The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-10-09
RBRONNATSCHOOI
''CoNsENT OF GOVERNED. F"
Senator "pitchfork, Tillman shedsc.Croco-
ollie Tears Over Woes of the Filipinos,
but ADMITS His Party Shot Negro
Republicans In the south.


that has bothered me somewhat ever
since the candidates were nominated. |
You see the Democrats say that the
taking OF the Philippine islands and |
the attempt on the part Of the presi-
dent to conquer the Filipinos and make |
them part of the United States, isn't |
according to the constitution. What |
do you say to that?''
What the Administration Proposes.
Il know that the Democrats talk |
very learnedly about the consent of
the governed. said John, land there
has been an attempt to arouse good
deal of sentimentality on this score
1t strikes me, however, that if this
matter is considered dispassonately,
one will hardly say that the Demo
Gratis have any right to quote what
they claim is the constitutional argu-
ment against the holding of the Phil
tppines. In the first place the admin
tstration proposes to give the Filipinos
a stable government, but to do this
you will admit, think, that it will be
necessary, first for them to cease their
insurrectionary warfare. The ratiti-
cation of the treaty of Paris gave to
the United States the absolute legal
title to these islands and, at the same
time, imposed upon us the duty of pro-
tecting the people of the islands and
their property from harm, both from
insurrection within or attacks from
without. Now to perform this duty
x,ys11 - no Co.. Il.
United States to suppress this insur-
rection before it can establish a formal
government for the islands. 1t seems
to me, father, that this is one thing
which the opponents OF the admins
trati0n do not take into account. So
far as anything that the administration
has yet done it seems that we have
acted entirely within the constitution
and in accordance with the provisions
of the Paris treaty. You must also
remember. and this is one of the
strong points in the discussion of this
question, that the ratification of this
treaty may be said to have been
brought about almost solely through
the influence exerted by William Jen-
nings Bryan.
Ratified Through Mr. Bryan's Influence.
'sYou know it took a two-thirds vote
of the senate to ratify the treaty, and
the Republicans could not muster
sistance OF the opposition in that body
Mr.. Bryan went to Washington and
urged the Democrats and Free Silver
senators to join with the Republicans
and vote for its ratification. They did
so and ten Democratic senators, three
Populists. four silverites and one in
dependent took Bryan's advice and
voted for the ratification. giving the
treaty 81 votes to 27 in the negative.
Thus it cane about that it was through
his influence that the needed votes
were secured. He had nothing to say
at that time about the consent of the
governed and it was left to subse-
duent Democratic platforms to give
voice to this objection and. in my opin-
ion, this was done solely because the
managers of MIR. Bryan's campaign
hoped thereby to secure votes for theil
ticket among the foreign element OF
our people.
s"Consent of the Governed" In the South
with reference to the charge that
the constitution has been violated OIL
is to be, with respect to the consent
Of the governed it seems to me thai
there are few things in our OWL
country which the Democrats should
consider before they bring this charge
against President Mckinley and thu
Republican administration. In tn,
first place, / find, by consulting ;
speech made by Hon. e. j. Burkett o
Nebraska in the house of representa-
tives, March 8, 1900, that there wer
Is members of the house at its las
session who We're elected by vot
averaging only 3,025, and IL Of thes
had no opposition whatever. In tn
other cases the opposition vote range,
from 141 to 1913. Now, the population
Of these 10 districts is 2,589,134, or Al
average population per district of ~
6O9. These districts, according to thi
showing, averaged one vote to ever
81 population. Now, father, you wi
admit that there is evidently some
thing wrong there. The districts
refer to are the Sixth South Caroline
the First, Second, Third, Fourth an
Sixth Arkansas; the Third, Fourth
Fifth, Sixth and Tenth. Georgia; tn
sixth Louisiana, and the First, Secon
and Third Mississippi districts. 1t
needless to say, of course, that eac
Of these districts is represented in col
gress by Democratic member. Nov
take five districts in the north, til
First and Second Colorado district
represented by silyerites, the First an
Seventh Illinois, represented by R
publicans, and the Sixteenth Ne
York, represented by Democra
These five districts have a populatic
Of 1,O92,742, or about two-fifths of Il
population of the Is districts | hay
lust referred to, but the number ,
votes cast IN these districts aggregate
Bill .9O6, and the successful candidate
received an average of &c. 1865 votes