Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-11-03

stftutional truth. and the forty thousand
grizZled old veterans of the union army
who met the other day in the great city
Of Chicago to receive the homage and
p)ardits of a grateful union. may as well
tear the badges land medals of honor
from their aged breasts. and hide from
sight those blood stained and shot torn
battle flags which are their pride and
glory. But If the constitution follows the
0ae in the Philippines then why, 1 ask.
does it not follow the flag dn North and
South Carolina and Alabama and Missis-
stppi? If it is wrong to kill brown men
in the Philippines who are numbering
American soldiers, is it not wrong to
Kill black men in the south who are
simply exercising the right guaranteed to
them by the constitution of their coun-
try7 If it is wrong to inject civilization
with 13-inch guns as u democratic
friends term it, into murderous savages
who are firing upon our flag, is it not
wrong to strike terror into the black
men of the south with double-barrelled
shot gun in order to keep them from
voting the republican ticket? And is 1t
| right for Mr.. Bryan n the democratic
party to waste all their tears and all
their tender sympathy upon the aborig-
ines of the Philippines who are in m
rebellion against the United States and
yet never utter a word of compassion or
! shed a single crocodile tear for the mil
lions of black American citizens who are
being founded and robbed and despoiled
of their political rights by the demo-
cratic party through the medium of fore.
and unjust laws? These are pertinent
questions which call for a candid answer
in view of the issues involved in this
campaign.
But the democratic party says we have
no right in the Philippines, that Spain
had no title to give. In answer I say that
SPANS title to the Philippines was ex-
actly the same as her title to Florida.
She held both by right of discovery, ana
we acquired title to both in practically
the same manner. So that If u title to
the Philippines is not good then u title
to Florida was never good. And by the
! same reasoning our title to California
and Utah and Colorado was not good,
for we got them the same as we got the
Philippines, as a war indemnity and III
consideration of a cash payment.
Let me briefly recite how we came 20
be in the Philippine islands, and permit
me to preface this by saying, that when
nations go to war no mar can foretell
what the outcome may be. In April, 1898,
we declared war against Spain in order
to free Cuba from her tyranny and per-
l. secution. That declaration of war might
never have been made, n Cuba would
probably have been freed by American
diplomacy, but for the awful tragedy OF
the blowing up of the battleship Maine
and the cowardly murder of 26O American
sailors and marines. After that das-
taPdlyH'act, the GROWING iinfamy o!
Spain's Tong and brutal career in tho
western hemisphere, nothing could stay
the just anger and Indignation of the
American people. When the declaration
Of war was made we la no thought of
the Philippines or of Porto Rico. We
were bent only on driving Spain out Of
Cuba. But the object of wal is to de-
stroy the enemy, to sink his ships, to kill
or capture his army and to q his
territory. And in pursuance of this pur-
pose, on the morning of May l. 1898, tho
Asiatic squadron of the American navy
steamed into Manila bay, and in one
short hour Spain's power was forever
broken in the Orient; the American navy
had achieved a renown which can never
fade, and George Dewey had inscribed
his name in letters of imperishable glory
among the great naval heroes of The
earth.
1t is a law of nations that If in war an
invading power destroys the ability OF
the enemy to maintain order and observe
his national and international obliga-
lions. that duty and responsibility falls
upon the victor. We destroyed SPANS
power and ability to govern and hence
We became morally and legally respon-
stble In the eyes of the civilized world
for the preservation of law and order
and the protection of life and property
at Manila. And there has never been a
moment since the thunder of Dewey s
guns broke the stiffness Of Manila bay
and electrified the world, when the
American flag could be Withdrawn from
those islands without a violation of every
moral and International obligation, AMI
without a loss of national honor and
prestige and self respect. We could not
turn them back to the persecution OF
Spain, nor could we leave them to the
nust and cruelty and greed of the follow
CTS il A IL nave uOIe lnlS
would have justly called down upon us
the condemnation of the civilized world
and we may rest assured that our
severest critics would have been the
democratic party.
But there is still another phase to this
matter which is full of democratic incon-
sistency. If we are ~wrongfully in the
Philippines, if u title is worthless and
our soldiers are mere robbers and
marauders; If our flag has been illegally
raised and our sovereignty illegally as
serted: and If the Philippines are capable
Of governing themselves, all of which is
claimed by the democratic party, then
1T is pertinent to ask what right has Mr.,
Bryan or the democratic party, or any
M else, to interfere with them in any
manner? What business is it of MIR,
BFyan's or any n else, whether they
ShohI:cb q STA hla pOvorppna,t i, ,o-,