Gloucester County Democrat., 1900-02-15
CHAMP qARE'S LETTER
Discussing the InsuIar
Problem.
THE PHILIPPINE DEBATE.
-Four Reports From Ways and
Means Committee.
THE PHILIPPINE DEBATE.
DEFINING THE CONSTITUTION.

DEFINING THE CONSTITUTION.
Statesmen Give Their Views as to
What the Words "the United
States" Mean as Used In That Doe
ument - American Flag In the
Hands of Political Jobbers-Tmpe-
riaIists Jeopardize the Republic.
Especial Washington Letter.l
The Philippine problem has been, is
being and will be debated in the house
for some days to come-that is to say,
more properly speaking, the insular
problem. for the definition of our re-
lations to Porto Rico is now before
the house on four different reports
from the ways and means committee
one by the majority, one by Mr.. New
lands, Silverite; one by Mr.. Richard
son for the Democratic minority and
still another by Mr.. Mccall, Massa-
chusetts Republican, for himself-de-
fining what the words 'the United
States" mean as used in the constitu-
tion. Those eminent statesmen have
been engaged in studying lexicogra-
ply.
The Philippine debate proper was
opened by Mr.. Dinsmore of Arkansas,
ranking Democrat on the house foreign
affairs committee, while the diplomatic
and consular appropriation bill was
pending AS he always does, Dins-
more made a magnificent argument.
He is one of the best Democrats and
most prominent members in the house.
He was followed by Mr.. Adams Of
Pennsylvania, who devoted himself to
reforms in the consular service. | fol-
lowed him and discussed the Philip
pine problem for two hours to the ex-
clusion of all things else. AS that
speech contained my best thought on
that widely bruited subject, l offer
apology for making up the rest of this
letter from excerpts from it. Opening
the subject, | said:
In order that there may be no ques-
ton whatever about what | think upon
this subject, l propose to begin with a
few plain propositions which | intend
to discuss. A man does not have to be
an idiot in order to be a patriot. A
man is not a traitor because he is op-
posed to doing those things which jeop-
ardize the existence of this republic.
An American is not a pessimist be-
cause he is unwilling to see bis country
adopt as a settled policy the political
principles of Alexander. Caesar or Ma
poleon.
In the hands Of political jobbers the
American flag, like the mantle Of char
ity, will be made to cover a multitude
of sins. / do not care bawbee about
Aguinaldo or the Filipinos. My SYM
pathy, my heart, my solicitude, goes to
the American people, think more, far
more, Of the liberties of my children
than Of all the trade of all the earth.
1 would like to leave them both rich
and free, but of the two | would in
fnitely prefer to leave them free-free
to labor, free to work out their own
career, free to sympathize with and
help all people everywhere struggling
for liberty. | would not give the life
of one healthy, honest, moral, patriotic,
ambitious American white boy in ex-
change for all the Filipinos now in the
archipelago or who will be there until
the great judgment day.
A RuinOus Policy.
Believing firmly that the annexation
| Of the Philippines, either forcibly OF
with the consent of the people of those
islands, will in the end prove danger.
Gus, If not ruinous. to our government
of the people, by the people and for the
people, l am dead against it now,
heneeforth and forever. / would be
against annexing them If every man,
woman and child in the Philippine Is.
lands were beseeching us to annex
them.
No more important question was ever
before the American congress than the
one which now confronts US of deter.
mining our relations to the Philippine
Islands. Upon its solution depend our
own prosperity and happiness no less
than the happiness and prosperity OF
the Filipinos For its consideration
and determination invoke the patient
study, careful investigation. deliberate
| judgment and purest patriotism Of ev'
cry man upon this floor.
What has been done and said is moi
of as much consequence as what will
hereafter be done and said. Thus far
propositions offered and theories ad.
vanced have been tentative in their
character. In military parlance, divers
and sundry gentlemen, from the presi-
dent down to the junior senator from
| Indiana, have been feeling the posi-
| tion," listening for the vox populi and
trying, let us hope, all of them, to
| learn what is right and what is best
for us to do in the position of indubi-
table difficulty in which we find our.
selves.
Section 10 Of the treaty of Paris pro
vides:
4That the civil rights and political
| status of the native inhabitants of the
territories hereby ceded to the United
States shall be determined by the con,
gress."
Status of the Philippines.
Nearly IA months have gone TO join
the years before the flood since that
| treaty was signed viii be
the anniversary of its ratification by
the senate yet congress has dcne moth
Ing, absolutely nothing. has not even
attempted to do anything, toward car
| rying out that provision of the treaty
to determine the political status Of
| the inhabitants of those faraway ant
unhappy islands,"
The status of the Philippines and tht
rights of Americans are left, like Mo
hammed's coffin. suspended between
heaven and earth.
After that treaty was ratified by ths
senate, Initiating the example of tbs
man who locked the barn after tht
horse was gone. that body passed {
resolution by way of constituting ths
treaty, In which it declares that by
| the ratification of the treaty of peace
with Spain it is not intended to incor
| porate the inhabitants Of the Philip
pine Islands into citizenship of ths
| United States, nor Is 1t intended Il
permanently annex said islands as al
integral part Of the territory Of th'
| TInifpd States =