The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1900-10-05

of an ally and the wanton slaughter of in.
nocent people. 1t has made our former
friends in the conquered countries hate
us with an undying hatred. II has in
volved us in an unnecessary. wicked and
abominable war that has already cost ms
thousands OF American lives and nearly
S2p,Wop0 of money, and will cost incai-
culably more. 1t has made our president
commit fragrant usurpation of power
which, II condoned and permitted to stand
as ruling precedent Will become more
dangerous to our free institutions 1t has
put to contempt and ridicule the funda-
mental principles of our democracy and
old ideals of right, justice and liberty
which alone furnish the conservative eIe.
ment Indispensable to democracy work
ing through universal suffrage 1t has
taught our people that might makes right
and other like lessons. which. unless stern
ly rebuked. will utterly demoralize public
sentiment and transform the political life
OF our democracy into wild, INSCRIPTIONS
and. eventually. anarchistic struggles of
selfish passions and greedy interests
Nv nat, In view of all this Is now to he
done? There is simple moral precept
which every honest man and every hon
est nation Will recognize binding
or permitted wrong to be done in your
behalf you must repair IL to the best of
your ability Let no selfishness and no
false pride make you hesitate If YOU do
you are on the downward slope
"A grievous wrong has peen done to the
Porto Ricans by denying them their Just
Islanders
basely betraying them and subjugating
them with bloody hand. We are bound
10 repair that wrong, even II it costs us
something.
THE first thing necessary is that the
american people should not by their votes
approve the wrongful acts by keeping those
VINO mno nave done them in the name of the
republic In places of power, thus encour-
aging them TO go on, but should stamp
the wrong done and the wrongdoers with
the most emphatic vote of condemna ton
9th hot
recognize the wrong done and are willing
TO repair it. The American people should
rn'sii, rnen insist that the government of this
republic should do all in its power, instead
OF siaughtering those who fight for their
freedom and independence, to assist them
NO ~ iormlng an independent government of
.neir own and take such measures to pro-
lect them against foreign interference as
may be required. In one word, we should
SIMPLY do for them what we have prom
ised to do for the people of Cuba This
is what the plain duty of the American
people demand-a duty of honor and of
patriotism
1T is said that il we withdraw our forces
from the Philippines the Filipinos would
az az once drop into anarchy. loot their cit
les ana cut one another's throat. What
evidence Is there to support this slander-
Gus assumption? None. They have carried
on their war humanely far more humane
y than some European troops have car
rled on their war in China. They have,
perhaps few cases excepted treated their
prisoners kindly. No anarchy in the Phil
lppiieS WOulU SQeQ One-nalf as much blood
as We have already shed. 1t may be true
that the guerrilla warfare has brought
1ortn some cruel excesses. All guerrilla
warfare does. But who caused that irreg-
uiar guerrilla warfare? We did by break
ing up their government and regular army
IT Is said that If we left the Philippines
independent DE ,, some foreign power WOULD In
stantly seize them. Since the stubborn
night OF the Filipinos for Independence a
sensible government would be abDut as
eager to grab that archipelago as pru-
q n iva.
And all the less il in addition to all this
our great republic tells the world: Hands
''It is said that this sort of protecxora te
would involve us in enormous respogsibili-
| Ties which 1t would require a TREMENDOUS
army ana navy TO sustain. President Me-
hlnley Is quite pathetic on this point
Why, ne seems not, TO be aware that under
the Monroe doctrine we have for more
than half century exercised just that
neighbors, simply letting the old world
powers know that while we are not re-
sponsible for any internal troubles or any
International obligations of those neigh
bors, and foreign powers may enforce
such obligations by all proper means, we
| insist that in doing SO they must stor
short of infringing on our neighbors ter
| ritorial integrity or independence. AND
why should the application of the same rule
TO the philippines be more burdensome'
| 1t Is childish pretense.
| 1T is needless TO say tnat nave gone
| into this contest with a light heart. -Four
years ago | took. with many others who
were not partisan, an earnest and active
| part in the struggle for sound money
| 1t was that cause that commanded my
efforts. not the candidate. AS to the money
question, my convictions have, of course
not changed in the least. But while the
money question was the paramount issue
| four years ago. we never admitted that
| il must remain the paramount question
always or that. however important sound
money is to the economic interests as
well as to the character of the nation,
1x1 ia
vital moment or that party representing
sound money may do things utterly OBJ
noxious to good morals or good policy and
still rightfully exact our support under
all circumstances.
Must Keep Up the Fight.
| friends who think that the struggle against
| Imperialism should now be suspended and
that those in power should be kept there
| in order to avoid other troublesome risks
l do, indeed. believe that. If now baffied
the efforts against imperialism will cease
| They certainly will not, as the efforts
not cease until their final triumph came
| through tremendous crisis which, per-
haps. might have been avoided had they
| succeeded earlier. But our efforts should
| not now be suspended for two reasons
zone is this; There is but too much
ground for believing that the party In
power is largely controlled by strong and
grasping interests trying to exploit the
| government for their profit, and inclined
to make the American flag In the charac-
teristic phrase of the famous Cecil Rhodes,
| "a first-class commercial asset ="
1.-THE second reason against postpone
ment is this: We are now engaged in the
awful business of establishing order as
| it is called, by slaughtering of people be-
cause they continue to struggle for their
freedom and independence. We read ter
rible stories. such as of more than so Fill
pinos having been Unfortunately shot
down because two of our soldiers had been
killed in a shop near by: or of a whole
1 hafy, h
there were one or two insurgents among
them. And this, my countrymen. is done
under the flag of the republic of Washing
ton and Lincoln. 1t seems to me no civil
lied nation can AFFORD to postpone the stop
ping of 1t not only for four years. but Tor
day.
That duty calls on us all aloud. Let us,
then, come what may, stand together with
- good conscience and unffinching cour-
age for truth justice and liberty"