Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-02-17
Senator Teller on Pettigrewism.

The sevsrest drubbing Senator Petit
grew has received was skillfully admin
istered to him the other day by his
friend Senator Teller, says the Sioux
City Journal. The South Dakota sena-
tor had sought to interject into the Rec
ord "a branded lie," as Senator Lodge
characterized it. 1t was paper writ
ten by Aguinaldo. Senator Teller was
against admitting it. II do not have
the great admiration for this insurgent
chief, as he is called" said the Colorado
senator, "that some of my associates
have. His history, so far as have been
\ able to learn it, does not indicate to me
that he has such great interest in the
rights of the masses of the Filipinos as
some Of our friends think. The kind OF
government he organized there was
not such as to make me rate him with
George Washington or any of the great
lovers Of liberty and law, or the great
statesmen of the world. He had goy-
ernment such as we could not endure,
and such as no people who have the as
piration for freedom would eyer have
endured for any considerable length Of
time" The senator went on to say that
there was nothing else to do but to stand
by the government until the war is
over. "I believe that to be our duty"
he said, "and when that has been done
we will try to settle the other questions"
But mark this: "We were compelled by
the condition of affairs when the war
with Spain was over to keep our army
there for time at least. Does anybody
suppose that if we had Immediately
| withdrawn from Manila Aguinaldo
would have been the chief Of those is
lands today? Mr.. President, there
would have been European flag flying
there. Those islands would haye been
the prey of all Europe, and one nation
or another, either with the consent OF
the other or without, would be domin
atirg those islands at this hour" II
will be well for the South Dakota friends
of the misguided senator from that
state to ponder seriously this declara.
ton by the senator from Colorado
"Mr. President" continued Senator Tel.
Ter, they are the most valuable islands
in the world. My interest in them il
not that they are valuable, but that il
the interest the rest Of mankind have
in them. That is the reason why three
or four great European powers wanted
to put up their flag there. Those is.
lands are full Of coal Coal has become
today as necessary in war between one
nation and another as powder and guns,
There are nations which have not much
coal, and if they could haye obtained
control of those islands they would have
been in a condition to dominate the
Asiatic sea-" The Colorado senator
might well have shook warning finger
at the South Dakota senator as he pro.
ceeded. II say. Mr.. President" he
went on, I'VE owed it to the world, we
owed it to the peace Of mankind that
we kept our ships there and that we
kept our soldiers there until after the
treaty had been ratified, at least. I'm.
| fortunately, before the treaty was ratifi.
ed we found ourselves engaged in war; y
| The Colorado senator concluded as fol
lows: "Mr. President, have said thi.
not because / have any particular ad.
miration for the present administration
/ am not one Of It's admirers. and l am
not an admirer Of the policy of the re.
publican party in many ways. But
have always put above ever party con,
sideration the interests of my country
l believe that Is my first duty. can
see no other way out Of this question
with honor, and, Mr.. President, I dc
not use the term in the sense that some
men use it. / believe we are under
obligations to the world to maintain
peace there, and, if necessary, to con
quer peace by war. think we would
deserye the contempt of mankind if We
withdrew our army before we had estab
lished order and condition that would
protect not Only tho Filipinos, but the
strangers who dwell at Manila and ir
other parts of that country" Beside
such declarations as these how contemp
tible appear the wigglings and words o.
the senator from South Dakota.