Delaware gazette and state journal., 1900-01-25


For a long twelve month the anti
imperialists have been the advocates of
a way OF escape, and to that way they
adhere. They claim that Cuba, that
Porto Rico. that the Philippine Islands,
either as our State or as several States,
NAV set up and maintain independent
gus sfnments, guided, il such shall be
the:f wish, by our friendship and pro-
teoting nand, For this. and for this
| only-for this IS the extent of our
demands, and the aim and end of all
| our doings-we have been arraigned as
the enemies Of the country by Gen. Otis
| in Manila and by the President in
America. On the issue so raised the
Judgment OF the country will be rem
dered in November next.
The country has right to know the
object, the specific object, for which
the war is now prosecuted.
The Congress has not spoken. The
President conceals his purpose, but
from circumstances it may be inferred,
in part at least, with unerring Ger tainty.
He intends to prosecute the war until
the Filipinos are subdued. This is an.
nounced. We demand pence without
delay and without submission ON the
part of the Filipinos. If the outcome of
the war shall be victory and the abject
submission Of the Filipinos, their ex-
ercise of tho right Of self. government
must depend upon our opinion of their
| ability to govern themselves. Such is
the policy and purpose of tho President.
IL cannot be the purpose of tho Pres-
dent to admit the Filipinos to the
right of self-government, as that ad-
mission must Bring the war to an end at
| 0pno apA IL ppu1l h., a.1y ,loo
that the war is unnecessary and unjust.
Thus is the proof sufficient that the
| President intends to hold the Philip
| pines as subiugated possessions.
Our claim is that the Filipinos shall
be free at once to set up such govern.
ment as may be agreeable to them and
independently of any diotation by us.
This plan, so presented to the country,
in the presence CT the perils that are
| incident to the acceptance of the
Philippines either as colonial possess
sions or as prospective States, will
compel the administration imperialists
| to present counter scheme.
| 1t is affirmed, with a show Of prob
ability, that scheme has been pre-.
pared or contemplated already.
The scheme must be this: An amend
ment of the Constitution by which the
United States may be authorized to
acquire and TO hold colonies and to ex-
ercise full and exclusive jurisdiction
over them. Thus is the republic to be
transformed into an empire.
Nothing less will meet the exieency
in which the administration will be
| involved.
Fortunate it is for us that the ques.
tion of an amendment to the Constitu-
tion must be delayed, and that the
question arising on our demand takes
precedence in time.
Our issue is made for November next,
and on that issue we expect control
| ling vote from the laboIng and indus
trial classes, if not indeed a unanimous
| vote, which is our reasonable demand
in the circumstances that exist. We
/ shall be told that the laborers need not
fear competition, and that the laborers
of America are so intelligent and ex-
| pert that they may defy competition.
The experience of the country is an
answer TO these delusive promises.
The Chinese will ruisue employment
and attractive wages the world over,
and they become initiative workers in
/ every branch of industry. OF this we
have knowledge from experience. l
now repeat what i said of the Chinese
on former occasion, and as long ago
| as December 2Sth, 1885, / then said,
"They can defy competition, and that
! peculiarity is the only adequate de-
fence for our hostile legislation. They
can manage a bank or run laundry
with certainty of success that cannot
be foretold of any other people, whether
English, or American, or Hebrew. :"
The laborers of this country have
now an opportunity, and the only
opportunity they ever can have, to put
an end to the scheme of establishing a
colonial empire, to be followed by the
degradation of the laboring popula-
tions through competition with the
laborers of the East and the products
of the cheap labor Of the East. What
ever may be the purpose of the Presi-
dent, his policy contemplates the estab.
lishment of colonial empire and the
downfall of the labor class, which now
is necessary and an intelligent force
in the civilization q America and in
the progress of the world.
There are those who affect to excuse
the President upon the ground that ne
is in the hands of men atler than him
self. At this POINT | am with the
President in not accepting that excuse.
1t is now many months since gave
the President credit for signal ability
in the work of transforming this re.
public into an empire. Since that
time his conduct and career have
strengthened my conviction that he is
supreme over all the men who are
around him, whether Of the cabinet or
of the members of the Republican party
in Congress, who gave him their SUP.
port.
By the criminal law every man is re.
sponsible for the natural consequences oi
his acts. This rule is applied in affair
of government. Nor can any public
officer plead good motives as defence
for bad doings, and in an intelligent
magistrate good motives and bad doings
can never be associated. The President
accepted the war with Spain, which be
might have averted and yet have
secured the freedom of Cuna IN the
next six months. Such was the state
mont of Mr.. Woodford. our late Minister
to Spain.
The protocol was dictated by the
, President; the treaty was extorted from
Spain through Commission that was
] subseryient, Democrat as we'll as Re
publican, and without show of resist
} ance; the treaty was ratified by his
, persistency and the aid OF such appli
ances as he could command; and
, finally, his proclamation of power anc
: purpose, of December 2lst, 1898, be-
J came declaration OF war without tht
: authority of Congress, as early as thu
| 9th day of january 189D by its n,,h