The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-01-17
SENATOR VEST
SPEAKS HIS MIND.
Refuses 10 IL. Driven From Crit
cising Conduct Of War 10y Re
publican Pronunciation.
UNJUST CHARGES RESENTED.
Honest Expression of Opposition
Ia the Administrations Philip
pine Policy FOnlishly Char
ict-riZed as T~railorouS.
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WuSliastnu. Jan. u senator Vest took
a leading pant to-day in tie achai. n 'h~
! Philippine policy Of th- administration. TIL
senator Was in better yoic, than he Eas
I enjoyed in any ~ his other I..-ut speeches
and his argumru' VS. listened ru with
| close attention Ly both sides of tu- Senate.
| NJ. Vest said.
1t s--mS 10 Ia, unfortunate that urthi:.
can 10. said ir regard 20 'ais Philippine war
! without Improper mutiye- h-iIg a~rr!t-4 20
any Senator Who iag-s even ~ make an IL
| qyiry. | stated ~ the last session e.; ry-
last Congress that the ,hargc that / G--
| sired. directly co. i.GiE-rt!y. - assist liz
enemies uf the United States was a ISLANDER.
whether made In this chamber or outside
II this. and l rrpea, that statement, now.
The friends OF the Presitrut-aH1 / am
not his enemy-assIme that any remark
coming from those wh1 opposed the Paris
treaty. 10 matter what Il may be. is an
attack upon the President personally and
his advisers"
Having recalled that it had been repeat
-dlv stated that the President at first In
structed he Peace COMMISSIONER to take
only the Island OF L.uzon, and that Senator
Frye had admitted that the President was
Silent upon the subject Of ind-nui;y. Sena-
tor Vest continued:
Unjust Imputntiop.
1t seems TO me that the friends II The
adm!n.sfratiDH shOIid desire the whole O.
that correspondence 20 be placed before the
American people. As the matter now stands
the President OF the United States first IN
structed the COMMISSIONER before they left
Washington to acquire or take the island
Of LuZUn. Afterwards the Presi1ent-and
! am not !ndulsing IN hypercrItic!sm-stated
repeatedly ia his Western tour that he was
an instrument OF Providence. or words to
that effect. and that the whole of the archi-
pc!aSo fell as a ripe apple into the lap Of
the ! niied States and what We're We 10 do
Win II. Were We. he said. to abandon the
archipelago 10 become the prey Of some
foreign Power Were We 10 leave, these
people 10 anarchy and bloodshei and rapiue.
or were We 10 accept. as the Senator from
Indiana MI BevcTidgeJ so eloquently said
the other day. the Office Of trustee under
God 10 hit these people TO a higher plane
OF civilization II II he true that The Pres
ident was willing TO take Luzon and so in
structed his Commissioners. what was to
become or the balance = the arch!pelago2
L hardly know In what language TO char
acterize this continued imputation that
there are friends Of Aguinaldo upon this
hoor. giving aid and comfort to The enemies
or our country. ] have already characterized
that charge as | think It deserves. Bat 10
snow It's manifest injustice 10 those OF Us
VINO opposed that treaty. cali attention 70
the fact that none of Us have ever made
any statement upon this floor 50 strong as
that made by the senior Senator from New
Jersey mir Sev-a!lt F- ,uFfir .S-f, .Vr,r;,x
the last Congress. l take It for granted that
no man Will question the loyalty of the
senior Senator from New Jersey. a gallant
soldier. who fought In the Civil War, and
Wss rendered the commission of Major Gen
eral during the Spanish war. l take IT for
granted that no man living VIII question
his loyalty 10 this country or 10 the prin-
ciples OF the Republican party.
senator SeweITs Plea.
sey. from his place In open session. declared
that after the destruction of the Spanish
fleet In the Bay OF Manila he had gone to
the President and sa!d-I quote his own
language: For Gods sake. MIR. President.
withdraw Dewey. and let these islands
alone Was he an enemy to his country and
a friend to AguInaldo? And yet what could
have been stronger thsn this expression of
opinion TO the President Of the United
States that the policy lie 1. now pursuing
should be then and there abandoned?
This whole Philippine question il in a
rebuluUs and cloudy condition. that befOgs
the public mind. and The councils even of
the leaders of public opinion IN the DOM
inant party In this country to-day. We
adopted at the last session what t. known
as the McEnery resolution. In the McEnery
resolution W. declared that the Philippines
should never become States of this Union
and the people OF the Philippines should
not be citizens OF the United States. but
that the United States would give them
self-government. That resolution was adopt
I'd and gent to the House of Representa-
tive-, and /; was certainly the expression of
opinion. emphatic and distinct. upon the
part of thu Senate of the United States.
Now. to-day where stand the men who
are responsible for the adoption Of this
treaty? A resolution IL offered by the Junior
Senator from Indiana (Mr. Beveridge) which
declares that We are to take the Philip
pines and hold them forever as property of
the United States. What has become of
the declaration Ia the McEnery resolution
for self-guvernment 10 the Philippines? Is
it abandoncdc pn those who control to-day
the dest ini-s Of this country mean TO hold
those Islands and the people thereof with
out regard to the wishes of the Inhabitants
OF the islands and without regard to the
solemn declaration made by the Senate of
the United States that they are never 10
become States Of the Union nor their peo-
pie citizens, bur should nave seIf-SOvern-
ment?
"Hut | am almost afraid 10 say so much
In view OF the sensitive condition that
seems to prevail here and throughout the
country a. to any declaration in regard 10
the Philippine Islands or their future. l
disclaim now positively any intention 10 in |
dtilge IN any line Of remark that may en-
courage opposition TO the authority of the
United States anywhere. But as a Senator
of the United States, representing in part a
sovereign State. | deny the right of any
man In this chamber or out Of II to muZzle |
me and prevent an honest expression of
opinion in regard to the policy Of this coun- |
try for fear that / may be denOminated a |
traitor and a public enemy.
VIII Not He MuxzIed.
II am sorry our foreign relations are In
the conditions we find them to-day, and yet
all the world knows that so far We have
been most unfortunate. We have the bu-
bonlc plague added TO the leprosy in Ha-
wall. starvation In Puerto Rico. unrest and
dispute in Cuba and a war Of indefinite
length. 50 far as human foresight is con-
cerned. In the Philippines. Is II treason TO
make this state ment, or shall We who OPP
posed The Paris treaty and predicted the
that have come and will come be
so cowardly and recreaBt to the trust re-
posed in us by a free people as to sit here
silent for fear of a vitriolic denunciation
on the other side and decline to discharge
our duty as the fearless representatives of
a great people?
1t IS said that this war must continue. /
have no argument to make on that Ques-
ton. said publicly here. after the treaty
my will and vote was confirmed.
10, 10 macs resolutions WIS like seulInp |