Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1900-10-09
TUESDAY EVENING OCT. 8, 1900.

for the palm in blackgusrdism. Inc
democratic or auti-McKinley speakers
leave them far behind In ability and
eloouence. The republicans have no.
body who can compare with Bryan,
Williams, Altgeld, Hill, Carl Schurz,
P. A. Collins, Boutwell,, Webster Davis,
Olney, or Burke Cochran. to say moth
ing of Southern speakers. Distanced
in the field of argument, they fall back
on blackgusrdism and vituperation'
Mr.. Reed is silent and General Harrl-
son makes no speeches. In this strait
they put up such wretched make-shii's
as Roosevelt, Lodge, Wolcott ana
Hanna. The democratic national COM
mittee could we'll afford to pay the ex-
penses of Roosevelt and Hanna and
keen them going up to the day OF cleo
ton. speaking every day for Mckinley
Their strong point is the language OF
Billingsgate and the Bowery, with de-
cided flavor OF the lower kind OF negro
oratory.
General Grosvenor, OF Ohio, has
Joined this elegant society and proceeds
to assault Mr.. Bryan fercely. be mas
not only decorated him with his cri'l-
cism. but has honored him with his vul-
oar abuse. He has the assurance to
speak of "falsehood," and TO charge 1t
on the democrats. He ought to know
the article we'll by this time. he says
that Mr.. Bryan has "inaugursted al
attack on President Mckinley in the
matter of the treaty made with the sui
tan of Jolo or Sulu." He says that it
was a Temporary agreement by
which, if it had been approved by the
President and by Congress, slavery
would have been recognized and posi-
DIV fortified in that territory" Gen
Grosvenor, forgetting himself, says next'
that the treaty. even if ratified by the
President, would not have affected the
status of the people in the Philippines
until ratified by Congress. Thirdly,
he saws that there was no slavery there
in the American acceptstion of the
word. Fourthly, he says that the Moro
sells himself in order to "better his
condition" and that the slavery exist
ing there ia voluntary" These pleas
are somewhat inconsistent; but they
are nothing to what follows. The So
called agreement" or treaty, was made
by General Bates, representing the
United States, August 20, 1899. On
October q, 1899, Secretary Root,
representing the President, wrote Gen.
sral Otis that the President approved"
the agreement, subject TO the action OF
Congress, and also with the under.
standing that the United States did
not give their consent to the exist
ence of slavery in the Sulu archipelago.
Further, General Oils was to find out
the number of PERSONS "held in slave
ny" in the archipelago and whether an
arrangement could not be made TO
buy the out owDers, as probably the
market price was not very high, etc.
This little commercial negotiation was
to be managed so as not to encourage
'extravsgant expectations"-or, In
other words, to bull the slave market.
Now, II it be true, as Mr. Grosvenor
says, that this was not slavery at all
according to the American understand
iDg, but a voluntary arrangement by
which q man entered a Moro's family to
"better his condition." why should the
President bother himself to let the Sui
tan know that slavery could not be
permitted, but that the government
was ready to buy them out, only pro-
vided they didn't ruu up the market
price? Another admirer of the Presi-
dent says the slavery in those ISL
ands was not the real article
at all. but only a mild form
of feudal honage'-such homage
we presume as Grosvenor and the Cab
met extend to Mckinley, but not quite
so strong as that which they all render
to that great Ohio man who manages
the Doodle department OF the republic
can campaign. We do not remember
to have seen the Presidents letter, or
rather Roots letter before, but sup
posing 1t to bear a genuine. and
not fabricated date, we should like to
know what the President was about all
the time from the date OF the agree
ment of August 20, 1899, down to Octo.
Der n, 1899, when he found 1t conve
nient to afhx codicil TO the so-called
agreement. Several grounds for delay
anu protracted incubation might be
imagined-oue the fear that the public
might not approve the slaughter OF the
Filipinos and the coquetry with the
Shareholders and polygamists of the
Sulu islands; another. that the plan of
buying these slaves from their masters
might afford an opportunity for profit
to the psrtisaus of thrifty and highly
moral administration. OF course, It
could not be equally ss good" as
"brother Abner's" little operations in
the Spanish war or the prospective
profit OF the new development company
&. H. Dh;Ii.n;naa In whinh q nrnmi