The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-08-08


| ferred to reject the treaty and risk the
| ills that might follow rather than take
| the chance of correcting the errors of the
| treaty by the independent action Of this
country.
was among the number of those who
believed it better to ratify the treaty and
end the war, release the volunteers, re-
move the excuse for war expenditures,
and then give to the Filipinos the indie
pendence which might be forced from
Spain by new treaty.
In view of the criticism which my ac-
ton aroused in some quarters take this
occasion to re- sate the reasons given at
that time. thought it safer to trust the
American people to give independence to
the Filipinos than to trust the accomp-
lishment of that purpose to diplomacy
with an unfriendly nation. Lincoln en-
bodied an argument in the question,
when he asked, Can aliens make treat
les easier than friends can make laws?''
I believe that we are now in a better po-
SitiOn to wage a successful contest
against Imperialism than we would have
been had the treaty been rejected With
the treaty ratified, a clean cut issue Is
presented between a government by con-
sent and a government by force, and i'm
perialistS must bear the responsibility
for all that happens until the question is
settled. If the treaty had been rejected,
the opponents of imperialism would have
been held responsible for any interna-
tional complications which might have
arisen before the ratification of another
treaty But Wha differences of
opinion may have existed as to the best
method of opposing the colonial policy,
there never was any difference to the
great importance of the question and
there is no differences now as to the
course to be pursued.
War Should Have Been Prevented.
The title of Spain being extinguished,
we were at liberty to deal with the Fill
pinos according to American principles
The Bacon resolution, introduced a
month before hOStilitieS broke out at
Manila promised independence to the
Ffipinos on the same terms that it was
promised to the CubanS. I supported
this resolution and believe that it's adop-
ton prior to the breaking out of hostili-
ties would have prevented bloodshed,
and that its adoption at any subsequent
time would have ended hostilities
If the treaty had been rejected, consid-
cradle time would have necessarily
elapsed before a new treaty could have
been agreed upon and ratified, and dur
ing that time the question would have
been agitating the public mind. If the
Bacon resolution had been adopted by
the senate and carried out by the presI-
dent, either at the time of the ratifica-
ton of the treaty or at any time after
wards, 1T would have taken the question
OF Imperialism out of politics and left
the American people free to deal with
their domestic problems. But the resoIu-
ton was defeated by the vote of the Re
publican vice president, and from that
time to this a Republican congress has
the matter.
When hostilities broke out at Manila,
republican speakers and Republican ed
1torS at once sought to lay the blame
upon those who had delayed the ratiff-
cation of the treaty, and, during the pro-
gress of the war, the same Republicans
have accused the opponents of imperial
ism of giving encourag cement to the Fill
lplnos- This Is coWardly evasion of
responsibility.
Our History an Encouragement.
If it it right for the United States to
mold the Philippine Islands permanent
Iy and Initiate the European empires in
the government of the colonies the Re
publican party ought to state it's posi-
ton and defend it, but it must expect
the subject races to protest against
such policy and to resist to the ex-
tent of their ability. The Filipinos do
not need any encouragement from
Americans now living. Our whole his
tory has been an encoura cement not
only to the Filipfnos but to all who are
denied a voice in their own govern
ment. If the Republicans are prepared
to censure all who have used language
calculated to make F'ilipinos hate for
eign domination, let them condemn the
speech of Patrick Henry. When he ut
tered that passionate appeal, Give me
liberty or give me DEATH" he expressed
a sentiment which still echoes in the
hearts of men. Let them censure JEFF
ferSon; of all the statesmen Of history,
none have used words SO offensive to
those who would hold their fellows in
political bondage. Let them censure
Washington, who declared that the col
ontes must choose between liberty and
slavery. Or, if the statute of limita-
ton has run against the signs of Henry
and Jefferson and Washington let them
censure Lincoln, whose Gettysburg
speech will be quoted in defense of
popular government when the present
advocates of force and conquest are
forgotten.
GO,,oae1a hoe -os7
spoken can never be recalled. 1t is
true. Tt goes on and on, and no one
can set a limit to its overwhelming in
f1uence- But if it were possible to OBJ
Hterate every word written or spoken
in defense of the principles set forth in
the Declaration of Independence, a. war
of conquest would still leave it's legacy
of perpetual hatred, for it was God
himself who placed in every human
heart the love of liberty. He never
made race of people so low in the
scale of civilization or intelligence that
it would welcome a foreign master
Lincoln said that the safety of this
nation was not in its fleets, its armies
or Its forts, but in the spirit which
prizes liberty and the heritage of all
men, in all lands, everything; and he
warned his countrymen that they could
not destroy this spirit without planting
the seeds of despotism at their own
DOORS
Influence of Imperialism.
Those who would have this nation
enter upon a career of empire must con-
slider not only the effect of imperialism
on the Filipinos, but they must also cal
culate its effect upon our own nation.
We cannot repudiate the principle of
self-government in the Philippines
without weakening that principle here.
Even now we are beginning to see the
paralyzing influence of Imperialism
Heretofore, this nation has been
prompt to express its sympathy with
those who were fighting for civil Iiber-
ty- While our sphere of activity has
been limited to the western hemisphere,
our sympathies have not been bounded
by the seas. We have felt it due to
ourselves and to the world, as we'll as
to those who We're struggling for the
right to govern themselves to proclaim
ir,tc,