The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1900-08-10

settled by American citizens. or adds TO
| our populate people who are willing to
| become citizens and are capable OF dis
charging their duties as such The acqui-
/ sition OF the Louisiana territory. Florida.
| Texas and other tracts which have been
secured from time to time, enlarged the
republic. and the constitution followed the
i flag into the new territory. II II now pro-
| posed to seize upon distant territory al
ready more densely populated than our own
/ country. and to force upon the people
| government. for which there is no war
rant in our constitution or our laws. Even
/ the argument that this earth belongs to
those who desire to cultivate IL and have
/ the physical power to acquire IL cannot
/ be invoked TO justify the appropriation of
| the Philippine islands by the United States.
/ II the Islands were uninhabited American
I citizens would not be willing to go there
| and TIL the soil The white race will not
| live so near the equator. Other nations
have tried TO colonize In the same latitude.
The Netherlands have controlled Java for
800 years. and yet to-day there are less
tered among &. 100000 natives. After a
century and half of English domination
in India. less than one-twentieth OF one
per cent of the people of India are of Eng
iish birth. and II requires an army of 10000
British soldiers TO take care of the tax
collectors Spain has asserted title TO the
Philippine islands for three centuries. and
yet. when our fleet entered Manila bay.
there were less than 1900 Spaniards re-
siding in the Philippines.
A colonial policy means that We shall
send TO the Philippines few traders, few
taskmasters and a few office holders. and
an army large enough TO support ire au-
thority of small fraction of the people
while they rule the natives.
Increase in Regular Army.
If we have an imperial policy we must
have a large standing army as It's natural
and necessary complement. The spirit
which will Justify the forcible annexation
of the Philippine islands will justify the
seizure of other islands and the domina-
ton of other people. and with wars of con-
quest we can expect certain. IL not rapid.
growth of our military establishment.
That large permanent increase in our
regular army is intended by the repub-
lican leaders is not a mere matter of con-
lecture. but a matter of fact. In his mes
sage of December ), 1898, the president
asked for authority to increase the stand
ing army TO 100. 90. IL 1896 the army con-
tanned about 5000 men. Within two years
the president asked for four times that
many. and republican house of repre-
sentatives complied with the request after
the Spanish treaty had been signed and
no country was at war with the United
States. Ii such an army is demanded
when an imperial policy is contemplated.
but not openly avowed, what may be ex-
pected If the people encourage the republic
an party by indorsing its policy a the polls?
"A large standing army is not only a pc
cuniary burden to the people and, if accom-
panied by compulsory service. a constant
source of irritation, but ii is ever a menace
to a republican form of government. The
army is the personification of force, and
militarism will inevitably change the ideals
of the people and turn the thoughts of our
young men from the arts of peace to the
science of war The government which
relies for its defense upon its citizens is
more likely to be just than one which has
at call a large body of professional SOL
diers. A small standing army and a well
equipped and well disciplined state militia
are sufficient in ordinary times, and in an
emergency the nation should in the future
as in the past place its dependence upon the
volunteers who come from all occupations
at their country's call and return to pro-
ductive labor when their services are no
| longer required-men who fight when the
country needs fighters and work when
the country needs workers.
Status of the FiIipinos.
The republican platform assumes that
the Philippine islands will be retained I'M
der American sovereignty. and we have
a right 10 demand of the republican lead
ers discussion of the future status of
the Filipino Is he to be citizen or a
subject? Are we to bring into the body
polite 100000 or 100000 Asiatics so
different from " in race and history that
smalgamation Is impossible? Are they
to share with us in making the laws and
! shaping the destiny of this nation? No
republican of prominence has been bold
| enough to advocate such a proposition
The McEnery resolution, adopted by the
| senate Immediately after the ratification
| of the treaty, expressly negatives this
| idea. The democratic platform describes
| the situation when 1t says that the Fill
| pinos cannot be citizens without endan-
| gering our civilizatiou Who will dispute
| it? And what is the alternative? III the
Filipino is not to be citizen. shall we
| make him a subject? On that question
| the democratic platform speaks with en-
| phasis. 1t declares that the Filipino can
not be a subject without endangering our
| form of government. A republic can
| have no subjects. A subject is possible
| only in a government resting upon force
he is unknown in a government deriving
| Its Just powers from the consent of the
| governed. The republican platform says
that the largest measure of self-govern-
ment consistent with their welfare and
our duties shall be secured to them (the
| Fflipinos) by law" This is a strange doc
| trine for government which owes its
very existence to the men who offered
| their lives as protest against govern
ment without consent and taxation with
out representation. In what respect does
the position of the republican party differ
| from the position taken by the English
| government in 1776? Did not the English
government promise a good government
| to the coIonists? What king ever prom
| ised bad government to his peo-
| pie? Did not the English govern
I ment promise that the colonists should
have the largest measure of self-govern-
ment consistent with their welfare and
| English duties? Did not the Spanish gov
| eminent promise TO give to the Cubans
the largest measure of self-government
| consistent with their welfare and Spanish
| duties? The whole difference between a
| monarchy and republic may be summed
up In one sentence. In monarchy the
| king gives to the people what he believes
| to be a good government; in a republic
the people secure for themselves what
| they believe to be a good government.
| The republican party has accepted the Eu-
| ropean idea and planted itself upon the
| ground taken by George Ill. and by every
| ruler who distrusts the capacity of the
| people for self-government or denies them
| a voice in their own affairs.
The Pre.idenes VIII the only Law
The republican platform promises that
| some measure of self-government is to be
| given to the Filipinos by law; but even
this pledge is not fulfilled. Nearly Ii
months elapsed after the ratification of the
treaty before the adjournment of congress
last June. and yet no law was passed deal
ing with the Philippine situation. The will
of the president has been the only Law
in the Philippine islands wherever the
American authority extends Why does
the republican party hesitate to legislate
upon the Philippine question? Because a
law would disclose the radical departure
from history and precedent contemplated
by those who control the republican party
The storm of protest which greeted the
Porto Rican bill was an indication of wha,
may be expected when the American peo-
pie are brought face to face with legisla
tion upon this subject. II the Porto Ricans
who welcome annexation are TO be de.
MED the guarantees OF our constitution
what is to be the lot of the Filipinos, who
resisted our authority? If secret inffu.