Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-03-08
The RIGHT
!. TO SPEAK.
Senator Lodge Says We Are
Now an Eastern
Power.
ADDRESSES THE SENATE
Senator From Mo ssachusetts NIaintains
That We Can No Longer be Turned
Lightly Aside-1,he Mission of
tho United States.

offered resolution that the Philip
pine Islands are the rightful property,
honorably acquired, of the United
States, and that while the misguided
Filipinos continue the present war,
brought on by them, against the right
full authority Of the United States, so
long as single gun in their hands is
trained upon our flag, no expression
of intention as to the future course of
the United States with respect to them
should DE made by the senate"
Sullivan asked that the resolution
lie on the table until he should call it
up. Mason, of Illinois, then gave no.
tice that tomorrow after the morning
hour he would enter motion that
the committee on foreign relations be
discharged from further consideration
of his resolution expressing the sen
ate's sympathy for the Beers in their
struggle with Great Britain. He had,
he said, introduced the resolution on
December and it had been in the
8 y I
hands of the committee ever since.
II have no intention of violating the
rules of the senate said Mason, shut
it is clearly the intention of the com
mittee on foreign relations to take no
action in regard to the resolution and
I want it brought into the senate and
placed ON the CALENDAR
In accordance with the notice pre-,
Siously given Lodge, of Massachusetts,
then addressed the senate on the Phil
ippine question. As chairman of the
committee on the PHILIPPINES, and as
. member of the committee on foreign
relations, Lodge was expected to make
notable utterance on the question.
He was given, therefore, an attentive
hearing. Lodges speech was based
upon the bill introduced by spooner,
of Wisconsin, vesting in the president
authority to govern the Philippines
until congress should otherwise pro-
vide by legislation.
Senator Lodge said in part:
The possession of the Philippines
made us an eastern power, with the
right and, what was equally important
the force behind the right to speak.
MIR. Hay, as secretary of state. has OBJ
tanned from all the great powers of
Europe their assent to our demand for
the guaranty of all our treaty rights in
China and for the maintenance of the
policy of the open door. 1 do not be-
little one of the most important and
most brilliant diplomatic achievements
iii our one hundred years of national
existence when 1 say that the assent
OF these other powers to the PROPOSE
tion of the United States was given to
the master OF Manila. They might
have turned us aside three years ago
with shrug and a smile, but to the
power which held Manila bay and
whose fleet foated upon its waters,
they were obliged to give a gracious
answer. Manila, with it's magnificent
bay, is the prize and the pearl of the
east. In our hands it will become one
of the greatest distributing points, one
of the richest emporiums of the worlds
commerce. Rich in itself, with its
fertile islands behind it, it will keep
Id,
enable American enterprise and intelli-
gence to take masters share in all
the trade of the Orient. We have been
told that arguments like these are sor-
did. Sordid, indeed. Then what argu-
ments are worthy of consideration? A
policy which proposes to open wider
markets to the people of the United
States, to add to their employment,
10
which in its pursuit requires that we
should save the teeming millions of
China from the darkness of the Rus
sian winter, and keep them free, not
merely from the incoming of commerce
but for the entrance of the light of
western civilization, seems to me a
great and noble policy if there ever
was such, and one which may well
engage the best aspirations and the
highest abilities of American states
1nanship. | do not believe that this ma
ton was raised up for nothing. I do
not believe that it is the creation of
blind chance. have faith that it has
a great mission in the world. A mis-
sion of good, mission of freedom. [
! believe that it can live up to that mis-
sion, therefore 1 want to see it step
forward boldly and takes its place at
the head of the nations. i wish to see
it the master of the Pacific. 1 would
have it fulfil what / think is its mani
fest destiny, if it is not false to the
laws which govern it. am not dream
ing of a primrose path. 1 know we'll
that in the past we have committed
grievoIs mistakes, and paid for those
done wrong, and made heavy compen-
sation for it, stumbled, and fallen, and
suffered. But we have always risen,
. bruised and grimed sometimes, yet
still we have risen stronger and more
erect than ever, and the march has all
ways been forward and onward.
81 have unbounded faith and pride
in my country. am proud of her
past, and in that past / read her flu
ture. 1 do not read it in any vain or
boastful temper, but with a spirit of
reverence and gratitude for all that has