The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-12-24
REPLY TO HARRISON.
Sen. Beveridge Defends Policy
of the Administration.

New York, Dec. Ex-senator Albert D.
Beveridge, of Indiana, delivered
speech Saturday at the annual dinner
of the New England society, held IN the
Waldorf Astoria, which transcends any
previous utterance by a public man IN
the United States favoring the reten-
ton of the territory wrested from Spain.
The address was in every way remark
able: first. because of Senator Bever-
idge's prominence in the fight in the
senate against the Porto R1can tarlII
bill; secondly, because those present
recognized it as a reply to General Har-
rison's speech of a few days ago at Ann
Arbor and finally for the passionate
enthusiasm with which the Indiana SEN
ator advanced his ideas upon Ihe Furl-
tan spirit and the new epoch IN our nd-
tional life' that being the toast 10
which he responded senator bSNSAAo50
said in part:
The new epoch in our national life VIII
be constructive. The Puritan spirit
never criticized except to propose some
thing better 1t felled forests only TO
erect buildings The word of imnor-
tally in Puritanism is the master Wofo
create Build buiId-this is the metnod
of Puritanism as applied to the Amerl-
can people in this new epoch OF our
national life.
TT is unavailing to argue that the
recent change wrought on the map OF
world
made The change has occurred
1.-THE Philippines are ours Hawai- IS
ours The Pacific is the American
ocean. The canal will be ours. LOOK at
your map and you viii see that Ine gu, IN
is in practical effect, an American lake
orr flag floats over the Antilles ana
has not vet been lowered even TO the
half mast; and when the stars ana
stripes is hauled down in cuba let II
hang awhile at half mast, in mourning
for the people of Cuba, abandoned, ana
the duty of the United states, ueseIts s
ssThese are epocha1 facts The future
of the world is in our hands rms IS
NOT enthusiasm, it is geography. Inc
constructive and righteous Puritan
shirt must dominate this intense STU
afion We ought not to be merely lnll-
tative any more thah we ous" ,-a ~
new laws It is not against these new
laws that they are different In lnetnou
and even in principle from the ola laws;
New laws and new methoos are NO. S''e-
lust because they are new.
At Of us be specific. The Philippine
people are to be governed. We can gov
eTn them best by considering them as
they are. We cannot zeal with lhedh as
we would with New EnglanderS
1--WE must not ignore differences OF 10
cation, condition, climate, race. ~
must have the adaptability of common
sense The Puritan was the greatest
maker of precedents the world has ever
seen And to make a precedent Wneh
needed is as noble as to follow a prece-
dent when proper. Constructive IS tue
offIce Of our epoch, and therefore we m
woke the creative spirit of the Puritan
sOur constitution does not prohlpl1
this It says: Congress SnalI nave pow
er to dispose of and make al needIui
rules and regulations respecting terri
tory and other property belonging 10 the
limited States Even II this present de-
veIopment was not. dreamed of when the
constitution was framed, that ordinance
still a14+
For the constitution grows as the
Deople grow. otherwise the people would
have to stop growing, or the constitution
would have to be destroyed Neither IS
necessary.
.sThe constitution is not a contract of
purchase and sale, or deed, or a III .
insurance policy. Is is an ordinance OF
national life. Let US thank God for
Hamilton and a Marshall. The constitu-
ton was made for the American people,
not the American people for the const1-
tuition. The constitution does not give
immortality to the nation; the nation
gives immortality to the constitution.
1.-The saying that the constitution fol-
lows the flag IS. only partly true. Inc
whole truth is this: Our institutions fol-
low the flag, the simplest first, later the
more complex and finally, when the way
is prepared, our noblest institution, the
American constituencies schools,
equal laws, impartial justice, social order
and at last the constitution. First the
blade then the spear, the full corn in
the ear.
saThe American constitution follows
the flag, to put it in another way, when
the American people deem 1t best amt
the American people may be trusted
Senator Beveridgeewa frequently in
terrupted by applause, and seemed to
have the sympathy of his audience. His
speech completely overshadowed those
of President Hadley of Yale, who re-
sponded to the toast +'Forefathers' Day
Professor woodrow Wilson on The PuT-
itan Example in Letters and Affairs
and St. Clair McKelway, who spoke to
the toast, New England Spirit in Press
and Pulpit