The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1900-09-14

soldiers sailors and marines, their
widows and orphans, with respect to
employment in the public service
There has been no time since the de-
structfon OF the enemy's fleet when we
could or should have left the Philippine
archipelago After the treaty OF peace
was ratified no power Dut congress could
surrender our sovereignty OF ALLEVIATE
foot OF the territory thus ACQUIRED The
congress has not seen ut to do the one
OF the other and the president had no
authority TO do either If he had been so
inclined, which he was not. So long as
the sovereignty remains in US It is the
duty OF the executive whoever he may
BE- TO uphold that sovereignty and If IL
be attacked suppress its assailants-
would our political adyersaries do less2
It has been asserted that there would
have been no fighting in the Philippines If
congress had declared its purpose
to give Independence to the Tagal insur-
gents The Insurgents did not wait for
the action Of congress. They assumed
the offensive, they opened FIRE on our
army. Those who assert our response |
bfHty for the beginning OF the conflict
have forgotten that before the treaty
was ratified In the senate, and while it
was being debated in that body, and while
the Bacon resolution was under discus
sion, on February 4. 1899, the Insurgents
attacked the American army after being
previously advised that the American
forces were under orders not to fire upon
found in the recently captured archives
OF the insurgents demonstrate that this
attack had been carefully planned weeks I
before it occurred Their unprOvOked /
assault on our soldiers at a time when
the senate was dellDerating upon a. treaty I
shows that no action on our part except
surrender and abandonment would have
prevented the fighting, and leaves no /
doubt in any fair mind OF where the re- {
spOnsibiity rests for the shedding Of /
American blood.
With all the exaggerated phrase-mak- |
Ing Of this electoral contest, we are in I
danger Of being diverted from the real 1
contention We are IN agreement with /
all Of those who supported the war with 1
spain and also with those who cOunseled i
the ratification Of the treaty of peace I
Upon these two great essential steps /
there can be no Issue, and out Of these |
came all Of our responsibilities If others i
would shirk the obligations imposed by /
war and the treaty, we must decline to /
act further with them, and here the is /
sue was made. It is our purpose to es- ]
tablish in the Philippines a government /
suitable to the wants and conditions Of 4
the Inhabitants and to prepare them for \
self-gOvernment and to give them self /
government when they are ready for it i
and as rapidly as they are ready for it 4
That am aiming to 90 under my con-
stitutiOnal authority, and viii continue |
to do until congress srau determine the /
political status Of the inhabitants Of the /
archipelago.
Are our opponents against the treaty? /
II so, they must De reminded that 1T 1
could not have been ratified in the SEN
ate but for their assistance. The SEN
ate which ratified the treaty and the con
gress which added its sanction by a large /
appropriation, comprised senators and \
representatives Of the people Of all par
ties.
The American people will not make the /
murderers Of our soldiers the agents OF the i
republic to convey the blessings Of lib \
erty and order to the Philippines. They
new commonwealth Such a course u
would be a betrayal Of our sacred obi 4
cations to the peaceful FilipinOs, and \
would place at the mercy Of dangerous \
adventures the lives and property Of the i
natives and foreigners. 1t would make \
possible and easy the commission Of such II
atrocities as were secretly planned, to be \
executed on the I'd Of February, 1899, in i
the city Of Manila, when only the vigi-
lance OF our army prevented the attempt \
to assassinate our soldiers and all for Il
eigners and pillage and destroy the city \
and its surroundings. In short, the prop
OsitOn Of those opposed to US is to con-
tinue all the obligations in the Philip
pines which now rest upon the govern
ment, only changing the relation from /
principal, which now exists, to that Of \
surety. Our responsibility is to remain, i
but our power is to be diminished. Our
is to be surrendered 70 another power, \
which is without experience or training,
or the ability to maintain a stable gov
eminent at home and absolutely helpless /
to perform its International obligations \
with the rest Of the world To this we \
are opposed. We should not yield our
title while our obligations last In the \
language Of our platform Our authority \
should not be less than our responsible /
fty," and our present responsibility is to \
establish our authority in every part Of
the islands
No government can so certainly pre-
serve the peace, restore public order, es-
tablish law, justice and stable conditions 1
as ours. Neither congress nor the execu-
tive can establish a stable government in II
these Islands except under our right OF i
sovereignty, our authority and our flag.
And this we are doing
Those who profess to dispute the lib
eral and honorable purposes Of the ad-
ministratiOn in its treatment OF the Phil
ippines are not justified Imperialism
has no place in its cresd OF conduct Free
dom is a rock upon which the republican
party was builded and now rests. Lib
erty 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
IL a lawful legacy Of all without the
consent Of master OF slave. There is a
strain Of Il-concealed hypocrisy in the
anxiety to extend the constitutional /
guarantees 10 EnG people OF the E11np-
pines, while their notification is openly \
advocated at home our opponents may
dfstrust themselves, Dut they have no i
right to distrust the good faith and pa
triotism Of the majority Of the people +
who are opposed to them; they may fear
the worst form Of imperialism, with the
helples FIlipinos in their hands; but II I
they DO, II is because they have parted \
with the spirit and faith OF the fathers
and have lost the virility Of the found
ers Of the party which they profess to
represent.
The republican party does not have to 4
assert its devotion to the declaration Of i
Independence It wrote into the constf-
tuition the amendments guaranteeing Do
Iftfcal equality 60 American citizenship. /
and it has never broken them or couu-