The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-08-09

ans who gloTied in our independence
when the nation was less powerful.
now look with favor upon a foreign
alliance: Republicans who three years
ago condemned 'forcible annexation as
immoral and even criminal. are now
sure that IT is both immoral and
criminal TO oppose forcible annexation.
That p2rtisanship has already blinded
many to present dangers is certain:
now large portion of the Republican
party can be drawn over to the new
policies remains to be seen.
CITES LINCOLN AND CLAY.
For a time Republican leaders were
inclined to deny to opponents the right
to criticise the Philippine policy of the
administration, but upon investigation
they found that both Lincoln and Clay
asserted and exercised the right to
criticise a president during the pro-
gress OF the Mexican war.
"Insteal OF meeting the issue boldly
and submitting a clear and positive
plan for dealing with the Philippine
question, the Republican convention
adopted a platform. the larger part of
which was devoted to boasting and
self-congratulation.
I'm attempting to press economic
questions upon the country to the ex-
clusion of those which involve the very
structure of our government, the Re
publican leaders give new e dence of
their abandonment of the ca ideals
OF the party and Of their CON-, SUBJ
serviency to Decuniary eonsidei uons.
DEMOCRATS IN CUBAN WAR.
But they shall not be permitted to
eyade the stupeDdous and far-reaehing
issue which they have deliberately
brought into the arena of politics
When the president. supported by a
practically unanimous vote of the house
and senate, entered upon a war with
Spain for the purpose Of aiding the
struggling patriots of Cuba. the coun-
try, without regard to party, applauded.
Although the Democrats recognized
that the administration would neces-
sarily gain a political advantage from
the conduct Of a war which. in the
very nature of the case, must soon end
! in complete victory, they We'd with
/ the Republicans in the support which
they gave to the president, When the
war was over and the Republican lead
ers began to suggest the prOpriety of
a colonial policy, opposition at once
manifested itself. When the president
finally laid before the senate a treaty
which recognized the Independence of
Cuba, but provided for the cessiOn of
States, the menace of Imperialism be-
came so apparent that many preferred
to reject the treaty and risk the ills
that might follow rather than take
the chance of correcting the errors of
the treaty by the independent action
of this country.
FILIPINOS SHOULD BE FREE.
II IVES among the number of those
Nhn hpf5nuQn IN he
treaty and end the war. release the
volunteers, remove the excuse for war
expenditures and then give to the Fill
pinos the Independence which might be
forced from Spain by new treaty.
In view of the criticism which my
action aroused I'm some quarters. / take
this occasion to restate the reasons
given at that time. ! thought it safer
10 tTE t the American people to give
independence to the Filipinos than to
trust the accomplishment of that pur-
pose to diplomacy with an Unfr.endly
nation. Lincoln embodied an argu-
ment in the question when he asked:
Can aliens make treaties easier than
friends can make laws@ ] believe that
we are now in a better position to wage
a successful contest against imperial
ism than we would have been had the
treaty been rejected. With the treaty
ratified, a clean-cut issue is presented
between a government by consent and
a government by force, and imperial
lists must bear the responsibility for all
that happens until the question is set
tied. If the treaty had been rejected
the opponents of Imperialism would
have been held responsible for any
international complications which
might have arisen before the ratifica-
ton of another treaty. But whatever
differences of opinion may have exist
ed as to the best method Of opposing
the colonial policy. there never was
any difference as to the great import
ance of the question, and there is no
difference now as to the course to be
pursued
WOULD HAVE AVERTED WAR.
THE title of Spain being extinguish-
ed, we We're at liberty to deal with the
FilipinOs according to American prin-
CiDleS. The Bacon resolution, intro
duced month before hOstilities broke
out at Manila, promised indeDendence
to the FiliDinOs on the same terms
that it was promised to the Cu5ans. |
supported this resolution and believe
that its adoption prior to the breaking
out of hOstilities would have prevented
bloodshed, and that its adoption at any
subsequent time would have ended hos
tilities.
IF the treaty had been rejected, con
siderable time would have necessarily
elapsed before a new treaty could have
been agreed upon and ratified, and dur
ing that time the question would have
been agitating the public mind. If the
Bacon resolution had been adopted by
the senate and carried out by the pres
ident, either at the time of the ratifi-
cation of the treaty or at any time
afterwards il would have taken the
question OF Imperialism out of politics
and left the American people free 70
deal with their domestic problems. But
the resolution was defeated by the vote
Of the Republican vice president. and
from that time 20 this d Republican
congress has refused TO take any ac
ton whatever in the matter.
When hostiiities broke out at Manila
Republican speakers and Republican
editors at once sought to lay the blame
upon those who had DELAYED the Tati-
/ fiCatiOn OF the treaty, and, during the
progress of the war the same Repub-
Leans have accused the opponents Of
( Imperialism Of giving encOura cement
TO the FilipinOs. This is cowaTdly eva
sion Of responsibility.
INSPIRATION IN OUR HISTORY.
IF it is right for the United states to
hold the Philippine islands permanently
and initiate the European empires in
the government Of the colonies, the Re
publican party ought to state it's posi-
ton and defend it. but it must expect
the subject races to protest against
such q policy and to resist to the extent
Of their ability. The Filipinos do not
need any encouragement from Ameri-
cans now living. Our whole history has
been an announcement. not only to the
Filipinoe. but 10 alI who are denied