The Lamar register., 1900-09-12

InlnlStefeu Dy Ine people. ouT uihtdly
establishment has been reduced from
$4,000 soldiers to less than 5000. An
election has been ordered to be held
on the 18th of September, under fair
election law, already tried in the mum
icipal elections, to chose members OF
constitutional convention, and the con-
vention by the same order Is to assem-
BILE on the first Monday of November to
frame Il constitution upon which an in
dependent government for the island
will rest. All this is a long step in the
fulfillment of our sacred guarantees to
the people of Cuba.
I'VE hold Porto Rico by the same
title as the Philippines. The treaty of
peace which ceded us the one conveyed
to us the other. Congress has given
to this island n government in which
the inhabitants participate. elect their
own legislature. enact their own local
laws, provide their own system of tax
alton, and in these respects have the
same power and privileges enjoyed by
other territories belonging to the Unit
ed States, and much larger measure
of self-government than was given to
the Inhabitants of Louisiana under
Jefferson. A District Court Of the
United States for Porto Rico has been
established. and local courts have been
ton.
"The tariff duties paid and collected
both in Porto Rico and the United
States are paid to the government of
Porto Rico. and no part thereof Is TAX
en- by the national government.
Mr.. Mckinley goes into the Philip
pine question at length. After recit-
ing the history of our relations with
the islands, futile negotiations for
peace with the Filipinos, the instruc-
tions to the commission and its report.
he says:
"There has been no time since the
destruction of the enemy's fleet when
we could or should have left the Phil
ippine archipelago. After the treaty of
peace was ratified no power but Con
gress could surrender our sovereignty
or ALLEVIATE n foot of the territory thus
acquired. The Congress has not seen
fit to do the one or the other and the
President has no authority to do either,
If he had been so inclined, which he
was not. So long ms the sovereignty
remains in us. it is the duty of the ex-
ecutive. whoever he may be. to uphold
the sovereignty, and If it be attacked
to suppress It's assailants. Would our
political advcrSaries do less?
ut has been asserted that there
would have been no fighting In the
Philippines If Congress had declared
its purpose to give independence to the
THgal insurgents. The insurgents did
not wait for the action of Congress.
They assumed the offensive. They
opened fire on our army. Those who
asserted our responsibility for the be-
ginning of the conflict have forgotten
that before the treaty was ratified in
the Senate and while it was being de-
bated in that body, and while the Bn-
con resolution was under discussion
on February 4, 1899, the insurgents at
tackled the American army after being
previously advised that the American
forces were under orders not to open
fire upon them except in defense. The
papers found in the recently captured
archives of the insurgents demonstrate
that this attack had been carefully
planned for weeks before it occurred.
Their unprovoked assault upon our SOL
diers Mt time when the Senate was
deliberHting upon the treaty shows that
no action on our part except the sur
render and abandonment would have
prevented the fighting. and leaves no
doubt in fair minds where the respon-
sibility rests for the shedding of Ameri-
can blood.
with all the exaggerated phrase
making of this electoral contest we are
in danger of being diverted from the
real contention.
1--WE are in agreement with all of
those who supported the war with
Spain and also with those who coun-
seled the ratification of the treaty of
peace. Upon these two great essential
steps there can be no issue and out of
these came all of our responsibilities.
If others would shirk the obligations
imposed by the war and treaty, we
must decline to act further with them,
and here the issue is made. 1t is our
purpose to establish in the Philippines
government suitable to the wants
and conditions of the inhabitants, and
to prepare them for government,
and to give them self-government
when they are ready for it. That l
am aiming to do under my constitu-
tional authority and will continue to
do until Congress shall determine the
political status of the Inhabitants of
the archipelago.
"The American people are asked by
our opponents to yield the sovereignty
of the islands of the Philippines to
small fraction of the population, sim
gle tribe out of eighty or more inhabit-
ing the archipelago, fraction which
wantonly attacked the American troops
in Manila while in rightful possession
under the protocol with Spain, await
ing the ratification of the treaty of
ppapa by the Senate and which has