The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-02-16
where DANCER IS
Senator Stewart Says 1t is in
Discrimination
Against the People of Our Is
land Possessions.
WILL BE NO TROUBLE
If They Are Treated as Other
Territories Were.
Can Be No Such Thing as I'm
perialism, He Says.
WILL BE NO TROUBLE


Washington, Feb. 16.-Without the
session today. 1t was decided when the
senate adjourn today it oe until Monday
next.
Mr.. Bacon's resolution declaring the
policy of the United States toward the
Philippine islands was laid before the
senate and Mr. McEnery LA, Denl)
addressed the senate thereon in accord
ance with previous notice.
Mr.. McEnery said the question pre-
sented to congress was a difficult one
and time alone could solve it. The Fill
ipinos he said, had no conception of lib
erty guided by law. Order established
one day on the islands would be sue
ceeded the next by disorder and an
archy. He deprecated the acquisition
of lands whose productions in the very
nature of things were similar to many
articles produced in parts of this coun-
try.
On the fields of Luzon he said, cotton
and rice as fine as grown in any part OF
the south could be produced. Those
products would be brought to this cOup-
try in competition with those grown
here. The growth of cotton in Luzon
by the cheap and degraded labor to be
had there would interfere with the es-
tablishment of cotton mills in the south
and New England. He declared it would
have been well if Admiral Dewey had
sailed away from Manila after his ia
nous victory and left the Filipinos and
SpaniardS to fight out their differences.
Mr.. McEnery said the sums we are
expending in the Philippines would cas-
lily reclaim the arid lands of the west
and the now useless lands of the Mis-
sissippi valley.
He opposed expansion and said he be-
lieved that God will solve the problem
by destroying the inferior races. He
should establish it's authority there be-
fore Withdrawing. Mr.. McEnery COM
plimented the efforts of the president to
establish civil government on the ISL
and.
He was followed by Mr. Stewart who
said in part:
.'The suggestion that the acquisition
of territory is impesi; lisrn is refuted by
the fact that neithes Jefferson, Monroe,
Jackson, Polk, nor any OF their asso-
ciates are regarded as imperialists. The
imperialism they advocated made
homes for patriotic, liberty-loving, self
respecting citizens, whose loyalty to the
government of the United tSates is un-
surpassed by the people of any of the 13
original states.
IF to assist the people of the Philip
pines to establish local self government
after the plan adopted by Jefferson is
Imperialism, then Jefferson was the pio-
neer imperialist of the United States
The Philippines will never be dependent
colonies. They will be allowed to con-
duct their own affairs with the assist
ance of such officers as it may be nee
essary to appoint to aid them in estab-
fishing local self government.
mo one pretendS that the Filipinos
are now fit for statehood, but 1 repudi-
ate the suggestion that they are not
fit for just such government as Jeffer-
son extended to the Louisiana pur-
chase and Monroe to the acquisition
of Florida. There may not be enough
Americans in that colony to organ
ize a state government without con-
gressiona1 and executive action as in
the case of California. But if the same
congressional and executive care that
was extended to all other acquisitions
of territory except California are ex-
tended to the Philippines they will
progress
''The president has acted wisely in
selecting an eminent jurist in the prime
of life to assist the natives of the ISL
anas in establishing local self-govern-
ment after the models which our coun-
try SO abundantly furnishes. We want
! legislation for the Philippines. We
want their leaders to come here and see
how we govern ourselves, to enable
them to do likewise.
1.-The absurd charge that there is any
| intention on the part of the adminis-
tration or the Republican or the Demo-
cratic party to govern the Philippines
| or any other territory which we have
| acquired or may acquire as colonies,
/ by the strong arm of the military power
/ is entirely without foundation am
! aware of the suggestion of an import
! duty upon the products of Porto Rico
which. of course, would be one of the
worst forms of colonial policy. This
/ suggestion is pregnant with evil, and
if carried out would furnish substantial
| groundwork for the charge of imperial
| ism. 1t would be too much like the ex-
actions which imperial Rome made
| upon her conquered provinces, and it
might furnish a parallel to some ex-
! tent of the imperial policy of monar-
/ chical countries in recent times. I am
/ glad the president of the United States
| has not made that mistake. On the
! contrary, in his last annual message
/ he says:
Our plain duty is to abolish all
! customs tariffs between the United
! States and Porto Rico and give her
| products free access to our markets.
! The recommendation of the Secre-
/ tary Of war, contained in his last an
nual reprot. described in forceful Ian
/ guage the injustice of erecting a tariff
/ barrier against the products of Porto
| Rico.
The colonial policy of greed, with
discriminating duties against the prod
/ ucts OF our own territory, would breed
4 dlssa tisfaction and discord. It might
1 lead to militarism. 1t might require a
! large army to maintain order and force
/ the people of the colonies to submit
/ to such unjust and discriminating
/ policy. It might do more. It might in
volve vast expenditures to maintain
/ armies of occupation which would be
/ danger Gus to the safety of the republic.
If we treat Porto Rico as we treated
Louisiana, Florida and California, the
| people of that island will learn to love
/ the American flag and will soon be
4 loyal Americans instead of a sullen and
discontented people, suffering from dis
/ eliminating laws
The discussion of the constitutional
power of congress in connection with
these islands IS improbable. There is
no doubt that congress had power to