Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1900-08-14

| lets from a de moGfacY. The dem0crati Ia
expansion eniaTses The area of tlIeS repi,ii.
he ana incorporates land which can be
settled by American citizens, or adds to
our population people who are willing to
become citizens. and are capable OF dis.
charging their duties as such The acuui-
sitlon OF the Louisiana territory, Florida,
TEXAS and other tracts which have been
| Secureu from time 10 time, enlarged the
! Republic, and the constitution followed this
| nag INTO the new territory. 1t is now pro-
nosesa . to seize upon distant territory al
ready more deDsely populated than our own
| country, and To force upon the people a
government, for which there Is no war
i tant III our constitution or our laws. Even
| me arsument that this earth belongs to
.nose VINO desire to cultivate it and have
! the physical power to acquire il cannot
9 %. invoked NO to justify the appropriation OF
| the Philippine islands by the United States.
| IL the islands were uninhabited American
citizens would not be wilin; to so there
and and tin the soil. The white race will not
| ilNe so near the equator Other nations
have tried to colonize In the same latitude.
| The Netherlands have controlled Java Tor
800 years eo rs, and yet today there are less
than to,OoO people OF European birth scat
| tered among 25.Jd0,0G0 natives. After a
century and a half OF English domination
in India. less than one-twentieth Of one
| per cent. of the people of India are of Eng
fish birth, and it requires an army of 1000
British soldiers to take care. of the tax
Philippine islands for three centuries, and
| yet, when our feet entered Manila bay,
there We're less than 10000 Spaniards re-
siding in the Philippines.
| A colonial policy means that we shall
| send to the Philippines few traders a few
| taskmasters and few office holders, and
an army large enough to support TIE au-
| thority of a small fraction of the people
| while they rule the natives.
( Increase in Regular Army.
If we have an imperial policy we must
have large standing army as its natural
| and necessary complement. The spirit
which will justify the forcible annexation
OF. the Philippine islands will justify the
| seizure of other islands and the domina-
tion of other people, and with wars of con-
| quest We can expect certain, If not ra pid,
| growth of our military establishment.
That a large permanent increase in our
| regular army is intended by the repub-
| lican leaders is not mere matter of con-
lecture, but matter OF fact. In his mes
| asked for authority to increase the stand
| ing army to 100000. In 1896 the army con-
tanned about 25,Oo0 men. Within two years
the president asked for four times that
| many. and a republican house of repre-
| sentatires complied with the request after
the Spanish treaty had been signed and
| no country was at war with the United
| States. If such an army is demanded
when an imperial policy is contemplat ted,
but not openly avowed what may be eX-
pected If the people encourage the republic
| an party by indorsing its policy at the polls !?
| A large standing army is not only a pc
cuniarN burden to the people and, if accom-
d
| source OF irritation, but it is ever menace
to republican form of government The
army is the ,personitication of force, and
| militarism will inevitably change the ideals
| of the people and turn the thoughts of our
young men from the arts of peace to the
science OF war. The government which
more iiieeiy -io-be Just than one which has
at call large body OF professional SOL
diers. 4 small standing army and a we'll
equipped and well disciplined state militia
are sufficient in ordinary times. and in an
emergency the nation should in the future
as in the past place its dependence upon the
| volunteers who come from all occupations
| at their country's call and return to pro-
duotiNe labor when their services are no
longer required-men who fight when the
the country needs workers.
Status of the Filiplnos.
the Philippine islands. will be retained UNI
der American sovereignty, and we have
right to demand of the republican lead
ers discussion of the future status of
the Filipino. is he to be citizen or a
subject? Are we to bring into the body
polite 100000 or 100000 Asiatics, so
amalgamation is impossible? Are they
to share with us in making the laws ana
shaping the destiny. of this nation? No
republican of prominence has been bold
enough to advocate such a proposition.
The McEnery resolution. adopted by the
senate Immediately after the ratification
idea. The democratic platform describes
the situation when it says that the Fill
pinos cannot be citizens without endan-
AND our w6a the W afpnbte
FILIPINO is not to be citizen, shall we
make him a subject? On that question
phasis 1t declares that the Filipino can
not be subject without endangering our
form of government. republic can
have no subjects. subject is possible
n
| he Is unknown in a government deriving
Its Just powers from the consent of the
governed. The republican platform says
that the largest measure of self-govern..
ment, consistent with their welfare and
our duties shall be secured to them (the
Filipinosl by law" This is strange doc
| very existence to ths men who offered
their lives as a protest against govern
ment without consent and taxation with
out representation. In what respect does
| the position of the republican party differ
from the position taken by the English
government in l776? Did not the English
| to the colonists? What king ever prom
ised bad government to his peo-
pie? Did not the English govern
ment promise that the colonist,ss should
have the largest measure of self-govern-
ment consistent with their welfare and
English duties? Did not the Spanish gov
| the largest measure of self-government
consistent with their welfare and Spanish
duties? The whole difference between n
monarchy and republic may be summed
up in one sentence. In monarchy the
king gives to the people what he believes
to be good government; in a republic
they believe to be a good government.
| The republican party has accepted the Eu-
ropean idea and planted itself upon the
| ground taken by George III. and by every
ruler who distrusts the capacity of the
people for self-government or denies them
| voice in their own affairs.
The Presidents VIII the Only Law.
The republican platform promises that
some measure of self-government is to be
| given to the Filipinos by law; but. even
| this pledge is not fulfilled. Nearly l6
months elapsed after the ratification of the
| treaty before the adjournment of congress
last June. and yet no law was passed deal
ing with the Philippine situation. The will
| of the president has been the only law
| in the Philippine islands wherever the
American authority extends. Why does
the republican party hesitate to legislate
| upon the Philippine question? Because a
law would disclose the radical departure
| from history and precedent contemplated
by those who control the republican party.
| Porto Rican bill was an indication of what
may be expected when the American peo-
| pie are brought face to face with legisla-
ton upon this subject. If the Porto Ricans,
| who welcome annexation, are TO be de-
| MED the guarantees of our constitution,
what is to be the lot of the Filipinos who
| resisted our authority? If secret influ-
ences could compel disregard of our plain
| duty toward friendly people, living near
| influences provide for unfriendly people
| 1000 miles away? If, in this country where
| the people have the right to vote, repub-
| lican leaders dare not take the side of the
| people against the great monopolies which
| have grown up within the last few years
how can they be trusted to protect the
Filipinos from the corporations which are
| waiting to exploit the islands?
Is the sunlight of full citizenship to be
and the twilight Of semi-citizenship lip en-, en-.
dured by the, people of Porto Rico, while