Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-02-22
SENATOR KENNEY'S PLEA
For Justice Towards the People Of the
Philippine Islands.
TWO LINES OF ACTION LAID DOWN
Make Islands a State or Free
Republic.
LATTER is THE RIGHT AND PROPER ONE

Washington, Feb. 20.-In the Senate
today Mr.. Kenney of Delaware made q
speech on the Philippine question. He
said:
Il am one of those Senators who
voted for the ratification of the Treaty
of Paris believing that the ratification
meant the end of the war we had COM
menoed for humanity's sake, and that
the $40, 600, 600 awarded Spain was the
act not only of magnanimous victor,
but, as we'll, tribute placed ON
liberty's altar by people who knew
the value of freedom. Are there any
who know the history of the last two
years who will contend that, if at the
time the vote on the treaty was taken
it had been stated on the floor OF this
Senate that war in the Philippines
was to 60 on, and that the millions
awarded to Spain were the purchase
| price for a people to bs held in per-
petual vassalage. that instrument would
have been ratified' | do not think
there are any such. n
81 do know, Mr.. President, that of
the influences which moved most of
| this Senate to vote for the treaty the
| most powerful were the desire to end
| the war and commence the work of
| liberty and freedom in those far islands.
Il believe that there are Senators
today who are supporting the policy Of
| the administration who, at the time of
| the vote on the peace treaty, never
| dreamed that now they would be advo-
eating territorial and foreign policies
for this government which are as
strange to its institutions and tradi-
| tions as they are unjust and iniquitous
but under the lash and spar OF PARTY
| t,pliny and ovnalianau
wheeled into line, and now stand ready
not merely as passive agents, but as
active workers, to consummate that
which must then have been the hidden
purposes of persons who dared not that
| the light of public discussion should
shine on their nefarious schemes. - e.
Referring to the Philippine war, he
| gave as one of the causes:
| 1.-THE greed of those of our country
men who set self above honor and coun-
try; who, for their own selfish ends, are
willing to re-establish slavery within
the domain of this country and with
hold the Constitution from, part Of
the peoples. y
| Continuing, he said:
- hold that the title and possession
of the Philippine Archipelago by Spain
perfected in tine United States, no
| Ahuetoi "hoehoh ~ ,tASdpJ VI Dy lOtCo
of arms, and there is left but one OF
two courses open to this government
as to their disposition. The first is
that they he retained as a territory,
| with the ultimate and certain purpose
of admission as State or States into
the Union the other, that they be
given to the people Of the islands them
selves, to be erected into a republic as
free as ours, and SO under the guidance
and protection of the United States.
That the first course is impossible, there
can be little doubt when we take into
| consideration the character of the
people and understand the great differ
ences which exist between them and
the people of the United States. We
have in honor left us but the latter
course, TO give the islands back into
| the hands of their own people, and in
doing this we must be satisfied that
there is in them and their leader,
| Aguinaldo, fitness and ability for self
government. !"
Concluding, he said:
1.-The American people are too great
and free to be unjust. Justice alone
should govern us in our action with
the Philippines, 50 that in the years to
come no blush of shame shall be ours.
We should now and at once say to those
brave men OF the Pacific, our war with
you is not for conquest, but that peace
in the islands may be restored; and as
soon as peace does come, American duty
and honor will be the American policy,
and the freedom and Independence of
the Philippine Islands guaranteed, il
need be, for all time by American
arms. Let it not be said Of the Ameri.
can people that they who first wrested
freedom from crown and proved to
the world that people could govern
themselves in the zenith of their great
ness, flushed with victory, forget what
| liberty meant.''