Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-09-08

pAoS iuCu py luC OIllcu CtdleS IOF any
territory since the beginning of the re-
public. More generous by far than we
gave to Louisiana, or Florida, or Cali
fornia, and under that government the
people of Porto Rico are now entering
upon career Of prosperity and happi-
ness greater than they have ever known.
Already good results are everywhere
manifest. Where we found want, idle
ness, poverty and destitution, business
has commenced, employment is being
found and the people are beginning to
command money, credit and food. 1t
| takes time to change such conditions, but
we are rapidly supplying all their wants.
and happiness, contentment and pros
perity will soon be within the reach Of
all.
THE PHILIPPINES.
Consider now the Philippines. There
was difference of opinion as to whether
we should acquire them, but all were
agreed that Spain should relinquish her
sovereignty there. If so, somebody had
! to succeed to the title. The Filioinos
themselves said that if we simply drove
Spain out and came away, they would
fall into the hands of the European ma
tlons. and their last estate, because Of the
divisions that would ensue, would be
worse than their first. The only way to
prevent that was to take control our
| selves. The president reluctantly reach
| ed this conclusion, for he foresaw the Sc
rious responsibilities involved in such
! action. The treaty Of peace 50 provided
/, and the senate with the help of II demo-
cratic votes, ratified it. and it received
the II democratic votes because Mr..
| Bryan, and a large number, if not the
majority. Of the democratic party, ad-
/! vised and advocated the ratification But
| before the treaty was ratified the in
surrection commenced. 1t was the duty
of the president under the protocol then
| in force to suppress it and preserve or
der. Before the ratificatons were ex-
changed congress had adjourned without
| legislating on the subject. The president
was left in charge of that country as he
is in charge of all other territory over
which our jurisdiction extends 1t was
/ his duty under the constitution and laws
| of the land to maintain our authority and
to use all necessary force. This he has
done, nothing more, nothing less. If he
had done more there might be some ex-
cuse for talking about abuse of power:
! if he had done less, Mr.. Bryan would be
| talking now about articles of impeach-
ment instead of Imperialism.
DID HIS DUTY.
If President Mckinley had pursued
such a policy as Mr. Bryan is now pro-
! posing if elected, he would have been
, branded as a weak betrayer of his trust
| and as responsible for a great national
humiliation. If you have any doubt
, about this, you have only to turn back
to the expressions Of democratic news
papers and democratic leaders at the
| time when our trouble IN the Philippines
commenced, to learn that these men who
! are now talking about hauling down the
i flag, giving the Filipinos independence
/ and making peace on anv terms, were
then more imperialistic and bloodthirsty
and tyrannical, as Indicated by the ad-
vice they gave, than President MCKINLEY
has ever even been charged by them tt
be. Here is an extract from an editorial
of that time, published in the Cincinnati
Enquirer:
.'Agulnaldo will have to behave him
self. The country will take no back
ward step. The Spaniards have limited
that we are dealing with people that will
! have to be exterminated to keep them
from making trouble. Well, we cannot
stop now, even at determination"
| The New York Journal said:
! "Aguinado's men are now attempting
to carry out a programme of savagery
They are making war by incendiarisn
and assassination. and If they could gail
possession of Manila a carnival of s'augh
ter. rapine and conflagratiOn would hOr
rify the world. We must crush this bant
of incenriaries and assassins once
for all. Aguinaldo and his followers are
simply Indians and must be dealt with a!
we would deal with tribe of renegade
Apaches."
Richard Croker the great Tamman!
leader, gave out statement, published
in all papers, in which he said:
II believe in holding whatever we hav'
gained by annexation, purchase or war
If the great country west of the Rock.
Mountains were filled with Indians, hov
long would it take us to suppress then
and make them respect our laws an,
constitution? The same thing applies t.
the Philippines and any other countr.
that may fall into our hands by the pro
vidence of peace or war;
If it was overt treason for those VIII
We're opposed to the treaty to oppose tn
policy of suppressiEg the insurrection be
Continued on Page Six.)