The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1902-03-06


sincerely that blood has been shed,
but 1 am gratified 10 know that it is
not upon our hands.
"Mr. President, so long as a vestige
of insurrection remains in the islands,
opposition in this country means an
increase in the death list of our sol
diers and seamen. 1t means an in
crease of the money required to sup
port the 4srmy and navy; it means an
increase il the pension roll; it means
hindrance in building up the waste
places in the islands and in the estab-
lishment of civic government. Grant
ed that such opposition springs from
exalted motives, and do not question
it for moment, we can only regret
that there are those who so errone-
ously, though honestly, read their ma
tional duty.
THE suggestion that our attitude
is governed by the greed for gain and
the lust for power is unfounded and
ungenerous. Our responsibility came
uEsought and without any desire
whatever for the extension of our COM
mercial dominion. All parties recog-
nize that we are under certain obliga-
tions and duties which we cannot
rightfully or honorakIy abandon. We
are in the Philippines and must con-
tinue there, in the discharge of our
solemn duty. All parties seem in ac-
cord as to this. The divergence of
opinion is with respect to proclama-
ton as to the length of our stay. = =
When will these eight or ten millions
of people, unskilled in statecraft, un-
tutored in self-government, composed
Of many hostile tribes. attain to that
degree of self-restraint and capacity
to furnish sufficient guarantees for
the performance of our treaty obliga-
tions with Spain,' and when will they
in the language of the substitute, be
able to furnish sufficient guarantees
for the safety of those inhabitants
who have adhered to the United
States, and for the maintenance and
protection of all rights which have
accrued under their authority?' Who
among us has wisdom profound
enough to approximate tho time which
will necessarily elapse before all of
this will be properly accomplished?
'The Philippine commission advises
us that One fact which is clear above
every other is that these people are
not, either the small minority of edu-
Gated people, or the very large major
ity of ignorant peonle. prepared to
establish a governnc- which would
hold together for ar myth of time,
and which would nc. a very short
time, present all the evils and oppres-
sion which were known in Spanish
times.
''But the substitute OF the minority,
after laying down so well the broad
principles upon which we must pro-
ceed and pronouncing the wholesome
end we must accomplish by our ad-
vocacy (regardless, it would seem, for
the time being, of their solicitous re-
gard for the consent of the governed)
proceeds to declare that AS soon as
the results above mentioned have been
accomplished, it is declared to be the
purpose of the United States, which
the president is directed TO carry into
effect, to withdraw from said islands
and leave the government, control and
sovereignty thereof to the inhabitants
of the same, retaining only such mil
itary, naval and coaling stations as
may be designated by the government
of the United States
"Sir, we have now been engaged in
the work of pacification and of erect
ing civil government in the islands
during the brief period of but three
years. We are in the lawful and right
! full possession of the archipelago, and,
minority dispute our sovereignty, yet
the minority demand our withdrawal
under the conditions indicated in the
substitute and the retention of certain
military, naval and coaling stations.
Is this, Mr.. President, in the interest
in the interest of the United States
Are the terms Of withdrawal such as
the interests of both peoples should
dictate, when all within the intend
ment of the substitute has been ac-
complished by our occupancy? Is
there any demand for such present
declaration of our future purpose?
Is it the part of wisdom, in the
present posture of affairs, to put upon
the statute books expression of our
national purpose in the indefinite and
possibly remote future?
81 do not consider that 1t is the
part of sound and wise craftsmanship
to adopt the substitute Of the minor
ity. I do not entertain this opinion
because of any desire to abridge the
rights of the Filipinos or to leave open
the way for future imperialistic rule
| in the United States. / base my opin-
| ion upon the broad ground that all
wisdom and all patriotism will not die
with us, and that those who will fol-
low us and who shall, in all proba-
bility, be obliged to deal with these
questions, will be as enlightened and
animated by as exalted sense of JUS
tice and be in every respect as sensi-
tive of the national honor as we.
'It has seemed to me to be unwise
to be engaged in Illuminating policies
upon this subject while we are in the
experimental stages of our undertake
ing, ard that we should act up to the
full measure of our duty for the time
being and that we should deal with
the problems of the future according