The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1902-06-17
The Policy OF Despotism.
Continued from IsL page

AgulnaluO expressly ueClareu lut
President sent out an order to take
forcible possession, by military pow.
err, of those islands. General Otis tried
to suppress it, but 1t leaked out at 10.
Ito through General Miller. General
Otis tried to suppress it and substitute
that they should have all the rights of
the most favored provinces. He stated
that he did that because he knew tho
proclamation would bring on war. And
the next day Aguinaldo covered the
walls of Manila with proclamation
stating what President Mckinley had
done, and saying that if that were per.
sisted in he and his people would fight,
and General Macarthur testified that
Aguinaldo represented the entire PEG.
pie. So you deliberately made up the
issue for a fight for dominion on one
side and a fight for liberty on the 9th
| Ell.
Then when you had ratified the trea.
| ty you voted down the resolution in the
| Senate. known as the Bacon resolu.
ton, declaring the right of that people
to independence, and you passed the
McEnery resolution, which declared
that you meant to dispose of those ISL
ands as should be for the Interest of
the United States.
That was the origin of the war, if It
be war. That Is what the war Is all
about, If 1t be war; and it is idle for
my brilliant and ingenius friend from
Ohio to undertake to divert this issue
to contest on our part to enable us
to keep faith with our friends among
the Filipinos, or to restore order there,
or to carry out the provisions of the
treaty with Spain.
Conflicts between white races and
brown races or red races or black
races, between superior races and In.
ferior races, are always cruel on both
sides, and the men who decree with
full notice that such conflict shall take
place are the men on whom the respon.
sibility rests.
When Aguinaldo said that it went
on against his wish, he was told by
our general that he would not parley
with him without totai submission.
My friend from Wisconsin declared
in the Senate that we would have no
talk with men with arms in their
hands, whether we were right or
wrong. The responsibility of every.
thing that has happened since, which
he must have foreseen if he knew
anything of history and human nature,
rests upon him and the men who acted
with him.
We cannot get rid of this one fact,
and we cannot escape it, and we can.
not finch from 1t. You chose war in.
stead of peace.
You chose force instead of concilia.
ion, with fun notice that everything
that has happened since would happen
rs consequence of your decision. Had
you made declaration to Aguinaldo
hat you would respect their title to
independence, and only desired to re-
store order and to fulfil the treaty and
TO protect your friends, you would
nave disarmed that people in mo-
ment. believe there never has been
time since when like declaration
mad by this Chamber alone, but Ger.
tainly made by this Chamber and the
other House. with the approval of Che
President, would not have ended this
conflict and prevented all these hor.
rors.
Instead of that, gentlemen talked OF
the wealth of the Philippine Islands
and about the advantage to our trade,
They sought to dazzle our eyes with
nuggets of other mems gold.
Senators declared in the Senate
chamber and on the hastings that the
flag never shall be hauled down In the
Philippine Island. and those of YOU
who think otherwise keep silent and
enter no disclaimer. The Senator
from Ohio says our policy has not been
in the dark, but It has been a policy ]
published to the world, Has it7 Has
1t? | want to ask What was it which
created the war, which keeps It up,
and which created and keeps up the