The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-11

bear in mind. my friends. that the treaty
conveyed no rights until ratified: il the
treaty had not been ratified it would have
been a dead letter. Consequently at the
time that the President issued this order
demanding of the Philippine people that
they recognize and accept American SOW
creignty, we had no rights under the
treaty: yet this order was the beginning
of the war. 1t was an order that could
not be executed without war.
War Forced on Otis.
General Otis saw this. He attempted
to mellow it down by issuing an order of
his own; but il did not answer. He was
obliged to move his army forward and
bring it in close contact with the Philip
pine army: he was obliged to begin
movement that has been in progress now
nearly two years. He was obliged to begin
the war. 1t was necessary for him, in or
der to execute the order of the President,
to destroy the Philippine army, and to de-
stroy the Philippine government. So that
the war we are prosecuting there to estab-
fish American sovereignty dates from Dc
eember 81, 1898, was begun six weeks be-
fore there was any p-etence of getting any
rights under the treaty. You say. Well.
the rights that brute force gives us; we
have the right of conquest. and that is the
only right We have in the Philippine ISL
ands today. We can send an army to Eng
land, or Germany, or Russia. and if we can
subdue these people We will have the
same right in these countries that we have
in the Philippine Islands.
Again. the Spanish Treaty provided that
Congress should determine the civil rights
. Mill mi
people Now Congress has never acted on
this question; Congress had not asserted
American sovereignty over the Philippines.
although the Constitution gives Congress
alone the power to declare war. The
President has usurped the power to COM
mence a war of conquest; on his own mo-
ticn he demands the recognition Of Amer
lean sovereignty.
The "Open Door" Policy.
But you are aware that our Govern
ment has agreed with the other Govern
ments of the world to maintain what they
called the open-door in the Philippines.
That is, all nations. ou:s included, are to
trade on the same basis. Well, If that is
the case then, If We get any trade in the
Philippines we will have to compete for it;
We will have to compete with the Chinese,
the English, the Germans, the Russians,
and the Spaniards. Then, what advantage
would We get from all this outlay of treas
ure and Of American lives that We are de-
stroying in the tropics? Not one penny's
worth of advantage. The statement made
by the President year ago, that trade
follows the flag, is, unfortunately, like
nearly all of his statements, utterly unre-
liable.
Human experience is the other way.
Trade follows prices. Trade follows the
line of least resistance. Trade follows the
line of greatest attraction. There are
men who tell our people that in the
markets of these islands we are going to
be able to sell our product. That it will
help our farmers and our laboring men at
home by giving them the markets. Reflect
minute. These people live on little
rice, and they get IL cents a day for a
days work. VIII they buy the wheat OF
our farms? Can they buy the high priced
products of our American mechanics and
American labor? Why. the idea is ridicu-
lous. and men who are making these state
ments know that it is ridiculous. and that
it is intended to deceive.
The Power of America.
For half century this Republic has
been the greatest world power of the earth,
and has welded more influence, had more
to do with shaping thought and human
events than all other nations put together.
Every great country in Europe has had
to pattern after our Constitution. We
have cast light against the sky that was
seen by all nations We did this. not
through cur army, for We had none; not
through our navy, for we had none; not
through display Of brute force, for other
! nations surpassed us; not through a ma
terial display of wealth or splendor. for
other people surpassed us. We did 1t
through our high ideals, we did 1t by hold
ing aloft the everlasting principles of JUS
tice, by holding a!oft the new religion of
humanity. the great doctrine of human
equality. We stood for human rights We
stood for the noblest aspirations Of the
human soul. We stood for progress and
development.
Now it is proposed to get If of that
high plane, and to get down on the low
plane of brute force and enter into a
scramble with tie European despotisms
/ and we are to insist on being a party
| TO their quarrels. For 1870 years tn /,
American flag has had only one meaning;
wherever IT waved it told the same story.
All the people of the earth read in its
! folds liberty, equality, justice, self-gov-
ernment, progress. Now that flag is to
change its meaning. and for the people OF
| Porto Rico and for ten million Filipinos
it is TO represent just the opposite prin-
ciples. 1t is to represent despotism. 1t
is to represent just what the Spanish
| flag represented: and instead Of being
| loved as it has been during all this time
it is now to become an object of hatred
IN that part Of the world
Young men, life is before you Two
voices are calling you; one coming from
| the swamps of selfshness and force
where success means death: the other
| from the hilltoPs OF justice and progress
where even failure brings glory Two
lights are seen in your horizon; one the
fas. fading marsh light of power, the
other the slowly rising sun of human
brotherhood. Two ways lie open before
you, one leading to an ever lower ard
lower plain, where are heard the cries
| of despair. and the curses of the poor,
where manhood shrivels and possession
rots down the possessor; the other lead
ing of to the highlands OF the morning
where are heard the glad shouts of HUI
manity. and where honest effort is re-
warded with Immortality. AS you SOW.
you shall reap