Kootenai County Republican. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1899-1903, 1900-04-27
BRYAN AND EXPANSION.

The following reply was made by w.
=. Gilbert, Of Spokane, to what Bryan
said on the subject Of expansion in the
course Of his address delivered at Spo-
kane on the 30th OF March,
The whole OF Mr.. organs argument relative
10 expansion is tnsed upon one assumption.
,ns! that Is thai the war whirh tie United
! states Is prosecuting in the Philippines II "a
war of conquest. " his Hssuhttiion - cor
rect u this II \ contest OF might against
right, then most of bis argument is sOhnd;
but. on the contrary. If II should appear We ave
In the Islands Us the riahtfui sovereign nu-
thority trying 10 suppress instruction.
then Mr.. irynn's argument is fallacious. aud
he owes Il To the American people, aud espe-
cialiy to our soldiers In the Philippines. to cx-
plain why he is deliberately encouraging the
| enemies of the United states II should be
| observed, however, ut the outset. that Mr.
Bryan very discreetly does not attempt to adj
dure single fact or argument to prove The
very thing Ut issue the very thing the coun-
try wants 10 know. II II is -to-wlt: That
this Is II warof conquest. This, then, Is the
primary point 10 he decided
In the lrst l.ace. We can pass over the
question of our title 10 the islands under the
law of nations. II Is undiSputcd. II is per-
feet ! take ", therefore that 1t is upon
mor',l grounds alone that Bryan asserts thnt
W. are wrongfuly Ia The Philippines Bat
| lei Us see
The iillipinos have never been nation;
they have never had government OF their
own. After Dewey annbl,atcd The Spanish
'leet. and up To the titac ~ the landing of
the American troops, there VAS no .ar..,,st lon
| a ian
20 cooperate with us In driving out the span-
ards preliminary rtpor, Of the Philippine
commission; ste also Major Gpn. Otis report.
| lsgD. r. IL
AZ this iuncture willy ana nnscrupnlous
lender, AEuin0da undertook 20 organize re-
,lstencc 10 The sovereignty OF the United
| states and Il be Who began hastilitles
against tho Americans The lnsurreci ion lie
succeeded in insttgatlng extend, practically
| 10 but one tribe, the Tagols Now, there arc
| lis, Islands In the archipelago. peoplca with
only - tribes speaking 20 es 90 vnrious lam
guages. One tribe alone d fraction If the
| Itlliplno peoples IN rebellion. Ma one over
supposed before that they nre the proxies for
| the other S3 tribes.
| For three hundred years spanish rule In the
Islands has taught the people nothing bnt
mlsgayernment and despntlsm. Never have
they had tbs opportunity To learn tht Hrsf
principles. ~ democracy. Piracy. anarchy
and law e>sness are the sum of tbeirefvir ,tio-
cation; apd set We are confronted witb tte
moastraas proposition that- We tafo engaged ff
| Herimluiu aggression" whCn So spel to estate
fish nrder Whcre there Wus laWfrssnas. rnt-
| srhu,ent where there WAS anarchy mad hbstrty
where there MAS dcsnutisW. Whom Mr. BRYAN
undertakes Ia SAY that Our sultlifr boys an,
oeeapici ia an Inhnmun and criminal war
against Agulnaldo and his followers. ha for
gets that the Tnltrd States ~ t9,e lYenty
which he helncd 20 ratlfy owes saered du4y
tothe Remaining seven million rtllipiues and
TO humanity 20 sec that the aG4hitt1,,, r.rapt
pass nor through slaughter toa thrnne ~
Is mockpry odeaoUntp A. conquest fh,.Pf5v,,
81 this aatian to teach people thui hbs.rly Is
not license. AMI law not the within II "a tyrvat
nr dictator.
if Mr. Bryan roaid shew thar The Vililpleo
Is capaeie ot SELF government, thrr. ~ lsbs 81.
some shadow Of truth IN hts contention thaf
| sc atc abrogatlng the peslanAt len Of intfe-
p"ndynee and wransfolly establishing a vsv-
! Hrnment IN The Islands trHsi ghat SlefHe-
cratic friends viii BE- satisfied with theopnten
thai their grcat lcadrr has given Ia THIS csn-
ntctiou and viii ms take Tit, IN, >f,,rr.is Ia
twSs tof having ''aep1.dn from tae position
he assumed oe Jaauafs IL, IN dsnurapaiis.
shcn he said;
= am a hrm believer n the cn 5&,5.o,uant
aud extension ~ the iieiys IS, ths republic
Nh.r"ser there Is y pcaplo insNlltssnt salts.sh
te ferfn part 81 this Feauhiir 4 * my lesssf
| thar they should he tak0n IN. whnrevgr tsFf,.
i . a'upte saiahis - having eti.e ana l.,,-
f'ssentafsoa IL this government ther, th,.
iinlits 81 he fvnnblie may he extended 1#gy
| FltiifiNoS ARE NOT ~ltCll 4 pE0Pt. F. !.
hnt { fuller niuaf Nerc s0e4tt than th.t
alroaay Indicated 81 thg tr,,sa,s.f,y ~ f4.
F'lltplaos fer sat raYetumeaE K wnall 81
toaad IN their selsalsss attacks unSn ear
army tciore anything hssi o,z & demo. ao4 Ia
the taee Of peolss.atian of friendly lnt.n-
/ tvntions
Aud nov We come ca NJ Rryaa's p,an ~
/ the disposition ~ the isiandS. on cnnrSs X
he arsus> that Wv arc wr,n3tutty thes1. .l41n
his iafervuce must he that NJ should With
draw; and ~ hs prsil0ss,s Ss,lf Envernn,s,,t
and this IA thc face &C his onn admission sam
ported hy actual demonstration thar TN,
suiiplha Is incapable ~ seif government
1 In tbs worsis II Lon gresham potiivsr: sin
the whole history ~ the woria no such IA Z
ant stupidity has evef mas.suefss,ea Tor wis
dom, even N tlse leadership Of fofllri,
polssieul hope
Ia the repssrmance u he si,.,adld s..sk