Hutchinson gazette., 1900-12-27

plete independence, 10 now reIuAe
even autonomy to the Fllipinos.
- -
SOME SEE LIGHT.
Now that the election Ia over it is
somewhat surprising the amount of op'
position that Is spring!ng up right in
the ranks of the republican party to
the administration 3 policy Of colonial
empire and government by force Of
arms instead Of the consent of the gov
erned, While II was known that Ben.
jamIn Harrison was not In very hearty
accord during the campaign, he has
now come out VIII an address which
was made TO the students Of Ann Ar
Dor In which he takes almost the ideut-
ical position assumed by Bryan, His
argument was chiefly from legal
standpoint however 10 the effect that
the constitution must follow the llaP
and must apply to Porto Rico and the
Philippines. The address has been
made the occasion for many lesser
lights to speak their minds on the sub
ject in similar terms, The Chicago
Times Herald for example which ia one
of the strongest stalwart republican
papers in the United States has this to
say in an editorials
"EX President Harrison has done his
country great service by bis frank
and inclsye demonstration OF the pro-
position that the constitution does fol-
low the flag His words will carry ex-
ceptiOnal weight because of hIspeculiar
position, Though he is the chief ap-
pointee Of the president to the interna
tional board Of arbitration, and the al
lninlslatio has fought for a dilferet +
view Of the status of the new territories,
he declares that no international board
Of arbitration would question that ull
the acquired islands were u part OF the
United States even itat the time of the
cesslon the Philippines were in revolt
agunstSpain. Though the admnistra-
tlon and q majority Of the republicans
In Congress put an unequal tax upon
Porto Rico this stalwart republican as
serta with eloquent emphasis that Porto
Rico has its inaienable rights, sacred
a3 those Of the States, under that pro-
vision Of the constitution which com
mands that all duties, taxes and i'm
posts must be uniform throughout the
republic.
Government by fiat can not exist on
American soil. Government by the peo-
pie is TIE only possible government un-
der the American flag, Such are the
ideas for which General Harrison con
tends with unanswerabIe arguments,
We carry not part but all Of our Liberties
and all our political equality with us
Anything less would be incompatible
with the doctrines upon which weprlde
ourselves. IT we deyiate in any partic-
ular, making distinctions between one
territory and another, we vtiate the
whole. We become sponsor for gov
ernment over the people that is not of
and by them, for taxation without rep
resentation, for everything that we
have condemned as tyrannical. No
soft phrases about benevolence can
conceal the fact The man who has TO
rely uron benevolence for his laws is a
slave Every section OF the bill of
rights may be outraged if the power
and right to govern arbitrarily for any
purpose Is maintained.
We believe that it is possible to gov
ern the new territories like the old,
that this is not only possible but that
it is by far the best means to bring
about peace and c0ntentment. But If
there 10 to be any discrimination, any
exclusion, then it is better to let all the
islands go. AS General Harrison inti-
mated, 1t is q mistake to reason that
the sound of Dewey's guns in Manila
bay heralded new mission for this
country. Rather did they herald the
same old mission sounded by the guns
of Washington the grandest mission
of which we are capable the mission of
liberty and equality under the law"
But these people have held their
speech too long. The die is cast If
they were in earnest the time for them
to have spoken was before the election
which is construed into an endorse.
ment OF the presidents schemeso of gov
erning by commissions and DEGREES
from Washington. Party fear has
made towards Of them all. There is
now no hope except from one source
alone and not much from that--the