mak- ing laws for control of states and federal government.
 This in each instance was legitimate ex- pansion. It was legitimate and harmoni- ous growth. It was not revolutionary change It subverted none of our institu- tfons. It did no violence to our political principles. It destroyed none of our politi- cal ideals.
 What shall be said of an expansion which is simply an expansion of territory which does not carry with it an extension of our political system, our political princi- pies and our political ideals?
 What shall be sad of an expansion by acquisition of territory where 1t is not in- tended that there shall be statehood, and where it is impossible that there ever be statehood?
 ITO hold them subject colony makes necessarily a revolution in our system of government which should not be aided by anyone who is loyal to the principles upon which that system is founded.
 The Term "Vasssl."
 'The advocates of the permanent reten- ton of the Philippines do not like to hear the term 'vassal; nevertheless, one Who is a subject of a government in which he has no voice, who culy has such liberty as ithe government may grant him, and which it. self may be taken from ilim at the will of the government. is a vassal. And that is the only political relation ,the Filipino can ever bear to the United States. The advo- cates of permanent retention do not like the term imperialism Nevertheless, whenever a republic owns outlying prov inces to Joe held permanently as dependent colonies. never to be admitted as a part of the republic ia the control and admins ly... lip it is to that extent imperial. And if held permanently that is uhe only relation which the Philippine islands can ever bear to the United States.
 Tn the nature of things there can be no imperial republic. Under such a govern ment the form of republic may be pre- served but under it the spirit of republi- oanism must die
 q ann not pleading the cause of the Fill ipino. I pleading the cause of Ameri- cans that their government may not be converted from republic composed of free states into an imperial government holding yassal and subject colonies, ruled and con- trolled necessarily by a standing army in their midst. If our free republic Is to be converted into this imperial government 1t is not those who are to be held and ruled as vassals in subject to colonies who will be the principal sufferers.
 "The principal feature in which this revo- lution will definitely manifest itself to our people will be the immediate growth of militarism. If it shall be finally determined to hold the Philippine Islands, it is a safe prediction that in less than eighteen mon tAns from this date tlhe regular army of the United States will be 100000. And the army O. 100000, whioh now seems to be mon- strous, will in short time be increased to 200, GOO.
 No Greater Danger
 "There can be no greater danger to re- publican government; there can be no grater menace to personal liberty and free institutions than a grat standing army in time of Speace. It is the mail-handed tyrant, 1t is the voracious consumer of hard tribute wrung from the industries of the land it is the oppressor Snd the bur- den of the great mass of7tne people. I want no territory permanently annexed to the United States in which the conditions are such that 1t is conceded far beyond the possibility of successful dispute, that not only for a while, but for all time the authority of the United States must and can be maintained only through the power