The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-09-29
CARL SCHURz ON IMPERIALISM
LOUISIANA PURCHASE is NOT A
PRECEDENT.
Was Responsible for the Con-
Dict in the Philippines.

crowd winch came tonight to its doors to
attend the meeting OF the Anti-lmperlal-
istio league Of New York
The crowd was a noisy one, and before
the meeting was called to order cheers
for Mckinley, for Bryan, for the full
dinner pair and Debs were frequent.
Carl Schurz was received with tumultu-
GUS cheers. Ernest Ii. Crosby then intro
duced the first speaker of the evening
Anson Phelps Stokes, who said In part:
We are met tonight to protest against
the violation OF the constitution and to
disassociate ourselves from blood guilt
ness. All OF us who have given hostages
to prosperity wish to have the institutions
OF our country unimpaired We arc
aroused now when those with brief an
thority are trying to become pirates and
emperors OF territory. The result OF for
elgn conquest Is the gain OF few and the
degradation of the people. The harder
laborers work the better pleased are the
monopolists. The Filipino war III the
greatest folly of any administration. We
viii fail II we should gain the war. The
Filipiaos we can not make citizens with
out Marin 10 ourselves, ana We can never
mako them subJects"
Carl Schurz was then introduced AMI
was given another round of applause. He
said in part:
Some imperialists pretend that the
purchase OF Louisiana by Jefferson aud
tho legislation connected with it furnish
precedent fully covering the principles
OF Mr.. Mckinley's policy with regard to
Porto Rico and the Philippines. This /
emphati0ally deny. Whatever that tenn
porary legislation may have rpon, is there
anybody braaen enough to asert--aud this
is the essential, tho true p1lnt--hat 1t
was the spirit and intent OF Jeffersons
act and OF the legislation referring to Il,
10 hold the acquired territory perpetually
as vassnl dependency outside of our
system, subject to arbi-
trary rule by the president or congress
Does anybody dare 20 deny that e was ths
intent and expectation that
the territory OF Louisiana would DO filed
by people substantially our own, VINO
would form out OF Il American States
clothed with tho full measure of consn-
tutional rights? Whoever denies this or
equivocates about it only seeks to falsify
history A. SANDER Thomas Jefferson. and
to deceive tho American people.
Nay. so little did the American people,
until recently, mean 10 expand our terri
tory without purposing cOrrespondlngly to
extend our constitutional system, that San
Domingo was offered to us, the offer was
rejected by AN overwhelming public opIn.
ion, mainly because It was believed that
that tropical country and its present and
prospective Inhabitants were not At to
come under our constitution, while they
could not be permanently governed out.
side of Il.
Expansion" then, In the historical and
truly American sense, means the extern
sion OF our constitutional system together
with the extension of our territorial area
In this sense we are all expaneionists,
;~"~-r Cigars, etc,
provided the expansion be honoraoly Ell
'ected. And IL In the course of events our
northern nelghbors. people like our own
and practlced in government, should
express a wish to Join this Union-a con-
which cur present pohcy OF
adventure is apt rather TO
put of than bring on-we all would wei.
come them with heart and hand
But when we annex TO this Republic for
eign territory, especially territory In the
tropics which, owing to climatic condi-
tRons, can never be settled by our own or
homogeneous people. with the intent and
expectation that such territory shall never
come INTO our COUSLtullOudl sfAltult uuN
shall as to the civil, political and econo-
mic status permanently depend upon nns
will OF our central government in which
they are to have no determined share,
those countries thus being vassal prov
inoes. and their people subject populations
that is not mere expansion, In the his
toric American sense, but that Ia impe-
rlallsm. And when such countries are
annexed and such populations are sub
jected by force OF arms---by what Presl-
dent Mckinley has very properly called
criminal aggression''--it Is imperialism In
It's worst form. whoever calls this impe-
rialism a mere hugbear Is either grossly
deceived or a gross deceiyer
The main question IS who was response
Bile for the conditions OF things which
made that bloody conflict Inevitable And
maintain that President Mckinley was
responsible. II was he who by his famous
benevolent assimilation order Of De
oember 81, 1898. officially informed the
Philippine ISLANDERS that they would no
be permitted to be independent; that th'
United States were prepared 10 impose
upon them American foreign rule instead
OF Spanish foreign rule. and that ou
army would. II they refused 10 submit
subject them TO that American foreign
rule by force OF arms. II was an open ans
rude declaration of war against the Fill
plnbs standing up for their freedom anC
Independence.
Is II not amazing that In order to make
the Filipinos appear as q wantonlY at
| lacking party Mr.. Mckinley should gS
so far as 10 say in his letter OF &C
ceptgnce "The Insurgents did not wal
for the action OF songress--hetore thu
treaty was ratified by the senate. the'
attacked the American army" How
groundiess the assertion is that the FIJI
pinos were the FIRST asIaliants 7 havi
! already shown. But who was II tina
really "did not wait for the action OF con
gress'? Who was It that took the de
cisive stem "heiore the treaty was rat
lihed BY the senate? Not the Filipino'
| but President Mckinley himself for |
was he who six weeks before the rati
firation OF Inc treaty by the senate
without the slightest legal authority an
| by a barofaced usurratipn OF Dower. Is
sued that order which was declaratie,
lof war ana direct provoration OF hos
ltilities and thus precipltated that ahom
Unable conflict.
And here we nave also srenlmen n
the csrdor with which Mr.. MCKINLEY Il
his letter az acceptance tells his coun
trvmen what has happaned or that fate
FIJI order be quotes only one paragrarA
full OF Assurances Of his sweat sr
benevolent intentions as to the wsliar