Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-02-08

In the United States Senate on Mon.
day last, Mr.. Bacon, d., tGa. \, called =
M his resolution declaring the purpose =
Of the United States TO withdraw from !.
the Philippine Islands as soon as a
stable native government could be set up
there, and delivered an address upon it.
He said 81 .
n Under these resolutions, II adopted,
the United States will do for the Philip |
mines practically tho same as they
have undertaken to do for Cuba, The
question presented may be concisely
stated as follows: When the conditions
are ripe, when peace has eeen restored
and the authority of the United States
Is no longer resisted in the Philippines,
shall the United States then accord
free government to the iIipinos, TO pc
INDEPENDENTLY exercised by them, OF will
the United States thereafter retain the
possession, dominion, and sovereignty
of the Philippine Islands, with tho
view TO their permanent retention US a
part of the territory of the United
States.
After discussing previous acquisi-
tious Of territory, Mr.. Bacon said:
10 each of those vast acquisitions and
in the uses made of them there was OK |
panson, and great expansion. But 1t
was not simply expansion of the terri
tory subject to the jurisdiction Of the
United States. 1t was also an eSpan-
sion, or rather an extension, OF the
same political systems and political 10,
stitutions which existed in the original
states, the expansion or extension OF
system of states inhabited by people
Of our own race, o people free and self
governing, aud with equal rights with
the people in the original states in the
making Of laws for the control of state
and Federal governments
This in each instance was legitimate
exhaustion. Lit was legitimate and har-
monious growth. 1t was not revolu-
tionary change. 1t subverted none OF
our institutions. 1t did no violence to
our political principles. 1t destroyed
none of our political ideals.
What shall be said Of an expansion
which is simply an expansion of terri
tory, which does not carry with 1T an
extension of our political system, our
political principles, and our political
ideals? What shall be said of an ex-
pansion by the acquisition of territory
where it is not intended that there
shall be statehood, and where it is i'm
possible that there can ever be state
hoodY
Z To hold them as subject colony
makes necessarily a revolution in oul
system OF government which should mo-
be aided by any one who is loyal to thu
principles upon which the system i
founded
The advocates of the Permanent re
teption of the Philippines do not Xix
10 hear the term "vassal. - Neyerthe
less, one who is subject OF a govern
ment in which he has no voice, VIII
only has such liberty as the government
may grant him, and which itself ma
be taken from him at the will of th
government, is a vassal. And that
h the only political relation the Filipin
can ever bear to the United State:
The advocates of permanent retentio
do not like the term imperialism.
Nevertheless, whenever republic owl
outlying provinces, to be held PERM
nently as dependent colonies, new
to be admitted as a part of the republ
in the control and administration
the government, that repuhic is
that extent imperial. And if held pc
manentIy, that is the only RELATE
which the Philippine Islands can ey
bear to the United States.
In the nature of things there can
no imperial republic. Under such
government the form Of a republic m
be preserved, but under it the spirit
republicanism must die. | am r
pleading the cause Of the Filipino.
am pleading the cause of American
that their government may not be &C
verified from a republic composed OF Il
states into 40 imperial gcvernmt
holding yassal and subject colonies, r
FIN ed and controlled necessarily by a star
ing army in their midst. II our free
public is to be converted into this
perial government, it is not those v
are to be held and ruled as yassals
~ subject colonies who will be the prir
pal sufferers.
The first feature in which this re
luton will definitely manifest itself
b. the injury of our pepole will be
the immediate growth of militari
Ii it shall be finally determined to
5 the Philippine Islands it is safe
diction that in less than is months 4
this date theregular army of the I'M
States will be 100, 600 men. And the a
OF 100, 600 which now seems to be n
stIous will in short time be incre;
to 1000
There can be ne greater DANCE
republican government, there can b
greater menace to personal Liberty
free institutions, than great stan'
W army III tli16 VI pehCo. ~ 10 tle ma
hand of every tyrant, it is the vorac
consumer of the hard tribute WI
from the industries of the land;
the oppressor and the burden of
great mass of the people. l war
territory permanently annexed tc
United States in which the condii
are such that it is conceded
beyond the possibility of succe
dispute, that not only for q while
for all time, the authority of
"a United States must and can be n
tanned only through the power
great standing army, enforcing the
mission and obedience of an unwi
people.
Another certain consequence of
revolution in the principles and {
ture of our government will b'
liability and probability Of disas
wars of which we have not hit
stood in dagger. We will neces
became complicated in the conter
and competitions and rivalries o
Z, European governments, and from
complications there will be col
danger that wars will be thrust
us which we cannot honorably de
The Philippine Islands will
weak spot, and that will be the
Of attack by our enSnies becaus
the weak spot.
Fl Again, with our navy necessaril
centrated in the Pacific Ocean, oil
seacoast of the Atlantic and