The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-09-12
SEATTLE, WEDNESDAY,, SEPT. II.
A Great Campaign Document.

A Great Campaign Document.
President McKiniey's letter Of accept
ance win repay study. 1t Is likely to
remain the best campaign document
the voter. The president has not only
rare ability in presenting and marshall
ing issues and in making UP a case.
but he Is exceedingly happy in originat-
Ing sharp. terse statements that are
epdgrammatic in the swirtness with
which they lay hold upon reason and
imagination. He has not made speech
In the last four years from which ono
cannot select several sentences that
condense an issue into phrases that
have the force and accuracy OF bullets.
His letter of acceptance. carrying
greater gravity and being still more
carefully studied. IL richer In these mug
gets. Take this complete and fair
presentation OF the Bryan policy. as an
nounced by himself:
20 q small minority in the islands without
consulting the majority. and abandon
the largest portion OF the population.
which has been loyal TO us, TO the cruel
ties of the tnsurgent bands. More than
this. we are asked 10 protect this minor
ity In establishing a government. and 10
this end repress all opposition by the ma
1orlty We are required to set up stable
government In the interest of those who
have assaulted our sovereignty and fired
upon our soldiers and then maintain It,
at any cost or sacrifice. against the en-
envy within and against those having am
bilious designs without.
This would require an army and navy
FAR larger than Is now maintained In thu
Philippines and stil more In excess OF
what VIII be necessary with the full rec
ognition OF our sovereignty. Our military
support OF military authority not our own.
thus proposed. Is tho very essence of mill
tarism which our opponents In their plat
form oppose. but which. by their policy.
would OF necessity be established In Its
most offensive form.
the whole matter. conveyed by an Illus
tration familiar 20 the daily life of
the people:
In short. the proposition Of those OPP
tiona In the Philippines which now rest
upon the government, only changing the
relation from principal, which now ex-
ISIS. to that % surety.
n would be impossible TO express
more tersely than IN the following lines
the reason why those who desire Ftli-
pino Independence should cicave to the
Republican rather than 20 the Demo
cratic policy;
Neither congress nor the executive can
esfaelish a stable government In these
Islands cscsp, under cur riEht OF sover.
eighty, under our authority and our flag
This we are doing We could not do Il
az n rrotecterntr so completely or so sue
Z ccsRfully az We are doing Il now. As IN.
savaxeign power We can Initiate action
aud shape means 60 ends. and guide fhe
Ftfrines 20 acknowledgment and self.
government As proteetorate power We
could net Initiate action. hu, would be
compelled Go fellow aud ppaoid peopis
with no capacity yet 20 SO alone
The protest about tho consent o.
the governed" Is absolutely riadled tn
one statement OF strict logical necessity
II We cannot establish any government
OF eur ewn, without the consent % abe
governed. as eur opponents contend. then
wc could not establish a stable severn
nest for than or make ours a protsctorata
: without the iika consent and neither the
majority es the people nor tho minority
have invited as 90 assume a.
The gathering OF advocates ana the
confusion Of tongues disappear before a
plain assertion Of moral obligation like
this:
Na,ions witch 70 90 war must - pre-
pared to accept It's resultant obligations.
and when they make treaties must keep
them.
And not IN all the campaign has there
teen or win there be a happier char
aetariEation Of the so-callea para
mount issua than the following:
The American question Is between duty
and dNs0Ts'oa.~the American VeFtlas viii
he for duty and against dssertlon. FOR ire
republic against both anarchy and impc
Iilliistn.
The president has surpassed himself
" Is document At once SO earnest