The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1900-08-16

Ignorant ones have made the least resist
ance to our domination. II We are to gov
ern them without their consent and give
them no voice in determining the taxes
which they must pay, we dare not educate
them. lest they learn to read the Declaration
Of Independence and the Constitution OF the
United States and mock US for our inc0n-
sistency.
The principal arguments. however. ad-
| vanced by those who enter upon defense
OF Imperialism are:
First-That we must improve the present
opportunity to become q world power and
enter into International politics.
SecOnd-That our commercial interests IN
the Philippine Islands and In the Orient
make 1t necessary for US to hold the Islands
permanently.
Third-That the spread Of the Christian
religion will be facilitated by colonial pol
ley.
Fourth-That there Is no honorable retreat
from the position which the nation has
taken.
nations pride and the second to the ma
| tion's pocketboOk. The third Is intended for
the church member and the fourth for the
partisan.
1t is q sufficIent answer to the first argu-
ment to say that for more than century
this nation has been a world power. For ten
decades 1t has been the most potent infiu-
ence In the world; Net only mas II been .
the politics Of the human race than all the
| other nations CT the world combined. The
growth Of the principle Of selfgovernment.
planted on American soil. has been the
over-shadOwIng political fact Of the nine
teenth century. 1t has made this nation
conspicuous among the nations and given 1t
| a place In history such as no other nation
has ever enjoyed.
The Commercial Argument.
The permanent chairman Of the last Re
publican national convention presented the
pecuniary argument In all its badness, when
| hQ aai6. 1--WE make hynOcrfficlI rp-
tense of being interested In the Philippines
solely on account Of others. While We re-
gard the welfare Of these people as sacred
trust, We regard the welfare of the Ameri-
can people hrst. We see our duty to our
selves as well as to others. We believe In
trade expansion. By every legitimate means
within the province Of government and con-
| stitutiOn, We mean to stimulate the expan-
sion Of our trade and open new markets"
This Is the commercial argument. 1t Is
based upon the theory that war can be right
" waged for pecuniary advantage. and that
II Is profitable to purchase trade by force
and violence. The Democratic party Is In
favor Of the expansion Of trade. 1t would
extend our trade by every legitimate and
make merchandise Of human blood. But
| war OF conquest Is as unwise as 1t Is I'M
righteous. A harbOr and coaling station In
| the philippines would answer every trade
| and military necessity, and such a cOnces-
sion could have been secured at any time
| without difficulty.
The pecuniary argument, Though more ef
fective with certain classes. Is not likely
| to be used SO often or presented with so
much emphasis as the religious argument.
| II what has been termed the 'gun-p0wder
gospel" were urged against the Fillpinos
only 1t would be a sufficient answer TO say
that a majority Of the FilipinOs are now
members of one branch OF the Christian
church: but the principle Involved Is one
| Of much wider application and challenges
serious consideration.
i he roliu In,
ness from q passive belief that Providence
delivered the Fiiplnos into our hands. for
their good and our glory. to the exultation Of
the minlster who said that we ought to
derstand who We are" and that every bull
| let sent, every cannon shot and every nag
waved means righteousness"
| We cannot approve Of this doctrine In ons
place unless We are willing to apply II
| everywhere. Love. not force. was the
weapon of the Naxarene: sacrifice for others,
not the exploitation of them. was His meth
cd Of reaching the human heart. Let 1t be
known that our missionaries are seeking
souls instead Of sovereignty; let II be known
that instead Of being the advance guard OF
| cOnQuerinG armies, they are going forth TO
| help and to uplift, having their lOins girt
about with truth and their feet shod with
the preparation Of the gospel Of peace. wear
| Ing the breastplate Of righteousness, and
carrying the sword Of the Spirit: let It be
known that they are the citizens Of . nation
| which respects the rights Of the citizens Of
other nations as carefully as 1t protects the
rights Of Its own citizens, and the welcome
given to our missionaries will be more cor
dial than the welcome extended to the mis-
siOnaries Of any other nation.
| The argument, made by some, that Ii was
unfortunate for the nstiOn that 1t had any
thing to do with the Philippine Islands. but
that the naval victory at Manila made the
permanent acquisition Of those Islands neces-
| sary. Is also unsound. We won a naval vie
tory at Santiago, but that did not compel US
to hold Cuba. The shedding Of American
blood In the Philippine Islands does not
make IL Imperative that We should retain
possession forever: American blood was shed
at San Juan Hill and Ell Caney. and yet the
pendence. The fact that the American flag
| floats over Manila does not compel US TO
| exercise perpetual sovereignty over the ISL
| ands: that flag waves over Havana to-day,
down when the nag Of the Cuban republic is
| ready to rise In Its place. Better thousand
times that our dag In the Orient give way
| to flag representing the idea Of self govern
ment than that the nag Of this republic
should become the nag Of an empire.
Solution of the Question.
There Is an easy. honest. honorable solu-
| ti0n Of the Philippine question 1t Is set
| forth In the Democratic platform and 1t is
| submitted with confidence to the American
people. This plan l unreservedly indorse.
| II elected, l shall convene Congress In ex-
traOrdinary session as soon as ! am inaus-
urated. and recommend an Immediate declar-
alton Of the nations purpose: first. to estab-
list stable form Of government In the Phil
ippine Islands. Just as we are now establish
Ing a stable form Of government In the ISL
and Of Cuba: second. to give Independence to
| the Fil:pinOs. just as We have promised to
give independence to the Cubans: third. to
protect the FilipinOs from outside interfer-
| ence while they work ont their destiny, just
as We have protected the republics Of Cen
| tral and South America. and are. by the
Monroe doctrine, pledged to protect Cuba.
An European protectorate often results in
the exploitation Of the ward by the guard
Ian. An American protectOrate gives TO the
nation protected the advantage of our
strength. without making 1t the victim Of
our greed.
their position By argument they fall back
upon the assertion that 1t Is destiny. and in
sist that We must submit to 1t, no matter
how much 1t violates moral precepts and our
subterfuge Of the inyertebrate. who. lacking
| the courage to oppose error, seeks some
plausible excuse for supporting 1t. Wash
ington said that the destiny Of the republi-
can form Of government was deeply. II not
finally. staked on the experiment intrusted
to the American people. How different
WashingtOn's definition Of destiny from the
Republican definition The Republicans say
that this nation Is In the hands Of destiny;
Washington believed that not only the des-
tiny Of our own nation. but the destiny Of
the Republican fern Of government through
out the world was intruS:ed TO American
hands. Washington was right. The destiny
of this republic Is in the hands of its own
people.
Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen OF the Com
mittee: l can never fully discharge the
debt Of gratitude which l owe to my coun-
trymen for the honOrs which they have so
generously bestowed upon me; but, sirs
whether II be my lot to occupy the high
office for which the convention has named
me. or TO spend the remainder of my days In
private life. Ii shall he my constan. ambi-
ton and my controlling purpose to aid in
realizing the high ideals OF those whose wis
dom and courage and sacrifices brought this
republic Into existence.
| can conceive of a national destiny sur
passing the glOrieS Of the present and the
pasta destiny which meets the reSpcnSi-
bilities Of the to-day and measures up to
the possibilities Of the future. Behold a
republic. resting securely upcn the foun,ia-
tiOn stones Iuarried by revolutionary pat
riots frcm the mountain OF eternal truih-a
pr,lv In nracffea