The Oskaloosa herald., 1900-09-13

ratified TIC treaty AID tls soss sss aien
added It's sanction by q large ~appropria-
tves OF the people Of all parties.
Would our opponents surrender to the
insurgents, abandon our sovereignty or
cede It to them? II that be not their pur-
pose. then 1t should be promptly dis
claimed, for only evil can result from the
hopes raised by. our opponents In the
success at tho polls in November there
will be a Withdraw wal OF our army and OF
American sovereignty over the arcnipel-
Tagalog people recognized and the pow
ers of government over all the other
parties OF the archipelago conferred upon
The erfect OF a belief In the minds of
the insurgents that this will be done has
already prolonged h rebellion and in
Of a large army. It is now delaying full
peace in the archipelago and the estab-
hshment Of civil governments, and has
accepting the liberal terms Of amnesty
offered by Gen. Macarthur under my d.
rection. But for these false hopes, a
had in our military establishment in the
Philippines, and the realization OF q
stable government would be already at
The American people are asked by our
opponents to yield the sovereignty of the
United States In the Philippines to a small
fraction OF the population q single tribe
pelago, a fraction which wantonly at
tackled the American troops in Manila
while In rightful possession under the
protocol with Spain, awaiting the ratih-
cation of the treaty Of peace by the sem
ate, and which has since been in active,
open rebellion against the United States.
We are asked to transfer our sovereignty
to a mall minority In the Islands with
out consulting the majority n to aban-
don the largest portion Of the population,
which has been loyal to us, to the cruel
ties OF the guerrilla insurgent bands. More
than this, we are asked to protect this
minority in establishing a government,
and to this end repress all opposition OF
the majority. We are required to set up
a stable government in h interest OF
those who a assailed our sovereignty
maintain 1t at any cost or sacrifice
against Its enemies within and against
those having ambitious designs from
without. ~
This would require an army and navy
far larger than is now maintained in the
Philippines and still more in excess OF
what will be necessary with the full rec
ognition of our sovereignty. A military
support of authority not our own, as thus
proposed, is the very essence of miltar-
SIN. which u opp9nents IN their pal Plat
would Of necessity be established In Its
most offensive form.
Thu American people will not make the
murderers of our soldiers the agents of
the republic to convey the blessings. OF
liberty and order to the Philippines. They
viii moi make them the builders Of the
new commonwealth. Such a course would
be a betrayal of our sacred obligations
to the peaceful Filipinos, n would place
at the mercy of dangerous adventurers
the lives and property of the natives and
foreigners.
In short, the proposition Of those op-
posed to US Is to continue all the obnBa-
tons in the Philippines which now rest
upon the government, only changing the
relation from principal, which now ex-
lists, to that of surety. Our responsibility
Is to remain; but on our power is to to be be
less, but our title is to be surrendered
to another power, which ~ without ex-
perience or training, or the ability to
and absolutely helpless to perform its
international obligations with the rest
of the world. To this we are opposed.
obligations, last. In the language Of our
platform, "Our authority should not be
less han our responsibility" and our
present responsibility is to establish our
Our rights in the Philippines are now
free from outside interference. and Will
continue SO in our present relation. Ihey
ton. We will not give up our own to
guarantee another sovereignty. -
Those who profess to distrust the liberal
and honorable purposes of the administra-
ton in its treatment of the Philippines are
not justified. Imperialism has no place In
its creed or conduct. Freedom Is the
was builded n now rests. Liberty is
the great republican doctrine for which
the people went to war and for which
a million lives were offered and billions OF
dollars expended to make it the lawful
legacy of all without the consent Of mas
ter or slave. There is a strain of ill-con-
the constitutional guarantees to the people
of the Philippines, while their nullifca-
ton is openly advocated at home. Our OPP
ponents may distrust themselves, but they
have no right to discredit the good faith
and patriotism of the majority of the peo-
pie, who are opposed to them; they may
fear the worst form OF Imperialism with
the helpless Filipinos in their hands; but
If they do 1t is because they have parted
with spirit and faith of the fathers and
have lost the virility of the founders of
the party which they profess to represent.
The Declaration of Independence.
The republican party does not have to
assert it's devotion to the declaration of
independence. That immortal instrument
Of the fathers remained unexecuted until
the people under the lead of the republican
party in the awful fash of battle turned
It's promises into fuIfllment. 1t wrote into
the constitution the endme guaran-
teeing political equality to American citi-
counseled others in breaking them. It will
not be guided in its conduct by one set
of principles at home and another set in
the new territory belonging to the United
Empire has been expelled from Porto
Rico and the P~htlippines by American
freemen. The flag Of the republic now
floats over these Islands as an emblem
of rightful sovereignty. VIII the repub-
lie stay and dispense to their inhabitants
the blessings of liberty, education n free
institutions, or steal away, leaving them
to anarchy or to Imperialism?
The American question is between duty
and desertion-the American verdict will
be for duty and against desertion, for the
republic against both anarchy n inn
The country has been fully advised of
the purposes Of the United States in China,
and they will be faithfully adhered to as
already defined.
we are grateful to our own soldiers and
sailors and marines, and to all the brave
men who, though assembled under
standards representing peoples and races
strangers in country and speech, were yet
united in the sacred mission of carrying
succor TO the besieged, win a success that
is now the cause of a worlds rejoicing.
Not only have we reason for thanksgiy-
ing for our material blessings, but we
should rejoice in the complete unlfication
OF the people of all sections of our coun-
last few years and made for US a more
perfect union. The obliteration Of old diff
ferences, the common devotion to the flag,
and the common sacrifices for its honor,
so conspicuous by the men of the north
and south in the Spanish war, have so
STRENGTHENED the ties OF friendship and
mutual respect that nothing can ever again
divide us. The nation faces the new CEN
fury gratefully and hopefully, with in
creasing love OF country, with firm faith
in its free institutions, and with high re-
the earth" Very respectfully yours
WILLIAM MKINLEx
49,