Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-08-09


publican leaders is not a mere matter
Of conjecture but a matter Of fact
In his message of December 5th. 1898
the President asked for AUTHORITY RI
increase the standing army to 100 600
In 1896 the army contained about 25 600
men. Within two years the President
asked for four times that many, and
a Republican House of Representatives.
complied with the request after the
Spanish treaty had been signed and no
country was at war with the United
States.
If such an army is demanded when an
imperial policy is contemplated, but
not openly avowed. what may be ex-
pected if the.people encourage the Re-
publican party by endorsing its policy
at the polls? A large standing army
is not only a pecuniary burden to the
people and, if accompanied by compul-
sorry service. a constant source of irri-
tation, but it is ever a menace to a re-
publican form of government. The
army is the personification of force, and
militarism will inevitably change the
ideals of the people and turn the
thoughts of our young men from the
arts of peace to the science of war.
The government which relies for its
defence upon its citizens. is more like
ly to be just than one which has to
call a large body of professional SOL
diers.
A small standing army and a well
equipped and well disciplined state
militia are sufficient in ordinary times.
and in an emergency the nation should
in the future as in the past place it's
dependence upon the volunteers who
come from all occupations at their
country's call and return TO productive
labor when their services are no longer
required-men who fight when the
country needs fighters and work when
the country needs workers.
The Republican platform assumes
that the Philippine Islands will be re-
tanned under American sovereignty,
and we have a right to demand of the
Republican leaders a discussion of the
future status of the PHILIPPINE. Is he to
be a citizen or a subject? Are we to
bring into the body polite S,000.0 900 or
10, 600, 900 Asiatics, so different from us
in race and history that amalgamation
is impossible? Are they to share with
us in making the laws and shaping the
destiny of this nation? No Republican
of prominence has been bold enough
to advocate such a proposition. The
McEnery resolution. adopted by the
Senate Immediately after the ratiflca-
ton of the treaty. expressly negatives
this idea. The Democratic platform
describes the situation when it says
that the PHILIPPINES cannot be citizens
without endangering our civilization.
Who will dispute it?
The Republican platform promises
that some measure of self government
is to be given to the Filpinos by law;
but, even this pledge is not fulfilled.
Neary Is months elapsed after the rati-
fication of the treaty before the ad-
yet no law was passed dealing with hte
Philippine situation. The will OF the
President has been the only law in the
Philippine Islands wherever the Amer
lean authority extends. Why does the
Republican party hesitate to legislate
upon the Philippine question? Because
a law would disclose the radical de-
parture from history and precedent
contemplated by those who control the
Republican party.
What is our title to the Philippine
islands-do we hold them by treaty or by
conquest-did we buy them or did We take
them? Did We purchase the people? II
not how did We secure title to them?
Were they thrown in with the land? VIII
the Republicans say that inanimate earth
has value and that when that earth is
nodded by the Divine hand and stamped
with the likeness of the Creator II be.
comes IA fixture and passes with the soil
if governments derive their just power
from the consent of the governed impos-
sible- to secure either by force or pur-
chase2 How are we to distinguish SPANS
title but if We mold title we must hold 1t
by some method consistent with our
ideas of government? When we made
allies of the tilipinos and armed them 10
fight against Spain. we disputed Spalns
title If we buy Spain's title, We are nor
innocent purchasers.
But even if we had not disputed and
her title was based on force alone. we
gave us quit claim deed, we can honor
ably turn the property over to the party
in possession. Whether any American
official gave the Filipinos moral assur-
ance of independence is not material;
There can be no doubt that We accepted
and utilized the services OF the flipinoS
and that when we did this we had fun
knowledge that they were fighting for
their independence. and submit that
history furnishes no example of turpitude
baser than ours if we now substitute our
woke for the Spanish yoke.
Let us consider briefly the reasons which
have been given in support of an impe-
rialistic policy. Some say that 1t Is our
duty to hold the Philippine islands. But
duty is not an argument; it Is coneiu-
sion To ascertain what our duty Is, IN
any emergencv we must apply wei SET
tied and generally accepted principles IL
is our duty to avoid stealing, no matter
whether the thing to be stolen is OF great
or little value. 1t is our duty to AVOID
killing a human being, no matter where
the human being lives or to what race or
class he belongs.
the dag that floats over our dead in the
Philippines?' The same question might
have been asked when the American nag
f1oated over Chapultepec and waved over
the dead who fell there: but the tourist
who visits the City of Mexico finds there
a national cemetery owned by the United
States and cared for by an American clti-
zen. Our flag floats over our dead but
when the treaty with Mexico was signed
American authority withdrew to the Rio
Grande and / venture the opinion that
during the last so years the people oil
Mexico have made more progress under
the stimulus of independence and self
government than they could have mace
under a carpet-bag government held IN
place by bayonets.
Can we not govern colonies! we are
asked The question is not what we can
do. but what we ought to do. This ma
ton can do whatever it desires to do, hut
II must accept responsibility for what 1t
does. If the constitution stands in the
way the people can amend the constltu-
ton / repeat, the nation can do wnat-
ever it desires to do. but 1t cannOt avolu
the natural and legitimate results of rs