The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-10

Representative Seth w. Brown of Ohio
during General debate on the nsular
and Diplomatic Appropriation bill by the
House CT Representative yesterday ad-
dressed the Chair in criticism of the Fhil-
ippine policy of the Government of the
United States. The speech was a sensa-
tional feature of the legislative day. 1t
was listened to with close attention by
nearly all the members present and par
ticularly so by the following Republi-
cans: Messrs. Payne, Cannon, Mccall,
Henry of Connecticut, Morris. Grow,
Cooper OF Wisconsin, Sperry, Weaver,
Littlcfeld and Bromwell. Many Democrats
moved over to the Republican side of The
chamber the better to hear the speech.
At its conclusion, Mr.. Brown was Wig r
ously applauded and congratulated by a
large number of Representatives. Mr..
Brown in part said:
Mr. Chairmans it is proposed to add as
an amendment to the Army Appropriation
bill, or to pass as an original enactment,
a measure providing that all military.
civil, and judicial powers necessary to
till otherwise provided by Congress, be
vested in such person or persons. and
shall be exercised in such manner, as the
President of the United States shall di
rect. for the establishment of civil gov
eminent in said islands and for ma n Lain
ing and protecting their inhabitants in
the free enjoyment Of their liberty, their
property, and their religion.
If any proposition like that shall come
fff he rom Of
this session l shall cheerfully vote for it.
1t seems plain that provision must be
made by Congress for larger exercise of
civil authority in the Philippine Islands.
In seriously taking up the difficult task OF
deyising and framing the required legis-
lation, I believe it would be we'll, for rea-
sons which ! will try TO state, for Con-
gTess to determine and declare what the
purpose Of the United States is in further
holding possession of those islands. and
in continuing to. assert and maintain our
authority therein.
We can adopt any one of several poll
cies, according to our view Of what is the
wisest course to reach the best results,
for dealing with these new possessions.
Impossible as States.
1--WE can hold the islands as Terri
tories, with the purpose OF ultimately ad-
hitting them into the Union as States.
But does any intelligent man believe the
time will ever come when the people OF
the United States will seriously consider
the question of taking these distant lands
into our happy combination of American
Commcnwealths? Our vast acquisition un-
der jefferson, and our rich increase by the
treaty with fallen Mexico, opened glorious
vistas of new States TO be welcomed into
the Union. II is not so of our purchase in
the waters Of the Eastern world.
Gentlemen eloquently tell us that the
cables under the sea, and the swift steam
ships that proudly ride upon its surface
have so narrowed time and space that
Manila is almost as near to the Capital
of this country now as New Orleans was
when the site on which it stood first he
came American ground, or as San Fran
cisco was when California first became an
American possession. If we were only
separated from the Philippine Islands by
time and space, which human genius will
no doubt still further overcome, We might
reasonably expect the day to dawn when
we might add a star to our flag for this
distant State. But there are Obstacles be
sides time and space that stand immovable
against this extension Of our Union
THE ancestral line of the American
and the ancestral line Of the Filipino are
as far apart as the poles OF the earth, and
no invention can bring hem together The
climate OF the American. which gives vital
energy to worthy impulses, differs from
the climate Of the Filipino which weakens
human endeavOr, as strength differs from
weakness as health differs from disease.
as life differs from death. While the
American works the Filipino sleeps. The
American and the Filipino are utterly
alien to each other in blood They are
foreign to each other in religion They
are strangers to each other in the con-
frmed tastes and habits of centuries. In
the clear comprehension of what civil
liberty is. in the lofty ideals of free in
stitutions, the American is so far removed
from the Filipino that their successful
union as fellow citiZens of a common Gov
eminent is an attainment beyond the hoTi-
ION of a dream.
The Other Courses Open.
IF we cannot hope to make States out
OF these islands. what other course is
open to us? II the Constitution will per-
NIT we can keep the islands perpetually as
dependencies. We are gravely assured by
eminent men in our midst that this is the
policy which We have already adopted and
that we must adhere to ii time without
end. The able Chairman of the Commit
tee on Military Affairs (Mr HulD recent
ly, in this House, declared his belief that
we will maintain our authority in the
Philippine Islands as long as the Republic
enGures.' Certain he did not mean that
we will maintain our authority over Fill
pino States OF the American Union. He
must have intended to express his belief
that we will maintain our authority over
Filipino colonies Other distinguished
gentlemen say the same thing 1t is as
sumed by them that the final relation Of
the United States to the Philippine Islands
&c 1ad .1 sIaT a..
will continue to be the relation which g
proprietor holds to the property which ht
owns and controls-the relation which q
powerful Government sustains to the colo.
MES which it governs.
Those who three years ago would have
secuted the suggestion that the United
States ever would or ever could become
the parent Government to colonies Of alien
people now seem to be reconciled to what
they declare is the fixed and unalterabIe
colonial policy of our Government They
do not like this policy they assert, but
they declare that by reason of events
which cannot be reversed we have become
in spite OF ourselves, and almost without
knowing ii, the owner of territorial de-
tendencies which we must keep forever.
do not believe the status of these islands
IS so irrevocably fixed. ! cannot concur in
the conclusion that they must remain our
colonies, whether for good or i'll. for all
time. do not want to see them become
permanent dependencies OF the United
States. | do not believe in a colonial poll
icy for this country. ! do not believe in
such policy for this nation, even to the
extent OF holding these islands perpetual
ly as colonial dependencies.
An Expensive Policy.
"A colonial policy will be vastly ex-
pensive for the United States We cannot
maintain a colonial system as economically