Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1900-01-23
TURNER ON PHILIPPINES.

Senator From Washington State Pleads
Their Cause.
WASHINGTON, JAN 23-In the senate
after routine business, Mr.. Turner Dem.
Wash), addressed the senate on the
Philippine question. His discussion
took a wide range. ...-,
In accordance with notice previously
given, Mr.. Turner Dem., Wash.), then
addressed the senate on the Philippine
question. His discussion took wide
range:
"Neither the stately periods of the
presidents message nor the fervid ora
tory Of the senator's address," said he,
"can change the facts of history, OF
metamorphose proposed course of ac-
ton, already partly accomplished which
involves shocking and perfdious
breach of national faith into an act of
policy defensible on grounds of justice,
morality and national duty
Perfdy and bad faith were involved
in the pretensions put forth by the ad-
ministration Of either legal or a moral
right to absorb and govern the Philip
pine islands without the consent of thei1
people.
Mr.. Turner controverted the presi.
dents statements that the islands were
ours by every title Of law and equity.
because the Filipinos had assumed that
sovereignty by the God-given right Of
revolution. If the United States had
any rights at all in the Philippines,
they were gained purely by purchase
and could not, in his opinion, be fixed in
law by the treaty of Paris, because the
FiGpinos were not party to that treaty.
He maintained that the Filipinos
knew that the function of government
was to preserve life, liberty and prop.
erty, and believed that they Were abun.
dainty able to maintain such a govern.
ment.
Tribute to Boer Bravery.
"Already our Philippine experiences
are beginning to have the boomerang eff.
feet predicted by the senator from In
diana,'' said Mr.. Turner. 'There is a
primitive people in South Africa, a mere
handful, Spious and simple, brave and
heroic, but careless of the great wealth
lying under their hands, Indifferent to
it's civilizing influence and disposed to
live their own simple lives in their own
simple way. They are the last link that
connects us with one of the great heroic
epochs in the worlds history. a great
nation, having racial tendencies similar
to our own, has seen the present deplor-
able condition of affairs among this
South African people and has deter
mined to improve and civilize them in
the same way we are improving and
clvihzing the simple but brave Fiipinos.
They are not succeeding SO well, unfor-
tunately, in their self-imposed task as
we are. The Afrikanders are proving
themselves to be worthy sons of heroic
sires. They are making an heroic fight
and one which has become the wonder
and admiration Of mankind throughout
the world. Because of what vein COM
mon with mankind owe to their
blood, because they are bravely
fighting a ruthless invader of
their homes and fresides, because they
are fighting for the liberty to govern
themselves and their affairs in their own
way, because when they go down an
other republic will have perished, they
undoub btedly carry with them in their
struggle the profound sympathy of the
American people. In other days our
sympathy would have been expressed
through governmental channels. But
now the ghost of liberty murdered in
the Philippines stands in the way. We
cannot even preserve a decent neutral
ity between this heroic people and their
assailants. 1t is yet permitted to us,
however, as Individuals, to avert our
eyes, and as these noble men go down to
death and oblivion, to say to them as /
now do Thou last survivors of a heroic
age! Hail and farewell
Mr.. Turner, in conclusion, said that
everybody knew declaration by con-
gress of its purpose to confer self gov
ernment on The Fiipinos would stop the
war instantly, and eloquently urged the
adoption of such a declaration.
aH we now give them justice, we will
have done more for their mental, moral
and political regeneration, and for all
their kindred races than we could do in
100 years of political communion and
association" .se
win Run . Christian Daily.