The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-02-03
S|BLEY FOR EXPANSION

Washington, Feb. L Representative
Joseph Sibley of Pennsylvania, who
attained great prominence in the
F'ifty-fourth congress by his earnest
championship of free silver, assailed
his Democratic colleagues today for
their opposition to expansion in a
speech that made the floor and galleries
roar.
Mr.. Sibley,ilas recanted his views on
free silver and is now generally out of
line with his colleagues on the Demo-
cratic side. He insisted today that
expansion was an original Democratic
doctrine promulgated by Jefferson, and
adhered to by Madison, Jackson, Tyler,
Polk and Buchanan In eloquent Ian
guage he pictured the destiny of the
United States carrying the arts of
remotest corners of the globe.
In reply to Mr.. Cochran's taunt that
civilization was being shot into the
Philippines, Mr.. Sibley said that the
history Of civilization had been traced
in human blood. Wendall Phillips had
said that every achievement of human
justice had gone from rack to rack and
scaffold to scaffold.
Shall we hold Pourto Rico and the
Philippine archipelago? asked Mr.. Sib-
ley. Every foot. No nation on earth
has a higher right of title to a rod of
soil We have double title of purchase
and conquest and my belief is that
when once the shadow of our banner
has fallen, there will survive a race Of
free men, and l would hold Cuba until
stability, order good government and
the protection of life and property were
assured.
Il am going to echo the presidents
query. Who will haul down the flag?'
Who planted it there? What cabinet
council, what warrior, what statesman
what senator or representative what
body of men formed any plan of con-
quest?
The cries of suffering humanity
rang in our ears and we stopped our
ears. The groans were heard, but we
answered not We saw them stripped
and wounded on our way to Jerico and
like the priest and the Levite we passed
by on the other side. Not unheard
those cries and groans at the throne
Of the Almighty who, to awaken US
from apathy of almost criminal in
difference. permitted the engines of his
wrath to hurl their thunderbolts under
the bows of the Maine, lying peacefully
at anchor in the Havana harbor. Nor
keenest sighted statesman. nor most
daring warrior had dreamed even of
the possibility of great gain, growth or
greatness to come to Us as a nation
from that war of which the blowing
up Of the Maine was the first declara-
ton.
God and the valor of American arms
gave US that territory not because we
are a nation altogether free, altogether
pure, altogether blameless but because
working through him as an instru-
mentality, he has given it to the bold
est, the freest, the most progressive. the
most enlightened and the most Chris
tan of all nations Of the present age"
Mr.. Sfhley said expansion had been
favored and advocated by Jefferson,
Jackson, Polk and Buchanan.
Only towards oppose it, Buchanan
said, and he was the last Democratic
president we have had" Gaughter)
IF this administration" he went on,
shall surrender the Philippines the
historian Of the future which extoIs
Jefferson, Madison, Tyler and Polk,
will write down McKinley's action as
the most pusillanimous in the record
But this administration will not sur
render. Its critics will be forgotten.
Every advance to higher and nobler
forms of life has been opposed by some
old, conservative mossbacker, who
prated of the good old days when his
grandfather swung by his tail in the
forest pr1meval."
Mr.. Shafroth (Colo.), made a speech
saying it was the duty of the United
States to mediate between Great Brit
ain and the Transvaal He traced the
history of the Transvaal Dutch from
the migrationS from Holland to show
that England was invading the rights
of the South African republic He con-
tended that England had practically
abandoned her claim Of suzerainty
over the Transvaal in the convention Of
1884. The demands of Great Britain
that the Transvaal should adopt
naturalization laws for the benefit of
the Outlanders, should adopt the Eng
lish language as the official language
and should not impose certain taxes
upon the mines were outrageous
He concluded with the statement
that no fair minded man could examine
the controversy without being con-
WINGED that England was wrong and
the Transvaal was right. His remarks
were literally applauded.