The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-04-28
ELOQUENT PLEA FOR The FILIPINOS
He Eulogizes Aguinaldo as Chief
Of Oriental Rebels.
RANKS HIM WITH YANKEE PATRIOTS
Way Of Solving the Perplexing
Philippine Problem.

In his great speech in the United
States senate on April II, George F.
Hoar, of Massachusetts, spoke in op-
position to imperialism and declared
that perseverance in the present policy
of the administration will result in the
defeat and overthrow of the Repub-
lican party. AS prepared, the address
was $4,000 words in length, but Mr..
Hoar omitted much of it owing to. an
lncipient attack of the grip from which
he was suffering. He spoke for three
hours, and while it was tremendous
strain on him, the more important
passages Of the argument were deliv-
cred with force and vigor.
One Of the most effective parts of the
address was his fancied roll-call of
some Of the distinguished statesmen
Of the United States on the question of
the retention Of the Philippines. He
began with George Washington and
closed with William Mckinley, each
in a sentence giving the reason for his
vote. Every vote was in the negative,
except that Of Aaron Burr, who voted
eyes," and explained: "You are repeat
ing my buccaneering expedition down
the Mississippi. am to be vindicated
at last"
When the name Of William McKin-
ley was called, he replied:
"There has been Il cloud before nv
vision for a moment, but 1 see clearly
now; l go back to what 1 said two
years ago: 'Forcible annexation is
criminal aggression; governments de-
rive their just powers from the consent
Of the governed; not of some of them,
but of all of Them I will stand with
the fathers Of the republic. 1 will
stand with the founders Of the Repub-
lican party. No."
The effect was dramatic as Mr.. ,Hoar
pronounced his peroration; the stiffness
in the chamber was intense. Applause
swept over the galleries, but it was
hushed quickly by the president pro
tempore.
"The American people, so far as 1
know, were all agreed that their vic
tory brought with it the responsibility
of protecting the liberated peoples
from the cupidity of any other power
until they could establish their own in
dependence in freedom and in honor.
II stand here to-day to plead with
you not to abandon the principles that
have brought those things to pass. If,
when we made the treaty of peace, we
had adhered to the purpose we de-
clared when we declared war; If we
had dealt with the Philippine Islands
as we promised to deal, have dealt, and
expect to deal with Cuba, the country
would have escaped the loss of 5000
brave soldiers, other thousands Of
wrecked and shattered lives, the sick
ness Of many more, the expenditure Of
hundreds Of millions, and, what is far
worse than all, the trampling under
foot Of it's cherished ideals.
II believe not only that perseverance
in the present policy will be the aban-
donment Of the principles upon which
our government is founded, that it will
change our republic into an empire,
that our methods Of legislation, of
diplomacy, Of administration must
hereafter be those which belong to en-
pires, and not those which belong to
republics; but 1 believe persistence in
this attempt will result in the defeat
and overthrow of the Republican
party"
Adverting to the authority to be
found in the Declaration Of Independ-
ence for expansion, Mr.. Hoar de-
clared:
'There is expansion enough in it, but
it is the expansion of freedom and not
of despotism; of life, not of death.
Never was such growth in all human
history as that from the seed Thomas
Jefferson planted. 1t has covered the
continent. It Is on both the seas. 1t
has saved South America. It is revo-
lutionizing Europe. It is the expansion
of freedom. 1t differs from your tin
sci, pinchbeck, pewter expansion, as
the growth of a healthy youth into a
strong man differs from the expansion
Of an anaconda when he swallows his
victim. Ours is the expansion Of
Thomas Jefferson. Yours is the expan-
sion Of Aaron Burr. 1t is destined to