The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-03-20
CONTINUED from last week.)

similar emergencies 10 preclpl-
tate an armed conflict without
there being possibility of con-
sulting the popular will before
hand. But such exceptional
cases Notwithstanding, the con-
stitutional principle remains the
question of peace or war is es-
sentially one which the popular
will is to decide, and that no
possibility should be lost to
secure upon it the expression of
the popular will through its
legislative organs. Whenever
such q possibility is willfully
withheld or neglected, and a war
has been brought upon the coun-
try without every available
means being employed thus to
consult the popular will upon
that question, the spirit of the
Constitution is Aagrantly violat-
ed in one of it's most essential
principles.
We are now engaged in a war
with the Filipinos. You may
bubble abont it as you will, call
it by whatever name you Wilt
is war; and a war of conquest
on our part at that-a war of
bare faced, cynical conquest.
Now, l ask any fair-minded man
whether the President, before
the beginning of that war, or
while carrying it on, has ever
taken any proper steps to get
from the Congress, the represen-
tatives of the people, any proper
authority for making that war.
| He issued his famous benevolent
assimilation" order, directing the
army to bring the whole Philip
pine archipelago as promptly as
possible under the military gov
eminent of the United States, on
December 81, 1898, while Con-
gress was in session, and before
the treaty with Spain, transfer
ring her shadowy sovereignty
over the islands, had acquired
any force of law by the assent of
the Senate. That was substanti-
ally declaration of war against
the Filipinos asserting their in
dependence. He took this step
of his own motion. To be sure,
he has constantly been telling us
that 1.-THE whole subject is with
Congress-" and that Congress
shall direct" But when did he,
while Congress was in session,
lay a full statement before that
body and ask its direction? Why
did he not, before he proclaimed
that the slaughter must go on
without useless parley, call Con-
gress together to consult the
popular will in Constitutional
form !? Why, even in these days,
while swinging around the cir
cle," the President and his Sec
retaries are speaking of the prin-
cipal thing, the permanent an
nexation of the Philippines, not
as a question still to be determin-
ed, but as thing done-conclud-
ed by the executive, implying
that Congress will have simply
to regulate the details.
Now you may bring ever so
many arguments to show that
the President had technically a
right to act as he did, and your
reasoning may be ever so plaus-
ible-yet the great fact remains
that the President did not seek
and obtain authority from Con
gress as to the war to be made,
and the policy to be pursued, and
that he acted upon his own mo-
ton. And this autocratic con-
duct is vastly aggravated by the
other fact that in this democratic
republic, the government OF
which should be that of an intel
ligent and well-informed public
opinion, a censorship of news
has been instituted, which is
purposely and Systematically
seeking to keep the American
people in ignorance of the true
n A