Gilpin observer., 1900-09-13
MR.. M'KINLEY'S LETTER
ACCEPTING THE NOMINATION

| to this island government in which
the inhabitants participate, elect their
own legislature. enact their own local
laws, provide their own system of tax
alton, and in these respects have the
same power and privileges enjoyed by
other territories belonging to the Unit
ed States. and much larger measure
of self-government than was given to
the inhabitants of Louisiana under
| Jefferson. District Court of the
United States for Porto Rico has been
| established. and local courts have been
inaugurated, all of which are in opera
ton.
''The tariff duties paid and collected
both in Porto Rico and the United
States are paid to the government of
Porto Rico and no part thereof is TAX
en- by the national government
Mr.. Mckinley goes into the Philip
pine question at length. After recit-
ing the history of our relations with
the islands, futile negotiations for
| peace with the Filipinos. the instruc-
tions to the commission and it's report,
| he says:
''There has been no time since the
destruction of the enemy's fleet when
we could or should have left the Phil
ippine archipelago. After the treaty of
peace was ratified no power but Con-
| gress could surrender our sovereignty
| or ALLEVIATE foot of the territory thus
acquired The Congress has not seen
fit to do the one or the other, and the
President has no authority to do either,
| if he had been so inclined, which he
was not. So long rs the sovereignty
remains in us. it is the duty of the eX-
ecutive, whoever he may be, to uphold
the sovereignty. and if it be attacked
TO suppress its assailants. Would our
| political adversaries do less?
1T has been asserted that there
would have been no fighting in the
Philippines if Congress had declared
| its purpose to give independence to the
| Tagal insurgents The insurgents did
not wait for the action of Congress.
They assumed the offensive. They
| opened fire on our army. Those who
asserted our responsibility for the be-
| ginning of the conflict have forgotten
that before the treaty was ratified in
the Senate and while it was being de-
bated in that body and while the Ba-
con resolution was under discussion
on February t. 1899, the insurgents at
tackled the American army after being
| previously advised that the American
| forces were under orders not to open
| fire upon them except in defense. The
papers found in the recently captured
archives of the insurgents demonstrate
that this attack had been carefully
planned for weeks before it occurred.
| Their unprovoked assault upon our SOL
| diers at n time when the Senate was
deliberating upon the treaty shows that
no action on our part except the sur
render and abandonment would have
prevented the fighting, and leaves no
doubt in fair minds where the respon-
sibility rests for the shedding of Ameri-
| can blood.
With all the exaggerated phrase
making of this electoral contest we are
in danger of being diverted from the
real contention.
I'VE are in agreement with all of
those who supported the war with
Spain and also with those who coun-
seled the ratification of the treaty of
peace. Upon these two great essential
steps there can be no issue and out of
these came all of our responsibilities.
If others would shirk the obligations
imposed by the war and treaty, we
must decline to act further with them,
and here the issue is made. 1t is our
purpose to establish in the Philippines
government suitable to the wants
and conditions of the inhabitants, and
to prepare them for selfgovernment,
and to give them government
when they are ready for 1t. That
am aiming to do under my constitu-
tional authority and Will continue to
do until Congress shall determine the
political status of the inhabitants of
the archipelago.
THE American people are asked by
our opponents to yield the sovereignty
of the islands of the Philippines to n
small fraction of the population, sin
gle tribe out of eighty or more inhabit-
ing the archipelago, "A fraction which
wantonly attacked the American troops
in Manila while in rigltful possession
under the protocol with Spain, await
ing the ratification of the treaty of
peace by the Senate, and which has
since been in active, open rebellion
against the United States. We are
asked to transfer our sovereignty to n
small minority in the islands without
consulting the majority, and abandon
ing the largest portion of the popula-
ton, which has been loyal to us, to the
cruelties of the guerilla insurgent
bands. More than this, we are asked
to protect this minority in establish
ing government, and to this end re-
press all opposition of the majority.
We are required to set up stable gov
ernment In the interest of those who
have assailed our sovereignty and fired
upon our soldiers, and then maintain
1t at any cost or sacrifice against Its
enemies within and against those hav-
ing ambitious designs without.
"rhls would require an army and
navy far larger than is now main
tained in the Philippines and still
more in excess of what will be neces-
sary with the full recognition of our
Soyarpiruty military sIlpDOrt of nl-
thority not our own, as thus proposed,
Is the very essence of militarlsm,
which our opponents, in their PLATFORM
oppose, but which by their policy |
would of necessity be established in It's
most offensive form