The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1902-02-26


accuracy of the representation of the
conditions there at present. l think
no Senator on this floor will go that
far. Here are five men in those islands
constituting the American part of the
Philippine commission. The commits
sion consists of eight, three Filipinos
serving upon the commission whose
names | do not know. But l want to
state the names of the American COM
missioners. it is well to recall them
in the Senate of the United States
from time to time. They are men
than whom now no higher stand in
the country, or ever stood in the coun-
try, for intelligence, for patriotism,
for truthfulness, for honesty of pur-
pose, or for ability. l refer to Taft,
Worcester, Wright, Ide and Moses.
What these men say about the condi-
ton of the Philippine islands is to be
whistled down the winds by the sneers
of our friends on the other side, re-
inforced by the Senator from Massa-
chusetts. L propose to trust those men
as not misrepresenting the situation
i'll the Philippine islands.
Senator Platt put the report of these
commissioners, who have visited, dur
ing the past year, all the islands of
Importance in the archipelago, over
against the hysterical announcements
of Mr.. Hoar and asked "what has
happened to change the condition
which he had so conclusively estab-
lished?-that the people a year ago
were all opposed to the American gov
ernment, to American sovereignty and
to the continuance of our government
there, and were all earnestly clamor-
ing for and demanding absolute indie
pendence. " Answering this inquiry
the Senator referred to the schools at
which Mr. Hoar was sneering:
We have done some other things
there. We have established schools,
at which 1 am sorry to hear the sneers
of the Senator directed. We have sent
out q thousand American teachers
there to teach them the institutions of
our government with the language
which those institutions have always
accompanied and always will accom-
pany
But before that we did some things
that no other government on earth
ever did. We established schools IL
the Philippine islands before we sent
these civilian teachers there, and we
detailed privates from this regular
army of ours, so denounced in thil
chamber, to teach those schools. What
other country ever detailed private
soldiers to teach school in its conquer
ed country?
Those things we have done, Mr.
President, and to my mind they &C
count for the change which has COM
over the people of the Philippine
islands. They see that we mean then
well. They see that we would d.
them good. They see that we woul'
lead them toward new civilization
and better life. They see that un
. der our institutions, under our govern
ment, they are to enjoy degree @
liberty, free speech and happines
which they could never have enjoye
under the government of Spain or III
der a government of the much prai'
, ed and sainted Aguinaldo.
The speech was a scathing revie'
of the whole course of the senator's
l opposition to the policy of the nation
al government in the Philippines. r.
ferring to the commercial argumel
s against retaining the islands, eta
n of commercialism" the Senator 9
J. claimed is this matter to be weig
y ed by bookkeeping to see where Il
y advantage is in dollars and cent
l. y n Is it not enough to say to
d country over which we have acquir
~ an undisputed and indisputable SO
II ereignty: Go your own gait look
lie our example. In the entrance of t
t. harbor of New York, our princil
~ port, there is the statue of Libel
" enlightening the world. Look at Il
Id and follow our example"
Oo He believed that the crossing of
- Anglo-SaXon to Plymouth Rock v
d. ga movement that meant somethi
IL more than the establishment of CT
mt aud religious liberty within narro
no confined and limited compass. FL
at ing occupied this continent the Sc
" tor impressiyely expressed his bel
nk "that the time is coming, as sur
30 coming as the time when the wo
he shall be Christianized, when