The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1900-08-04
without thus utterly demoralzlrg
our democracy.
WICKED CRIME AND STUPID
BIlTNDER.

Whether it can ever be COED
craftsmanship to make such sacrl-
fees even i they appeared necessary
to the endsot gainlug certain com
mercIal advantages or accommoda-
/ tiOns for the navy, | viii not now
discuss. But 10 make them when
they are wholly unnecessary for any
such purpose is surely not only a
crime, but also a blunder- one OF
, the wicbedest of crimes and one OF
the atupldest of FLANDERS. When IN
answer to this Senator Foraker has
nothing to say but that SIT does not
alter The case from moral point of
vlew," we may we'll ask whether he
recognizes any moral principles IN
public affairs at all.
Senator Foraker ) deeply grleved
when we call the Philippine war .
crime. But did not President Nc
KInlcy give such name to such a
war himself? It was he who said
IN one of his messages:--"Annex-
alton by force cannot be thought Of,
for 1t would be, according to our
code Of morals, criminal aggression.
Will not the annexation of the Phil
Ippines be distinctly annexation by
force? And is there III 1t any ele-
meut of that crlminality lacking
which Mr.. Mex inley attributed to
it? Is it not especially criminal since
it involves a bloody war agiln3t
people who but recently were our
allies against common enemy, and
whom we are now killing only be-
cause, according to principle we
have proclaimed ourselves, they as
pre- 10 be free and inGel endent,
while we would make them OR sub
jects? President Mckinney has no
right to complain when he is judged
by a standard set up by himself.
w no, then, is responsible for that
policy branded as criminal by Pres.
McKinley's own words? Senator
Foraker quotes lavlshay of the Pres
ldent's unc,uous phrases promising
sweet things to the Flliplnos If they
will only give up their aspiration to
independence, surrender their arms,
bend their necks once more to terei On
rule, kseel down before him and call
him sovereign But those deliv.
erances may be ever so mellltiuous,
and The partisan adulation of the
Pre- sident's infinite wisdom and
goodness may be ever so fuisome-
assuming it to be sincere-yet they
sound like cruel nockery IN the
face of that unnecessary, wantoD
and wicked war, that "crlminal ag-
erosion" which has been heaplng
up mountains of corpses, wrecklng
untold thousands of lives, desoatipg
'nnumerable homes undermining the
very groundwork OF our free insti-
tutlons. l do not call President Nc
Kinley "Caesar Tar from it-or
a "bloodthlrsty tyrant," or any
other hard name that Senator For
aksr ma wish 20 to believe that l
applied TO him, But whether Presl-
lent Mckinley was himself the orig
inator Of his policy of "crimipal ag-
erosion" or whether he merely did
the will of "trlends" stronger than
himself, as President OF the United
States he irresponsible for the things
done 10y his orders, and to that res
possibility the American people
should boli bin.
That matltudes of republicans are
treu Died in their consciences about
what has been done there can be no
doubt. The apologize tore of their
very platform shows 1t. They should
have the courage honestly to speak
their minds. Many we'll meaning
men try to soothe their scruples by
saying:-"True, 1t is a sad affair,
but what can we do? We have the
wolf by the ears and cannot let 60"
Thl, IS simply pleading TIE baby
act. l have never hsard valid
reason why we could not even now
pacify the Philippine Islands by APP
plying TO them the same principle
that we applied to Cuba, aid them in
establishing an independent govern
mebt suitable TO their conditions,
and meanwhile protect them against
foreign interference. The difficult
ties that may he i'll the way OF this
are not nearly as great as those we
shall meet # we subjuga,e the islands
and try to hold them in subjec.ion.
The trouble is not that we "cannot
let co." but 1t is that men of power
in p )litlcs, moved by a mistaken
"pa,riotism," or by ambition, or bv
greed, will not let go. They will be
obliged to LET 90 assoon as the Anne
rican people fully appreciate that
moral eide of the question which
Senator Foraker ccnfesses himself
unable to see. Very~truly yours,
C. SCHURZ.
Bolton Landing, Lake George,
July 10, 1900.