The Washington times., 1902-06-01
SPOONER DEFINES
REPUBLICAN POLICY


Mr.. spooner went on 10 read from
diary OF Aguinaldo's peregrinations ker
by one of his officers. 1t began thus:
On moonlight night the honorabl
president
What PRESIDENT" u Senator asked.
Agunaldo?" Mr.. Spooner replict
President of what? lie had q goyerf,
incnt of proclamations. conGscaticn.
end assassina;ioas, and the evidence al
shows ii"
be went on to quote: Once :re indc
pendence of the country is declared "
"ill take trip to Europe. with an al
lowance of $1,000 600 to pay our cx
penses."
Another entry is: Received 5 peso
from y. B. to save his uncle from bein
Hanged. Laughter.
Mr.. Spooner said the policy OF TN
Government was to bring peace in III
philippines: to teach the principles O
good government; to teach the diIe-enc
between liberty and license. and for
nation that had thorough understand
Ing of what independence meant TO sho7
a helpless people that :he term nigh
mean but tyranny. He expressed III
hope that the time would come for .li
grand work. but he said it had bael
delayed, and he supposed it would b,
by those who could not understand til,
mission OF the United States.
He said he had no doubt that III.
time would ccme when the America,
people would extend independence IL
the Philippines. and the consent of thu
governed would be recognized when tha-
people were fit to be recognized.
No Issue of Imperialism.
When that time came, ana there va.
o difference of opinion as 20 independ-
ence or colonization. then. he declared
could justly be raised the issue OF in
perialism, and not before.
No such question had yet arisen OK
cept for party purposes. There had
never before been an instance where a
portion of the American people-souia
OF thein-had sought incessantly and, he
thought. unfairly to put the country in
the wrong, and 10 stain the honor OF
the country with dishonor.
They had formed a narrow and squlnt-
eyed view OF every proposition of fact
As to the responsibility for the FIRST at
tack, Mr. Spooner asserted that there
was no stain OF dishonor in the action
OF the United States. He repudiatel
the attempt to emasculate the rawcr
of the Government, and said that Il
had the power OF every other :ndeLen-
dent government 10 wage var. ani 10
dictate the terms of peace.
He asked whether, when the treaty
was under discussion. there was a re-
public in the Philippines. as claimed
by Mr.. Hoar-a republic capable of rs
charging its domestic duties of govern
mont; of protecting life, liberty and
property; and of discharging inte-na-
tional duties. and he said that every
proposition of amendment to the treaty
was on the basis that there was none
such.
Not only was there not one. hut .hey
(the Filipinos) were not fit 70 form
one"
He denied the similarity of relations
between Cuba and the Philippines. and
aaid that those Senators who could not
see the difference between them had
some sort of moral strahismus.
An attempt had been made TO show
that the reconcentrado camps of weyisr
had been initiated in the Philippines. Iut
the only testimony offered to prove that
WIS testimony from ambush. from rn-
der cover. with all the traces OF iden-
tificatio1 destroyed"
If Spain Were Left in Control.
az" Mr. spooner continued. "we
had let Spain In conircl Of the Philip
pines. never. never. as long as We live.
would some portions of our people have
reased TO denouncc us for having sailed
away from Manila, like hand of cow
irds. leaving the Filipinos to come again
under the tyranny of Spain. or. what Is
still worse. to lapse into anarchy, civil
war. murder. loot. and violence"
Mr.. Snooner gave his cninion of what
would have been the result of n foolish
'ocognition of Filipino independence" at
he time of the treaty.
IF Congress had done So" he said.
Instead Of being there. as we are now.
rith a title which the Sunrerle Court
# the United States says is complete;
which the American Senate acceDted a g
complete; which Congress paid for as
complete; which he world recognizes
s complete: which gives MS tho pc,yer
q do what is generous. and noble. and
light. and uplifting to that people-we
would have have been there on the
hitting sands OF contract with 2 former
yrant.
Il thank Col that he has saved Us
rom that unuiterablc folly II would |
ave been worse. Infinitely worse. t5an |
he proposition to recognize the rppub- |
&c of Cuba before the war. which would |
ave subjected us to be ordered out Of |
uha any day"
Turning to the last Presidential cleo
on and 70 thc candidacy Of Mr. Bryan |
lr. Spccne: rc.e-I-d 70 the assurances |
I he Filipino leaaers that the sucaa.s
I The Dcmorrac. meant the inl~praa-
lce Of The Fi!ipinog. auG said:
you cannot charge on the ratification
the treaty nor upon the sending OF an
rmy to the Philippines al the blood
led and all the cruelties which came
them II was an unhappy thing that
lere went to the Philippines from the
nitcd states words OF encouragement:
ords denouncinE the Senate for hav-
z. unccnstitutlcna'lv, bought cover
cnty: words saying that we wcre VIC
ting the Declara lion OF Independence:
al We wished t. rnslavo them. not %
ve thcTn liberty and that IL they
ouid hold out until after the election
ey would have Independence under .
otectcratc.
Prolonged the War.
That prolonged the war. 1t vastly
nbarrassed the operations of the Gov
nment. II made difficult the carrying
10 speedy fruition the blessings which
? wish TO confer. and win confer. on !
8. neople. say will confer, because
q American pennlc will NOT rlIn aMav