Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1900-05-11
THE PEOPLE PROPOSE TO RULE.
Report of Convention in Detail Including
Platform the Party will Ask Endorse
ment of the People.

and the other assistant. Mr.. Sherin
received 39S votes and Cof1nor 2s9.
Capt. Latin was escorted to the chair
by Mr.. Kelley, of Moody, ana Mr..
Smith, of Lake, and was received with
great enthusiasm.
REMARKS BY THE CHAIRMAN.
In his speech of acceptance he put
the Philippine question in a palmer
light than had been heard by most pres
ent. He was not aware until the last
eighteen hours that his name would be
mentioned. He thought the reason that
he was selected to speak on the Philip
pine question was because he had had
an introduction, though at long range
to great many. SILK ".s
He said the responsibility for the war
rested not with the Filipinos but with
the Americans stationed there. Its
representatives, and we are taxed at the
rate of almost $1,OOO,O 900 a day and
1,000 men month who fall by bullets,
insanity and other diseases, as an un-
censored report shows. This is about
one in five of our men there per year,
though the general death rate is not
one in twelve usually at home, and
they are nearly all young men, among
whom the death rate is much lower.
He declared the reports sent out from
the Philippines were not true.
Though that is broad statement
repeat it," He said every South Dakotan
of the regiment knows that when Otis
was telegraphing that our health was
good and our boys anxious to stay un-
til the war ended, there were fewer
than 300 of us able to be on the firing
line. In size the islands are larger than
any nation Of Europe except Russia,
and the population very heavy, some 80
people to the square mile. The people
do not want our government and it
will at the very best be years before we
can govern without the military that
snaps our substance and our young
men at the rate of million and a
thousand month.
"While it has been reported only the
Tagalos are in arms against US, the fact
is every tribe except the Maccabes and
the Sulus are against US. Many SUBJ
NIT when we enter town, only to
throw off the submission and join Agui-
naldo when the soldiers are gone"
1t will, the speaker believed be nee
essary 70 put every village-for the
people live in small villages and cult
vate the land between-under military
police for nearly generation before
they will submit. In Luzon, about the
size af South Dakota, one-half noun
tains, are 100000 of people, and al
most every foot of the tillable soil is
cultivated.
"It is declared by the republican
press that these people are unfit for
self government, but the republican ad-
ministration, in its usual inconsistent
methods and action disprove their own
premises, for they have given self-gov-
ernmeut to the lowest, most ignorant,
debased and debasing tribes of the
Philippine islands, and have confirmed
it by treaty, polygamy and slavery, in
cluded. I refer to the purchase of the
Sultan of the Sulus But they have
highly intelligent people Of the east-a
people numbering scholars, poets, as
tronomers, diplomats and statesmen
among them. ask you, gentlemen to
compare the government officials proc
lamations, constitution, and other state
papers to those of any other new gov
ernment, or old for they follow the