The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1900-08-17

delivered the F1ltp1noS into our nanus, Ior
their good and our glory, to the exultauon
of the minister who said that we ought to
thrash the natives (Filipinos) until they
understand who we are. "and that "every
bullet sent, every cannon shot and every
nag waved means righteousness.
No Calling Gossip.
We cannot approve of this doctrine in
one place unless we are willing to apply
1t everywhere. If there is poison in the
blood of the hand it will ultimately reach
the heart. 1t is equally true that forcible
Christianity, if planted under the American
flag in the far-away orient, will sooner or
later be transplanted upon American soil.
If true Christianity consists in carrying
out in our daily lives the teachings Of
Christ, who will say that we are command
with the sword? He who would declare
the Divine will must prove his authority
either by Holy Writ or by evidence Of
We into all the world and preach the Gospel
to every creature" has no Gatling gun at
tachment. When Jesus visited village of
Samaria and the people refused to receive
Him, some of the disciples suggested that
fire should be called down from Heaven
fS bnked Re and sad Know ao
manner of spirit ye are of; for the Son of
Man is not come to destroy mems lives.
1--WE will thrash them until they under
stand who we are," how different would
have been. the history of Christianity
Compare, If you will, the wagering, bull
lying, brutal doctrine of Imperialism with
the Golden Rule and the commandment,
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy
self"
Love, not force, was the weapon of the
NaZarene; sacrifice for others, not the ex-
ploitation of them, was His method OF
reaching the human heart. A missionary
recently told me that the stars and stripes
once saved his life because his assailapt
bood upon it, # be that on
missionaries are seeking souls instead of
sovereignty; let it be known that instead
armies, they. are going forth to help and
to uplift, having their loins girt about with
truth and their feet shod with the prepara-
ton of the Gospel of Peace, wearing the
breastplate of righteousness and carrying
the sword of the Spirit; let it be known that
they are the citizens of a nation which
nations as carefully as it protects the rights
of its own citizens, and the welcome given
to our missionaries will be more cordial
than the welcome extended to the mission
aries of any other nation.
The argument, made by some, that II
was unfortunate for the nation that it
islands, but that the naval victory at Ma
Mia made the permanent acquisition of
those islands necessary, is also unSound.
We won victory at Santiago, but that
did not compel US to hold Cuba. The she'd
ding of American blood in the Philippine
islands does not make it imperative that
we should retain possession forever; Amer
lean blood was shed at San Juan hill and FL
Caney, and yet the president has prom
ised the Cubans independence. The fact
that the American flag floats over Manila
does not compel US to exercise perpetual
waves over Havana to-day, but the pres
ident has promised to haul it down when
the the nag "a S OF the CuPan republic is re READY to
that our flag in the orient give way to
flag representing the idea of self-govern-
ment than that the flag of this republic
should become the flag of an empire.
An Honorable Solution.
There is an easy, honest, honorable solu-
ton of the Philippine question. 1t is set
forth in the democratic platform and it is
submitted with confidence to the Ameri-
can people. This plan unreservedly in
dorse. If elected, l shall convene congress
in extraordinary session as soon as l am
inaugurated, and recommend an imme-
diate declaration of the nations purpose,
hrst, to establish stable form of gov
ernment in the Philippine islands, just as
we are now establishing a stable form of
government in the island of Cuba; Sec
ond, to give independence to the F'ilipinos,
just as we have promised to give inde-
pendence to the Cubans: third, to protect
while they work out their destiny, just
as we have protected the republics of
Central and South America, and are, by
the Monroe doctrine, pledged to protect
Cuba An European protectorate often
results in the exploitation of the ward by
the guardian. An American protectorate
gives to the nation protected the advan-
tage of our strength, without making 1t
the victim of our greed For three-quar-
ters of century the Monroe doctrine has
been a shield to neighbortng republics
and yet it has imposed no pecuniary bur-
den upon US. After the FilipinOs had aid
ed US in the war against Spain, we could
not honorably turn them over to their
former masters; we could not leave them
to be the victims of the ambitious de-
signs of the European nations, and since
we do not desire to make them a part Of
us, or to hold them as subjects, we pro-
pose the only alternative, namely, to give
them independence and guard them
against mOl6StatlOn from without.
When our opponents are unable to de-
fend their position by argument they fall
back upon the assertion that 1t is destiny,
and insist that we must submit to it, no
matter how much it violates moral pre-
cepts and our principles of government.
This is a complacent philosophy. 1t OBJ
literates the distinction between right and
wrong and makes individuals and nations
the helpless victims of circumstances.
Destiny is the subterfuge of the in
vertebrate, who, lacking the courage to
oppose error, seeks some plausible excuse
for supporting it. Washington said that the
destiny of the republican form OF gov
was deeply, if not finally, staked
on the experiment intruSted to the Amer
lean people How different Washington's
definition of destiny from the republican
definition. The republicans say that this
nation is in the hands of destiny; WASH
of our own nation, but the destiny of the
form of government through
out the world was intrusted to AMERICAN
hands. Washington was right. Ihe
destiny of this republic is in the hands of |
its own people, upon the success of the !
experiment here rests the hope of human |
ity. No exterior force can disturb this |
republic, and no foreign influence should |
be permitted to change its course. What |
the future has in store for this nation no
one has authority to declare, but each in |
1ividual has his own idea of the nations 8 |
mission and he owes 1t to his country as |
we'll as to himself to contribute as best he |
NAV to the fulillment of that mission.
Mr.. Chairman, and Gentlemen of the |
Committee: 1 can never fully discharge the
rymen for the honors which they have so
generously bestowed upon me; but, s1rs, |
whether it be my lot to occupy the high |
office for which the convention ri mas l named |
In private life, it shall be my constant am |
bition and my controlling purpose to aid in |
-ealizing the high ideals of those whose |
wisdom and courage and sacrifices brought |
this republic into existence.
/ can conceive of a national destiny sur |
passing the glories of the present and the |
1ast-a destiny which meets the response |
oilities of to-day and measures up to the |
possibilities of the future. Behold repub- |
stones ouarried by revolutionary patriots |
from the mountain of eternal truth-a re-
public applying in practice and proclaim |
ng to the world the self-evident PROPOSE |
ion: that all men are created equal; that |
hey are endowed with 1nal1enable rights; |
hat governments are instituted among
nents derive their just powers from the
consent of the governed. Behold republic |
n which civil ana rel1S1OOS uDerty StIInu-
ates all to earnest endeavor and in which
he law restrains every hand uplifted for a
leighbors injury-a republic in which
very citizen is sovereign, but in which |
10 one cares to wear crown. Behold a
'epubIic standing erect while empires all
around are bowed beneath the weight of
heir own armaments-a republic whose
lag is loved while other flags are only |
cared. Behold republic increasing in
in wealth, in strength and in
influence solving the problems of civiliza-
ion and Fastening the coming of uni
-ersal brotherhood-a republic which |
hakes thrones and dissolves aristocracies
" it's silent example and gives light and
Inspiration to those who sit In darkness.
Behold a republic gradually but surely
becoming the supreme moral factor in the
-A-lr. i