Rocky Ford enterprise., 1900-09-14

come. Resides, II we cannot establish
any government OF our own without
the consent OF the governed. as our op
ponents contend. then we could not es'
tablIsh stable government for them
or make ours a protectOrnte without
the like consent. and neither the major
ity OF the people nor minority have IN
vited us to assume II. We could not
maintain a protectorate even with the
consent Of the governed without giving
provocation for conflicts and possibly
costly wars. Our rights In the Philip
pines are now free from outside inter
ference, and will continue no In our
present relation. They would not b-
thus free In any other relation. We
will now give up our own to guarantee
another sovereignty. Our title IN good.
Our peace commissioners believed they
were receiving n good title when they
concluded the treaty. The executive
believed II was n good title when he
submitted IL to the Senate OF the Unit
cd States for its ratification. The Sen
ate believed II was u god title when II
gave II their constitutional assent. and
the Congress seems not TO have doubt
Ell Its completeness when they appro'
priated s2O.O0O.OO0 provided by ih.
treaty. II any who favored Its ratiii'
cation believed II gave us u bad title.
they We're not sincere. our title j.
practically Identical with that under
which we hold our territory acquired
since the beginning of the government
and under which we have exercised
full sovereignty and established gov
ernmcnt for the Inhabitants.
..st.- tn las
liberal and honorable purpose OF Ill.
administration In It's treatment OF the
Philippines are not justified. Imperial
Ism has no place In Its creed or coli
duct. Freedom IL the rock upon which
the Republican party was builded nnd
now rests. Liberty Is the great Rcpul''
llcnn doctrine for which the people
went to war. and for which 1.OUOph
lives TyTy offered IHf birfiUas OF I0f'
lars expended TO make II the lawful
legacy OF ali without the consent Of
the master or slave. There is strain
OF ill-conccnicd hypocrisy In the nnS'
Icty to extend the constitutional guar
antecs to the people OF the Philippines.
while their nullification Is openly nd.
vocatcd at home. Our opponents may
distr,ist themselves, but they have no
right to dIscredit the good faith and
patriotism OF the majority OF the peo'
pie who are opposed TO them: they may
fear the worst form OF Imperialism
with the helpless Fflipinos In their
hands: but II they do. II is because
they have parted with the spirit and
faith OF the fathers and have lost the
virill,y Of the founders Of tho party
which they profess TO represent.
''Thc Republican party does not have
to assert Its devotion to the decinru.
tion OF Independence. That immortal
instrument of the fathers remained un.
executed until the people under the
lead Of the Republican party In the
awful clash of battle turned Its prom.
Iscs Into fuifiilmcnt. II wrote Into the
constitution the amendments gunrnn.
ieclns political equality to American
citizens. and II has never broken them
or counscllcd others In breaking them.
II viii not he guided In It's conduct by
one set OF principles At home and an.
other set In the new territory belonging
to the United States.
III our opponents would only prnc.
tlcc rs well MS preach the doctrines OF
Abraham Lincoln there would be NO
fear for the safety OF our institutions
mt home or their rightful influence In
any territory over which our fins
floats.
Empire has been expelled from Por.
to Rico and the Philippines by Amsi.
can frccmen. The nng of the Republic
now floats over these islands rs nm en-
blem Of rightful sovereignty. Will the
Republic stay and dispense TO their In
habitants the blessings of liberty. cdu-
cation and free Institutions. or steal
away. lcving them to anarchy or I'M
perinlism?
"The American question Is between
duty and descrtion-the American YER
dict will be for duty and against de-
scrtion, for the Republic against both
anarchy and Imperialism.
"wILL1AM MCKINLEY"