Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-09-10


moving on the first day of May last S5
per cent of the duties and provided for
the removal of the remaining IL per cent
on the 1st of March, 1902, or earlier if
the legislature of Porto Rico shall pro-
vide local revenues for the expenses of
conducting the government"
Mr.. Mckinley then takes up the Phil
ippine question, which is presented ut
considerable length. The events which
led to the acquisition of the Philippine
archipelago are recounted, and the in
structions to and reports from American
officers and commissioners in the islands
are presented, showing what has been
and is being done to bring the benefits OF
liberty and good government to these
wards of the nation.
Continuing, Mr.. Mckinley SAYS:
"The American people are asked by
our opponents to yield the sovereignty of
the United States in the Philippines to a
small fraction of the population, n single
tribe out of so or more inhabiting the
archipelago, fraction which wantOnly
attacked the American troops in Manila
while in rightful possession under the
protocol with Spain, awaiting the ratih-
cation of the treaty of peace by the SEN
ate and which has since been in active.
open rebellion against the United States.
We are asked to transfer our sovereignty
to small minority in the islands without
consulting the majority and to abandon
the largest portion of the population,
which has been loyal to u.s. to the cruel
ties of the guerrilla inSurgent bands.
More than this, we are asked to protect
this minority in establishing govern
ment and to this end repress all opposi-
tion of the majority. We are required to
set up stable government in the interest
of those who have assailed our sovereign
ty and fired upon our soldiers and then
maintain it at any cost or sacrifice against
its enemies within and against those
having ambitious designs from without.
mo government can so certainly pre-
serve the peace, restore public order, es-
tablish law, justice and stable conditions
us ours. Neither congress nor the eXecu-
tive can establish a stable government in
these islands except under our right of
sovereignty, our authority and our flag.
And this we are doing.
Self Government Promised
"We could not do it as a protectorate
power so completely or so successfully
as we are doing it now. As the soyer-
eign power we can initiate action and
shape means to ends and guide the Fill
pinos to self development and self gov
ernment As protectorate power we
could not initiate action, but would be
compelled TO follow and uphold people
with no capacity yet to be alone. In the
one case we can protect both ourselves
and the Filipinos from being involved
in dangerous complications, in the other
we could not protect even the Filipinos
until after their trouble had come Be
sides, if we cannot establish any govern
ment of our own without the consent of
the governed, as our opponents contend,
then we could not establish n stable gov
ernment for them or make ours a protccto-
rate without the like consent. and neither
the majority of the people nor a minority
of the people have invited us to assume
it. We could not maintain n protectorate
even with the consent of the governed
without giving provocatiOn for conflicts
and possibly costly wars. Our rights in
the Philippines are now free from outside
interference and will continue so in our
present relation. They would not be thus
free in any other relation. We will not
give up our own to guarantee another
sovereignty.
Our title is good. Our peace commits
sioners believed they were receiving Il
good title when they concluded the treaty.
The executive believed it was n good title
when he submitted it to the senate of the
United States for its ratification. The
senate believed II was good title when
they gave it their constitutional assent,
and the congress seems not to have doubt
ed its completeness when they appropri-
ated S2O,OOO,OOO provided by the treaty.
If any who favored its ratification be-
lieved it gave us a bad title. they We're
not sincere, Our title is practically den-
tical with that under which we hold our
territory acquired since the beginning of
the government and under which we have
exercised full sovereignty and establish
ed government for the nha bitants.
Must Accept Obligations.
"There were those who two years ago
We're rushing us ON to war with Spain
who are unwilling now to accept its clear
consequence, as there are those among
us who advocated the ratification of the
treaty of peace, but now protest against
its obligations. Nations which 90 to war
must be prepared to accept its resultant
obligations and when they make treaties
must keep them.
"Thosc who profess to distrust the lib
eral and honorable purposes of the ad-
ministratiOn in its treatment of the Phil
ippnes are not justified. Imperialism has
no place in its creed or conduct. Free
dom is rock upon which the Republican
party was built and now rests. Liberty
is the great Republican doctrine for
which the people went to war and for
which n million lives were offered and
billions of dollars eNDpudpd TO make il n