Washington sentinel., 1901-03-30


the Insincerity and hypocrisy Of your
pretensions, and another demonstration
of the imperialistic policS Of force Of the
Republican party.
Let me. sir, say again what l have
frequently said before on the floor Of
this House, that am now, always have
been, and always will be, opposed to
the cruel, the inhuman, the ruthless, the
un-American and the unchristian con-
duct of this Administration to the
struggling Filipinos, whose only crime
is the love of liberty, their hope for
freedom, and their aspiration for inde-
pendence. If we had been true to our
Sc YES, and to the great ideals of Amer
ican manhood patriotism and states
manship, not drop OF American blood
would have been shed in the Philippine
archipelago. Sordid greed has cost us
hundreds and hundreds Of millions oi
dollars, and cruel lust for power thou
sands and thousands OF precious lives,
and the end is not yet.
How long will this costly war OF exter'
mination and suolugation last' Can
anyone say? Will it be the black page
Of Spsin's history ever againr ! pray
not. Sooner than see the Republic
destroyed, and the Philippine Islands
the tomb OF the flower and the youth Of
America. / would do what I believe
Abraham Lincoln would do if he were
at the head Of the Government today
help the FilipinOs establish a stable
Government OF their own, a republic
fashioned after this republic, and then
say to all the world, Hands off; any
Interference with the Filipino Republic
will be an act uniriendly to the United
States"
In regard to Cuba, Mr.. Sulzer
was equally plain. From his first
appearance IN Congress, six years
ago, he was a champion oi their
cause in season and out Of season.
He introduced the first resolution
of sympathy for them, indulgIng
.he hope that they would succeed
because their cause was just, He
introduced in the House the FIRST
resolution granting them belliger-
ent rights; the first resolution reG-
ognizing their independence, and
the first resolution declaring war
with Spain. When war was finally
declared, he organized in the city
OF New York a regiment Of SOL
diers and begged the Republican
Governor OF New York, and the
President, to accept it and muster
il into the service. They refused
--presumably Tor political reasons.
He was willing and anxious to re-
sign his seat in the House to go to
the front with hiss regiment and
fight for Cuban independence, but
could not get chance, ostensibly
because he was Democrat.
A perusal OF the proceedings OF
the House before. during and after
the Spanish American war will
leave no one in doubt regarding
his position on the Cuban question.
He was Tor Cuban independence
then and he is for it now. We
patriotically proclaimed that the
war was to be waged for liberty,
for freedom, and for humanity,
and called all the world to witness
our noble intentions and our undy-
ing devotion to the fundamental
teneCs OF the fathers as embodied
in the immortal Declaration oi
Independence.
Mr.. Sulzer believes that we
should fulfil the letter and spirit of
this promise. We should do our
duty and give the Cubans absolute
freedom and independence. ANY
different policy now, any deviation
from our promise ofthree eyearsago,
will be national dishonor and a stul-
tiication that must bring to the
cheek OF every honest American
the blush Of shame.