Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1900-02-02
.SIBLGY FOR EXPANSION
Opposed the Attitude of His
Fellow Democrats.
RUNNING DFBATE WITH COCHRAN.
Asserted That jefferson Was an Expan-
sionist and Was Abused For His stand.
Declared That Providence aud Ameri-
can yaIor Gape Us the Philippines.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2.-Mr. Sibley
(Pa.), III a speech in the house, criti-
cised his fellow Democrats for opposing
the annexation of the Philippines. He
had, he said, heard no argument againet
territorial enlargement which was not
urged against the annexation Of Louis
lana and Texas.
Mr.. Cochran mo. lis there any parallel
between the territory in the Louisiana pur-
chase, then actically without p10ulation,
and the Philppnes2
Mr.. Sibley-Nothing has been said aoout the
Philippines which was not said about the ter
ritory now Missouri You in Missouri we're
Glassed a barbarians.
Mr.. Coehran-But are the Philippines. with
a population denser than Iowa, Missouri,
Kansas and Nebraska available for occupa
ton
Mr.. SibleyI think they are. When Jeffer-
son negotiated the purchase of Louisiana he
was the target of vituperation ridicule and
reproach. From New England came such cpl
thets as "Jacobin, "ImperiaIist." "Perverter
of the constitution" yet all admit now that
jefferson acted wisely.
Mr.. Cochran-Do you believe the people of
the Philippines susceptible of the civilian
ton of the inhabitants OF the Louisiana pur-
chase?
Mr.. Sibley (amid a round of Republican APP
plause)-I am not placing limitations upon the
power of Almighty God
Proceeding. Mr.. Sibley pointed out
that modern methods had brought the
Philippines nearer than the Louisiana
purchase or Texas when they were an
nexed.
In reply to Mr.. Cochran's taunt that
civilization was being shot into the Fill
pinos, Mr. Sibley said that the history
of civilization had been traced i'll human
blood. Wendell Philips had said that
every achievement of human justice had
gone from rack to rack and scaffold TO
scaffold.
Mr.. Sibley further said in part:
Shall we hold Porto Rico and the Philippine
archipelago? Every foot. No nation on earth
has higher right of title to rod of soil. We
hold by the double title of purchase and of
conquest and my belief is that where once
the shadow of our banner has fallen there will
survive race of free men, and / would hold
Cuba until stability. order, good government
and the protection of life and property were
assured l am going to echo the presidents
query. ''Who will haul down the flag 2" Who
planted it there What cabinet council, what
warrior, what statesman, what senator or rep
resentative. what body of men formed any
plan of conquest?
The cries Of suffering humanity rang in our
ears and we stopped our ears. The groans
were heard but we answered not. We saw
them stripped and wounded on our way to
Jerico. and like the priest and the Levite, we
passed by on the other side. Not unheard
were those cries an groans at the throne of
the Almighty, who. to awaken us from apathy,
our almost criminal indifference, permitted
the engines of his wrath to hurl their thun-
derbolts uneer the bows of the Maine, lying
peacefully anchor in the Havana harbor.
Nor keenest sighted statesman, nor most dar-
ing warrior had dreamed even of the posi-
bility of great gain, growth of greatness to
come to US as "a nation from that war of which
the blowing up of the Maine was the first
declaration. God and the valor of American
arms gave us that territory not because we
are a nation altogether free, altogether pure,
altogether blameless. but because working
through him as an instrumentality he has
given it to the boldest, the freest, the most
progressive the most enlightened and the
most Christian of all the nations Of the pres
emit age. [Applause.l
Mr.. Sibley believed the United States
were designed to carry the arts of peace
and the story of the cross to the remotest
corners of the globe. He appealed to
the Democratic side to come back to
the teachings of the Democratic fathers.
Expansion had been fathered and ad-
vocated by jefferson, jackson, Polk and
Buchanan. Only towards oppose it,, ,
Buchanan said, and he was the last
Democratic president we have had"
Laughter. The Nicaragua canal
should be built, he said, and the subsidy
bill to encourage American shipping
passed. China was to be dismembered.
We must reach out and get our share of
it's commerce.
Mr.. Sibley further said in part:
Ii this administration shall surrender the
Philippines, the historian Of the future, who
extols jefferson. Madison Tyler and Polk will
write down AIcKinley's action as the most
pussiianimous in the record. But this admin
istration will not surrender. Its critics viii be
forgotten. Every advance to higher and nobleF
forms of life has been opposed by some old,
conservative moss bunker who prated OF the
good old days when his grandfather swung by
his tail in the forest primeval.
Mr.. Sibley concluded with perora-
ton He received an ovation such as has
not been accorded any speaker in the
house this session.
The plague of 'oo--La Grippe.
The destroyer of LaGrippe-Miles' Nervine