Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1900-08-30

Dill Ci6AElI tAN
republican leaders to deal with q
Philippine islands in the same way.
1t seems that the administrator
was dreaming of empire even at the
time the treaty was made
Spain and the United States. Section
10 of the treaty declares that "thc
| civil rights and political status OF the
native inhabitants of the territories
| hereby coded to the United States
shall be determined by the congress-
In my opinion the people OF the Phii-
| ippine archipelago are not, and never
| can be. fitted for the discharge OF the
| high duties of American citizenship.
| If his view is a correct ones the adj
mission of that country to statehood
under the Constitution would be at
tended with perils to our govern
ment as well az dangers to n inter
ests of labor. It Is obvious, there
fore, that they can only be governed
as colonies, and such a form OF gov
| eminent is at wal with the theories
| upon which this government was es-
| tablished. But, fellow-citizens, ii the
| Philippine islands are to remain q
part of the territory of the United
States, they must be governed nde
| the Constitution, else there is en-
pire.
/ would deal with the Filipinos as
we have solemnly agreed to deal with
| the Cubans. But it is urged by some
with seeming exhuDerant patriotism,
that it is not the part of wisdom to
pursue this policy. They assert, with
,o,,oI -,,r@0 that fho Anu nnRn I'M
| should never be hauled down. This
seemingly patriotic sentiment is with
| out the sanction either of experience
or sound governmental discretion. 1t
is but another expression of a policy
which would make every war a war OF
| conquest. Even emperors have never
| asserted so ~untenable a doctrine for
| the earnest consideration of intelli-
! gent people. Napoleon himself hauled
| down the French flag from many OF
| the capitals of Europe in which 1t
| had waved in triumph. was done
| without dishonor to the French flag.
The Emperor William hauled down
| the flag of the German empire after
| the Franco-Prussian war, although it
foated in victory over all France. 1t
is o claimed hat this was an act OF
perfidy or dishonor.
The soldiers of the republic carried
our starry banner away up m Cana
da during the war of 1912, n yet it
was hauled down and brought back
in honor. Our flag once foated in
triumph and glory over the hall of
the Montezumas, but no American has
ever assumed tina it was dishonored
when it was brought back to the Rio
Grande. The flag should never float
save in honor and in harmony with
the principles of justice, equality and
liberty. i
CONCLUSION.
My fellow-citizens, the American
people do not desire colonies, because
they are Improbable, and for the
weightier cas- that their acquisi-
ton would be the establishment of C
Colonial Empire. 1 believe withsthc
Kansas City platform hat "the Fill
pinos a not be citizens without en-
dangering our civilization, they can
not be subjects without ~imperiling
our form of government, and as we
are not willing to surrender u civil
iaztion or to convert the Republic in
to an Empire, we favor an immediate
declaration of the nations purpose to
give the F%ilipinos, first, a stable form
of government; second, independence,
and third, protection from outside in
reference, such as has been given
for nearly a century to the republics
of Central and South American"
Mr.. Chairman, the result of this
campaign will determine whether this
government is to slip the anchor of it's
old safe constitutional moorings to
try the certain perils incident to u
voyage in quest of Colonial Empire.
The issue is pregnant with the des-
TIMES of a free people. The United
States has survived all the dangers OF
its constitutional history, and is now
a great and powerful republic; SPLEEN
did in the magniicence and. variety of
its almost illimitable resources; with
a climatic range permitting n variety
of production unknown to any other
country; with a homogeneous people
thoroughly in love with free ~institu-
tions, and u destiny so exalted and
radiant with the rainbow Of promise
that language is utterly impotent to
adequately depict or portray.
The example of this free republic
has lighted up the dark places of the
earth; it has established the affairs of
freedom in every cline; it has been
the hope of the oppressed of every
nation; it has been the joy of the lib
erty loving people of the world; it
has established constitutional govern
ments; it has caused thrones to totter
to their fall; it has stricken shackles
from slaves; it has utterly discredited
the doctrine that kings rule by divine
right.
When Jefferson announced the mas
terful doctrines of the sovereignty of
the people, and the equality of men,
it was the defiant challenge Of liberty
to. ~despotism; it was the beginning of
the American republic whose glorious
career to the present time has been
the song and story of freedom.
My c~ountrymen, shall we now repu-
date the Declaration of Independ-
enc and turn our backs upon the
Constitution?
Shall we forget the glorious
achievements of our armies and
navies in behalf of constitutional gov
eminent? Shall we forget the awful
suffering at Valley Forge? Shall we
forget the vaior and hardships of our
soldiers in the war of 1912 and the
war with Mexico? Shall we forget the
terrible carnage, the anguish and the
heartaches of the civil war? Shall we
forget that the Monroe Doctrine has
been a mighty defense for human lib
erty? Shall we forget that the Con-
stitution gives us the shield of the
great Writ of Habeas Corpus and of
the right of trial by jury? Shall we
forget that the supreme court has