The evening times., 1900-01-30
SENATOR EA1ON'S Views.
He Argues Against the Retention Of
the Philippines.
Permanent Occupancy of the Islands
by the United States Declared to
Be Contrary to All Precedent.
Claims That They Are Necessary
for Commercial Purposes Snare.

business. Mr.. Bacon took up the resolu-
tion introduced by Mr.. McEnery in the last
! Congress and the amendment offered by
himself. The McEnery resolution was as
follows:
Resolved by the Senate and House OF Representa-
tyes of the United States of America. in Congress
assembled That by the ratification of the Treaty
OF Peace with Spain it is not intended TO incor-
porate the inhabitants of the Philippine Islands
into citizenship of the United States, nor Is 1t
intended to permanently annex said Islands as an
integral part of the territory OF the United States
but IL Is the intention of the United States 10
establish on said islands government suitable
to the wants and conditions Of the inhabitants OF
said islands to prepare them for local self govern
ment, and in due time to make such disposition
Of said islands will best promote the interests
Of the citizens Of the United States and the in
habitants OF said islands.
To this Mr.. Bacon offered the following
| amendment:
Resolved, further, That the United States here
by disclsim any disposition or intention to eK-
ercise permanent sovereignty, jurisdiction or CON
troll said islands, and assert their determi-
nation, when stable and independent govern
ment shall have been erected therein, entitled
in the Judgment of the Government OF the onltea
States to recognition such, to transfer to said
government, upon terms which shall be reason
able and just, all rights secured under the ces-
sion by SPAIN and to thereupOn leave the gov
anu "
Comparison of Conditions.
Mr.. Bacon argued that at the time this
resolution was introduced the Filipinos
had a President a Congress, an army,
| court, and the other accessories of gov
ernment, and that the occupation of the
Philippines by the United States was a
possibility rather than @ probability. He
referred to the manner in which our Gov
ernment was forced into temporary Occn-
pancy and the necessity that forced Hs
to take charge OF the government of the
islands under circumstances which were
| not contemplated one year ago.
Mr.. Bacon argued against the perma-
nent occupancy of the Philippines. and
stated that such a course OF action would
be contrary to all precedent upon our part.
He stated that in his opinion colonial pos
sessions so far from the mother country
would be a continual menace in case OF
war with foreign power, and following
out this line OF reasoning stated his belief
that our country would be the loser ty the
permanent occupancy o. the islands. Con-
tinuing his address, Mr.. Bacon spoke, in
part, as follows:
"A great standing army and the wars
which will result from the imperial policy
are only some OF it's evils Another Of no
unusual Importance is the immense money
cost to the people. In addition 10 the
$40, 900 900 the cost TO the United States
of the Philippines has already been not less
than $3.50. coo 900. while in the opinion OF
many who have examined into it, it is
nearer $500, 000. 900. But taking it al $780,
600 600 this Is a supeRdeus sum OF money.
Every dollar OF it has been paid by the
American people and every man in the
country has contributed 10 it his share
under the law.
ITO permanently retain the islands will
annually cost the United States more than
s10e, 900 900. The large increase in the
standing army will alone annually cost
that, and that will by no means be all OF
the expense. On the contrary II will
probably be as much more.
The Cost to the People.
LET no man deceive himself, Mr. Presi
dent with the thought that somebody else
pays this and that he does not. Every
man pays his part and unfortunately the
man of small means pays almost, if not
quite. as much as a man Of large wealth;
for the tax is paid on what a man and his
family consume and not upon the value Of
his property. If this vast sum OF money
were collected directly out of the people
for the purpose of holding the Philippines
it would make revolution-but in the
end the result is the same. If one has a
dollar flched from him every day. each
days loss may not be seriously felt, but
at the end of the year he is 1866 out Of
pocket.
so there must be added another in
eyitable. certain expense OF great magni-
tude. We have already sent nearly 166,
900 soldiers to the Philippines. OF those
who survive nine-tenths of them will in a
few years be on the pension roll on ac-
count of permanent injuries to health due
to service in that climate. Our pension
roll, now calling foE--nearly $3.50, ,000, 900,
will soon be S20G. .000.0 .060 Every year that
our army is kept in the Philippines will
add to the amount for pensions. This
means not yearly expense for a few
years. but for fifty years. We are today
still paying pensions to Revolutionary
pensioners a 11S years after the c!ose OF
the war.
Mr.. President, this is no faneiful pic
ture. They are plain facts, which cannot
be successfully controyerted. This large
aggregate expense must be met by the |
people of the United tSateS. 1t cannot be |
met by the revenues from the islands |
We csNnot collect tribute from them. and |
the rt enues from the islands viii never |
pay more than enough to defray the ex-
pense of administering their government |
amounted to only about s19,e00, 900. The |
imports are now being stimulated by the |
large American army stationed there. but |
even If largely increased under American !
Government, it is impossible that within |
a great many years the increase could be |
sufficient to yield any large revenue from
imports.
''Mr. President, there are in addition the |
inevitable evils attending distant subject |
colonies-the corruptions of officials, their |
tyrannies, and their cruelties-the insur- |
rections and nprisings of an unwilling |
people and their bloody suppressions. such |
as contribute the dark page in the history !
Of every country which has by force domi- |
mated and controlled a subject race.
China's Open Door.
"But, Mr.. President, it is said that all |
Of these evils will be compensated for in /
the fact that the possession of the Philip |
pines will open and secure for us the trade
of the Orient. If there ever was a prope-
sition absolutelyswithout argument to sus- !
tain it, it is this one. If there could have
ever been any argument upon which it
could rest, it has been entirely removed
by the agreement which has been made by
all of the European governments that for
us the open door shall remain in China,
and that we shall have equal privileges
with all other nations for our commerce |
there. What more than this could we get
If we owned every Pacific island and har-
Dor on the Asiatic coast?
mo Mr.. President, the claim that the
Philippines are necessary to our trade In |
the Orient is q defusion and a snare set
to catch the feet Of the hasty and the un- |
wary And those who set the snare like !