Free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1888-1908, 1900-08-18

elapsed before a new treaty could have
been agreed upon and ratified. and dur
ing that time the question would have
been agitating the public mind. If the
Bacon resolution had been adopted by
the senate and carried out by the prest-
dent, either at the time OF the ratification
of the treaty or at any time afterward,
it would have taken the question OF I'M.
periaIism out of politics and left the.
american Deopie free to deal with their
domestic problems. But the resolution
was defeated by the vote of the repubiic-
an vice president, and from that time
to this a republican congress has refused
TO take any action Whatever IN the mat
When hostilities broke out at Manila
republican speakers and republican edl-
tors at once sought to lay the blame upon
those who had delayed the ratification
of the treaty, and, during the progress
of the war, the same republicans nave
accused the opponents of Imperialism OF
giving announcement TO the Filipinos.
This Is cowardly evasion of the re-
If it is right for the United States to
hold the Philippine islands permanently
and Initiate European empires in lhe gov
eminent of colonies, the republican party
ought to state its position and defend It.
but it must expect the subject races 10
protest against such policy ana TO re-
Sist TO the extent of their ability Ine
FilipinOs do not need any encOuragement
from Americans now living Our whole
history has been an encouragement. not
only to the Filipinos but to all who are
denied a voice in their own government
If the republicans are prepared to cen
sure all who have used language cal
culated to make the Filipfnos hate for
eign domination let them condemn the
speech of Patrick Henry. When he ut
tered that passionate appeal. Give me
liberty or give me DEATH, he expressed
of men. Let them censure Jefferson; OF
all the statesmen of history none nave
used words offensive to those VINO
would hold their fellows in political pond
age Let them censure Washington, who
declared that the colonists must choose
between liberty and slavery Or, if the
a III nj limit "a AGAINST the
sins of Henry and Jefferson and Wash
ington, Jet them censure Lincoln whose
tense OF popular government When tle
present advocates of force and conquest
are forgotten.
Someone has said that a truth once
spoken can never be recalled. It goes on
and on, and no one can set a limit to It's
overwhelming influence But if 1t We're
possible to obliterate every word written
or spoken in defense of the principles set
forth in the Declaration of independence.
war of conquest would still leave its
legacy of perpetual hatred, for 1t was
God Himself who placed in every human
heart the love of liberty. He never made
a race of people low in the scale of
civilization or intelligence that it would
welcome a foreign master
Those who would have this nation enter
upon career OF empire must consider
the FiIipinos, but they must also cal
culate its effects upon our own nation,
We cannot repudiate the principle of self
weakening that principle here.
Lincoln said that the safety of this
nation was not in it's fleets, its armies,
its forts, but in the spirit which prizes
liberty as the heritage of all men in all
lands, everywhere, and he warned his
this spirit without planting the seeds of
despotism at their own doors:
paralyzing influence of Imperialism.
Heretofore, this nation has been prompt
to express its sympathy with those who
were fighting for civil liberty. While our
sphere of activity has been limited to the
western hemisphere, our sympathies have
not. been bounded by the seas. We have
felt it due to ourselves and to the world
as we'll as to those who were struggling
for the right to govern themselves, to
proclaim the interest which our people
have, from the date of their own hide
pendence, felt in every contest between
human rights and arbitrary power.
Three-quarters of a century ago, when
our nation was small, the struggles OF
Greece aroused our people, and Webster
and Clay gave eloquent expression to the
universal desire for Grecian independ-
| ence. In 1896, all parties manifested a
lively interest in the success of the Gu
bans, but now when a war is in progress
in South Africa, which must result in ex-
tension of the monarchial idea, or in the
imperialism in this country dare not say
a word in behalf of the Beers Sympathy
| unfriendliness toward. England; the
American people are not unfriendIy to-
pathy is due to the fact that; as stated
| in platform, we believe in the prin-
ciples of self-government and reject, as
did our forefatherS, the claims OF mon
| archy. If this nation surrenders its
belief in the universal application OF
the principles set forth in the Declara-
| ton of Independence it will lose the pres
| tige and influence which it has enjoyed
| among the nations as an exponent OF
Our opponents, conscious of the weak
ness of their cause, seek to confuse i'm
1eralf fn With expansion and haos
| their policy. Jefferson spoke so freely
| and used language with such precision
| that no one can be ignorant of his views
| On one occasion he declared: If there
be one principle more deeply rooted thar
any other in the mind of every Ameri
| to do with conquest" And again he
| said: Conquest is not in our prin
The forcible annexation of territory
to be governed by arbitrary power differ:
to be built up into states as a monarchy
differs from a democracy. The demo
| when expansion enlarges the area of th'
| republic and incorporates land which cal
| be settled by American citizens or add.
| to our population people who are will
| ing to become citizens and are capable
of discharging their duties as such. Th'
Florida, Texas and other tracts which
| have been secured from time to time
ton Followed the nag into the new Ter
ritory. 1t is now proposed to seize up
on distant territory, already more denSel.
populated than our own country, and Il
force upon the people government, 70
| which there is no warrant in our con
stitution or our laws. Even the argUi
ment that this earth belongs to thos
| who desire to cultivate it, and who hav
/ the physical power to acquire it. canno
| be invoked to Justify the appropria tiol
of the Philippine islands by the Unite,
| States If the islands were uninhabite
| American. citizens would not be willing t
go there and till the soil. The whit
race will not live so near the equator
Other nations have tried to colonize i
the same latitude. The Netherland
have controlled Java for 800 years an
yet today there are less than 10000 PEG
| the %. COO 600 natives. After century an
] a half of English domination in India les
| than one-twentieth of one per cent. O
| the people of India are of English birth
| and it requires an army of 10000 BIRTHS
soldiers to take care of the tax collectors
Spain has asserted title to the Philippin
islands for three centuries and yet. whe
our fleet entered Manila bay, there wer
less than 10000 Spaniards residing in tn
. | Philippines.
A Colonial policy means that we sha
send to the Philippine islands a fe1
, | traders, a few taskmasters and a fe7
| office holders and an army large enoug
l. to support the authority of the peopl
| while they rule the natives.
: If we have an imperial policy we mus
have a great standing army as its ns
tural and necessary complement. TIL
| spirit which will justify the forcible al
; nexation of the Philippine islands wi