Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-11-03
BIG DEMONSTRATION
FOR HON. JOHN 4. HOLT.
Continued From Fifth Page.

sprang to arms. They drove the Span
ish soldiers cut of Cuba; they sent his
fleets to the bottom of the seas. CAD
plause.) 1t is not the spanish war l
object to. Nobody was more in favor
of it than /, but it is the miserable
perversion of the results of that war
of which l complain. When the Span
iards were driven out of Cuba we went
to Porto Rico. The Porto Ricans knew
our institutions, they were familiar
with our Declaration of independence
and they knew that if we kept faith
with the Constitution, we would admit
the island as State, or annex it as a
territory, with capacity and prospects
for Statehood. We threw off the Span
ish YOKE, and imposed on their necks
a more bitter yoke. They did have
representation in the Spanish Cortes.
They were taxed, but had a voice In it.
The moment we annexed the island
We taxed the Porto Ricans, and denied
them all representation. Our conduct
was on a par with that of George III.
toward the thirteen original American
colonies. We forgot our Declaration
OF independence, forgot the American
Constitution, forgot the Revolutionary
war, forgot the principles for which
this government stood; and boldly de-
clared that we know our Constitution
is a great charter of liberty, but don't
intend to extend its provisions to them
Thus Porto Rico became the first jewel
in the crown of our colonial empire.
Then, what did we do with the Phil
ippines? Dewey had sunk the Spanish
feet and we entered into an alliance
with the inhabitants of those islands.
Our Republican friends deny it. l
don't mean that there was a written
stipulation-but we furnished them
with arms and ammunition, and direct
ed them to throw their entertainments
around Manila. We fought with them
shoulder to shoulder, and we fought
a common enemy Theirs was the al
lance of deeds, and not of words. CAP
plause.) Then we find that an Amer
lean picket fired upon Filipino patrol.
The shot was returned and the engage
ment became general. Aguinaldo learn
ed of it, and sent note to General
Otis, saying: I'VE are not enemies, but
friends; we are not hostile to each
other, but allies; we want peace, not
war. / can stop it. / propose to with
draw my troops to any safe place you
may designate" This was the PROPOSE
ton of the man whom the administra-
ton holds up to the execration of the
American people. General Otis replied
that the firing having once begun must
commune. Where do l get my authori-
ty for that statement? 1t was made by
Senator Hoar from his seat in the
United States Senate, and is uncontra-
dicted to this hour. (Applause.) 1t
is the statement of General Reed, Of
Missouri, uncontradicted to this hour.
(Applause.) They say Bryan is re-
sponsible. Uaughter.) The battle was
fought on the fourth of February, in
consequence of Otis conduct, and be-
fore the treaty of peace was ratified.
Did the administration want peace? 1t
did not 1t could have prevented the
war 1t never intended anything else.
1t was intended as a war of conquest,
and the administration wanted a pre-
text to the end that it might fill the ISL
and of Luzon with soldiery and after
subjugating the people refuse to extend
the provisions of the Constitution to
them. We forgot our declaration OF
war, forgot the Declaration of indie
pendence. We sent our vessels to their
harbors to lombard their cities, and
filled their islands with soldiers VINO
chased their men, women and children
through the swamps and jungles like
wild beasts Yet the Republican party
in It's platform congratulated the coun-
try upon having brought new birth
of freedom to ten millions of people IN
the Philippines. The truth is, we paid
twenty million dollars for the privilege
of shooting them, and have been shoot
ing them ever since.
We now come to the third link in
the chain of evidence-the treaty with
the Sultan OF Sulu. Its first stipula-
ton declares the sovereignty of the
United States to extend over the
islands, the Stars and Stripes to be
the flag to wave over their people
by land and by sea. The second pro-
vision was that America should not
interfere in the religion of the
Morros; third, that the Sultan was
not to be interfered with in his rights
and privileges, and was to be left to
the enforcement OF his laws. If the
islands were invaded by a foreign
power the strong arm Of the American
government was to defend and protect
it. The treaty also provided certain
monthly salaries to be paid by this
government to the Sultan and his
official advisers. The treaty was not
to go into effect until ratified by the
Governor General of the Philippines
and the President of the United States.
Whether the Governor General has
ratified it or not l do not know, but
| do know that Mckinley has approved
it. He did not at once send it TO the
Senate for ratification, but was evident
ly ashamed of it, and pigeon-holed it
and hid it away from the American
people. 1t was not until Senator Pet
tigrew demanded its production that
the people were given an opportunity
to examine it, Then they began to
inquire about its provisions. They
discovered that the Morros numbered
100000 souls. They are Mohamme-
dams, and polygamy is the chief cor
nar stone o. their religion The peo-
pie discovered that their laws not only
permitted, but that human slavery is
practiced in the Sulu group. Men.
women and children are bought there
like beasts of burden. The Morros
make conquest of neighboring islands.
and make slaves out OF their cap
tives.
How long has it been since the men