Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1900-03-23

VOL. 10. NUMBER 80.
COMMUNICATED FROM J. E. HOTTER
1H1HToR LEADER: am glad to note
that our infatigable E. W. Norton with
the reclamation of age is not Stacking
in patriotic vigor. Outspoken men like
Bro Norton are in demand just now
when it seems as though half our nation
u hesitating between the virtue and
dpty Of justice and the sordid deceitful
stemptation of greed. -- .-.~ '..''.
All this will give thee if thou kneel
down and worship me- said mammon
of old to his supposed victim after hav-
ing led him up on lofty summit show
ing him all the glories of the world.
How true is not this in the case of the
American people today, and how de-
ceitful, and how selfdestructive.
But why will men persist to act con-
trary to their innermost better convic-
ation? It is plain to be seen on every
4 that men are trying to shun our
Nal disgrace that they try to turn
stxdN, back towards the proceedings and
shut their eyes to the shame. But dis
guise it as we may, it will remain with
us and drag us into worse and worse
labyrinth of entanglement until'we do
just amendment to duty and wipe the
stain from our face. Nor can we hide
our hypocracy to the world; we may
refuse to enter the perfidious proceed
ings onto our public records but the
facts are open to the world. our pro-
ceedings are accorded in places where
we have no control, and, record or no
record, we are as unavoidably under.
mining our free republican institutions
as darkness will follow daylight. This
is no prophecy, it is the simple and
unalterable natural law of providence.
history is full of it through all ages as
far back as mans proceedings have
been recorded. and what is history good
for if we shall not gather lessons from
it.
Ii ashamed to take up our deal
ing with the Philippines Islands but
shall have to point to some Of our
glaring Inconsistencies with these peo-
pie in order to substantiate my state
ments above.
When Commodore Dewey had des-
troyed the Spanish fleet in Manila har-
bor he reported home that he held the
key to the Philippine Islands; this re-
port was evidently true, and I do not
believe that the Commodore had any
rapacious designs in so reporting, he
simply meant TO indicate that he was
master of the situation; an honest
steward will hold the key without
molesting the treasure. Dewey could
not have any intention Of hazarding the
natives with whom we had no contro'
versy, his acts and words also verify
this as he detested to lombard the city
of Manila and requested the assistance
of land forces from home in order to
subdue the Spanish garrisons in the
islands and this he undertook to do in
con nfnnction with the native insurrec.
It'd against Spain. When The natives
saw1 that their Spanish oppressors were
cowed by the American power, and
when they considered :he American
people declared principles of govern
ment, they naturally conceived the
idea that the Americans would assist
them in establishing an independent
government rather than taking the ag-
gressive measure Of conquest. All
indications point in the direction that
this was Dewey's idea also that it was
the natives idea, is manifested by the
proclamation issued by General Agui-
naldo to the Philippine people on May
"a, 1898 which reads as follows:
Filipinos: The great nation North
America, cradle of true liberty and
friendly on that account to the liberty
of our people, oppressed and subjugated
by the tyranny and despotism Of those
who have governed us, has come to
III tu1lcSG 0S0A uCAO a PAOSOCoAOA WILMA
is decisive, as we'll as disinterested, to-
wards us considering us endowed with
sufficient civilization to govern by
ourt,elves this our unhappy land. To
mail sin this so lofty idea, which we
de;a fe from the now very powerful
na on North America, it is our duty to
detest all those acts which belle such an
idea, as pillage, robbery and every class
of injury to persons as well as to things.
With view to avoiding international
conflicts during the period Of our cam
paign, I order as follows:
Article 1. The lives and property of
all foreigners, including Chinese and
all Spaniards who either directly or in
indirectly have Joined in taking arms
against us are to be respected.
pArticle II. The lives and property
of those who lay down their arms is
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