The silver star., 1900-11-02
When forty-three years ago,
= flor fiva ,vaa rs' residence in fl1ia

When forty-three years ago,
after five>years' residence in this
country, became a citizen Of
this republic, took an oath to
support the Constitution of the
United States. understood that
oath to mean that l would re-
main faithful to those principles
Of free government which are
laid down in the Declaration Of
Independence and form the vi
tai spirit Of the fundamental
law of our democracy. was
happy to feel that my sworn
duty as an American citizen was
In perfect harmony with my
own cherished ideals of civil lib
erty, right and justice. and I
have endeavored to keep my
oath to the best of my knowl-
edge and ability. Determined to
kdep 1t Loyalty to the end Of
my days. l stand here now to
defend those principles against
an attack even more crafty and
dangerous than that which In.
times gone by was made upon
them by the great power OF do
nestle slavery, and which was
beaten back by the election Of
Abraham Lincoln to the presi-
dency. l mean the attack now
made by the policy Of imperial
ism as carried on by the pres
ent administration.
LET ME SAY AT THE
START THAT CONSIDER
THE MANNER IN WHICH
THE IMPERIALISTIC POLICY
Is BEING COMMENDED BY
SOME PERSONS TO POPU-
LAR APPROVAL, THE HUG
EST CONFIDENCE GAME
EVER PRACTICED UPON A
FREE PEOPLE. IN MY
WHOLE LONG LIFE l HAVE
NEVER KNOWN OF SUCH
SYSTEMATIC USE OF DIS
TORTION OF HISTORY,
HYPOCRITICAL G A N Il.
GARBLING OF DOCUMENTS
AND FALSE PRETENSE.
1t is said that before all things
we must establish order"
What kind Of order nre we seek
ing to establish? 1t In our SOW
ereignty. our arbitrary rule un-
der the name OF order. for which
we have already killed more hu-
man beings than the bloody
Spaninrds ever killed there In all
the instructions Of this century.
It IL the kind Of ''Ortler" that
Louis Napoleon established In
Paris when he shot down those
who resisted him In destroying
the constitution Of the French
republic. and In transforming
the republic into mn empire. The
speediest aud surest wny to es-
tabllsh order In to give full ax-
surance to the Philippine iSland-
ers that their right to lndepend-
ence will bc recognized.
Lastly, 1t Is said that II we
voluntarily give up the subju-
CATION Of the Philippines we
shall lose our prestige In the
world. All, yes! We shall In.
deed lose our prestige with the
land robbers: our prestige with
the oppressors Of weak peoples:
our prestige with the swash-
bucklers who are constantly
spelling for q fight: our prestige
with the scoffers at democratic
institutions: our prestige with
the devotees Of dcspotic rule.
Yes, with them our prestige will
be irretrievably gone. We shall
even be In danger OF being re-
gnrled the world over ~ an hon.
est people: q Just, generous, mo-
BILE and rty-loving people; No
q people Of such moral great
ness that, In spite Of the intox-
icntlng seductiveness Of victory,
Il may be counted ON always to
listen to its conscience. and to
overcome all false pride In r.
pairing = wrong done. and In
vindlcating its high principles: .
people 10 truthful that Its word
Wilt always be believed;, . poo
pie 70 upgiRht that the powers
Of the world WIN feel instinct
lively inclined to trust Il ~ the
rafest general arblter In the
peaceful adjustment Of their
differences. Here are the two
kinds Of prestige, one Of which
we may lose, and tho other Of
which wo may win. Americans,
proud fof your country, which
viii be your choice e1-8pcoch Of