Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1902-06-20
NUMBER 3.

| progress, civilization and improvement come to
the people. The only places where progress
has developed and civilization has prospered
have been in self-governng countries, and in
the countries where self-government is denied,
civilization has taken backward step.
You ask me again why I voted as did? My
father helped to free the slave; my brothers
died in that cause, and this love of liberty was
ground into my very blood when was born. I
would rather die to-day than to vote as an
American senator for any proposition in viola
tion of the doctrines that the fathers fought for
at Concord and Bunker HILL
There more kinds of slavery than one
The bill which was asked to vote for was to
tax the people without giving them representa-
ton That is violation O. he principle the
fathers fought for in the Declaration Of Inde-
pendence, when they protested against taxation
without representation They ask me to gov
ern people without their consent. That is in
violation of he doctrines the fathers fouget for.
AT the Boston Tea Party, the fathers made
Boston harbor rich with imported tea. For
what reason? Simply a little proposition that
it was taxation without representation, and
when asked why they should fight over that
proposition, they said, in effect: cit is not
of what it will legitimately lead to; for if we
consent to this, it means civil, religious and
political slavery"
l cannot give to another nation what Eng
land tiled to give us, and when you ask the
question, as some of you have, as to what it
will cost, am happy to say that have neither
the time nor the inclination to consider it.
may add, respectfully, that do not care what
it costs. England, in her war with South Af-
rica reminded NE of foolish old lady lighting
the fire with kerosene. But when see the re.
public love induging in kingly thoughts of
the right to govern another people without
their consent, | am forcibly reminded of a beau
tiful young child playing with cup of carbolic
acid. England may be forgiven for trying
again and again her doctrine of conquest l
hope our children will forgive us for trying in
the Philippines the foolish doctrine that King
George attempted to try on us.
You ask me to say why voted against the
bill? Last week, was in Cuba, and saw our
beautiful flag come down. 1t is just as beauti-
full coming down as it is going up, because in
coming down, it kept the promise of 10000
600 Christian people. saw $4,000 happy
people that day. I saw young men and old
fall upon their knees and sob as though their
hearts would break for JOY, because their flag
was in the sky. One old man said to me:
"Senator, if you had taken this away from us,
it would not have made your country richer,
and would have made us poor, indeed.'
voted against the bill because the conquest
of that territory and the robbing of those peo-
pie of their liberty cannot ado 81 to our wealth
or one iota to our glory, but humiliates the
very people we were at one time glad to call
our friends, and whose assistance we were glad
to get.
wish you had allotted me more words and
more columns to answer your question.
would answer again and again, and yet again,
that Lincoln was right when he said that no
man is good enough to govern another without
his consent. would answer you again and
again, and yet again, that have not had time
to consider the question of cost.
If it shall cost me seat in the senate,
shall regret that l have not had a thousand
seats to give. If it shall cost me the friend
ship of my friends, shall regret that had
not more friends to sacrifice. If it shall add to
the glory OF my enemies, only regret that I
have not more strength to add to their glory.
| carried torch in the Lincoln Wide
Awakes, and if l am wrong in standing for
the liberty of my fellow man, ask the genera