Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-10-26
PHILIPPINE QUESTION.
Mastery Argument by Genera
A. c. Vor.s OF Akron.
BGYAN's PALLAOI5s SHOWN UP.

| Our Tile to the islands without y
| sw--Bry.n's i;as- lns,nuati ions Agsins
| The Honor aud rntriotism of tn. Pre-,
| cut Administration.
One OF Chio's bravest .nd wounded
soldiers, General A. c. Voris, of AK.
ron, contributes to the thoughtful dis.
cussion of the campaign, strong
| paper upon Bryan's paramount" is
sue of Imperialism as presented in his
indianapolis speech of acceptance. a
| member of the Ohio constitutional
convention of 1871, and since judge oil
the common pleas court, General Voris
is well equipped for thorough treat
ment of the subject, and gives to ii
| his full power of thought and vigor OF
e., preston. AS his paper far exceeds
! cur space, we can only quote these
| characteristic sentences and para
graphs, while regrettlng the necessity
! Of separating them from their con
| text:
All question as to the right of the
| United States to acquire from Spain
| the title and sovereignty of these is
lands (the PhilipDines) vanishes as far
as Mr.. Bryan is concerned because he
| put himself in the front rank of those
who insisted upon the transfer. AS
IN advocate of the treaty he stood with
the administration until it took effect
and became irrevocable. The United
States never disputed Spain's title to
these islands; ON the contrary, we
recognized her title by purchasing
from her.
Ey international law, and our con-
stitution, the United States had the
right to secure by treaty this territory,
this property, and this allegiance of
,he inhabitants of these islands and
tie right to determine the civil rights
nd political status of the native in
hahtants. Their allegiance is all the
tit,a we claim to hold in the inhab-
.tents of these islands. Bryan meant
Ygt that in cooperating in the treaty
ratification. The acceptance Of these
Stands by the Spanish treaty was not
r2.2ure by conquest" or other wrong
u act of the United States. The til
!2 to and sovereignty over these is
Ids are as firmly founded as of any
.5..itory ever acquired by the United
States, either by purchase or cession.
Bryan's idea of surrendering territory
to natives would hardly be approved
hiy II If tn
ticag, which stand on like footing.
Bryan himself furnished the abstract
Of title when he urged the senate to
rGtify the treaty.
If Bryan construed the treaty as his
questions now indicate, he must have
felt that he was in very poor business
when he labored with the Democratic
senators TO obtain their consent to
ratify it. Moreover, why did this as
tute gentleman advise the ratification
of treaty which imposed upon con-
gress the duty of determining the civil
rights and political status Of the ma
tive inhabitants, if these natives at the
same time, had the right to set up an
Independent government for them
selves? If TO determine the civil and
political status of the native inhabi-
tants by the United States is wrong
full now, it was wrongful then.
Says Bryan, the title of Spain being
eNt!nguished we now are at liberty to
deal with the Philippines according to
American principles. Very true. That
is just what we are doing. But that
implies, as is the fact, that we ac-
quired rights by virtue OF the treaty
Bryan says there can be no subjects
in republic. Every fair-minded man
Of the millions who have lived on our
acquired lands, died thanking God that
his lot had been cast under the su-
premacy of the great American Union.
No one ever dreamed that any among
them had been deprived of his inalien-
able right 10 free government until
this ghost OF imperialism was evolved
in the minds of the opponents of the
Mckinley administration to cast into
the shade the l6 to l hobby of the
statesman of the Platte. Why does
"a gdu LOI ulOuIH ONeI Tie pbODle Oh
New Mexico, Arizona or the District of
Columbia? They are nearer home than
the Philippines and quite as well quail
iacd for Independent f-government.
Candidate Bryan's speech of accept
ance greatly undertakes the majesty
OF Amerlcanism. He certainly mis-
| takes American character. The Ameri-
can citizen, in all the elements that go
10 make up the true man, is as good
as he; quite as ready to make sacri-
| fees for its welfare as he is to make
| speeches for the paramount issue
ana altogether as condid and sincera
! In mis- convictions. He disparages
himself by his mean ideals of the
American electors. He is altogether
| too suspicious of his equal fellow cit
! l2cns. He ought to know that the peo-
| pie are magnanimous and not to be
readily trliled with. Does he not know
that by direct force, through four years
Of war, we saved the Union from over.
throw, disaster and humiliation, and
made equal citizens of every man
even those who tried to destroy tbs
American Union and forever degrade
the true followers of the doctrines Of
Lincoln ard Jefferson and Franklin
and Washington, which Bryan affects
to admire?