The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-01-28
The ARMY POST HIS TEXT
Cannon's Change of Words Declared a
Mere Subterfuge to Gain
His Point.
NE ARE CONTINUING WORK SPAN BEGAk
What an Anomaly We Have in Government
Republican Colonial and MonarchicaI
Rule All Und- r the Same
Constitution,
Especial to News and Observer.)

AopeCIdI 10 News ana O"DSerNer.)
Washington, D. c., Jan. 23.-Today
Representative +. w. Pou spoke
in opposition to an amendment to the
Urgent Deficiency Appropriation
bin appropriating $500, 900 to establish
an army post at Manila. The
talented young member from the Fourth
District was in good voice and he held
the undivided attention of the House.
Twice during his speech he was liberal
~ applauded by his Democratic col
leagues, and at the close there was
great applause on the Democratic side.
While this was a short speech it showed
that Mr.. Pou is moving to the front.
Few members have a more impressive
manner of speaking. With his great
ability and untiring energy he viii soon
come 10 the front in the House.
Mr.. Pou said:
The wording of the amendment offer
ed by the distinguished chairman OF the
appropriations committee induces me to
submit a few remarks before debate
shall conclude.
If | believed that the appropriation
Of 100000 provided for by that amend
ment was necessary for the shelter and
protection Of the officers and enlisted
men in our army in the Philippines, I
would support it if every other man in
this m voted against it, but | do
not believe the appropriation is neces-
sary for the 1t appears to me
to be a mere subterfuge, an effort to &C
coTnplish something by indirection which
gentlemen fear to attempt in the direct
and usual way. How utterly perverted
- II ~
In what strange sea are we drifting?
How unnatural everything appears,
When war was declared, for one | was
for it. Under the same circumstances
| would be for it again. Spain was muir
dering a people struggling for liberty,
just a few miles from our shores. Our
great republic had witnessed this until
forbearance made US almost guilty, and
when our battleship was blown up in
Havana harbor, as | believe by Spanish
agencies, the people of my State felt it
was our duty TO avenge the outrage and
my district offered up the first young
life a. a sacrifice upon his country's al
tar. We fought in the righteous cause
of liberty, and God gave us the victory.
Did anyone then believe that when cuba
was freed We would use our soldiers and
cur ships to Subju9ate a people Strug-
Cling for liberty. The best shelter, the
best protection we can give to our Off
GERS and enlisted men is to bring them
away from scene Of disease and crime
and death back to their own American
homes. applause on Democratic side.)
During the year 1890, Mr.. Chairman,
there We're &C. $50 men in our army in the
Pacific Islands. There We're more cases
of sickness IN our hospitals than there
We're men, hat is to say, that upon an
average every soldier in the seryice was
sick once, and 10.54s were sick twice. OF
course many we're not sick at all While
others were admitted to the hospitals
several times. The report Of the sur
geon general of the army shows that
during the year 1900 the number of ad-
missions to the sick report in our army
of 6 6,SS2 soldiers in the Pacific Islands
reached the enormous total Of 1l,429.
How many Of these died | do not know,
but do know that 397 American lives
were sacrificed during that year upon the
field of battle in the Philippine Islands.
And for what cause?
L viii give you the answer out Of the
mouth of the greatest statesmen Of the
Republican patty, who but recently has
declared that We are engaged in the .un-
it{it 49, '. - ~ 100 - ~@&
tistics for the year 1901 have not been
given Us. but when they are they Will
furnish additional evidence of the stupid
bIundcr We have made in attempting to
take over the Philippines as a part of
our republic. Accurate figures arc not
giNCn us showing the number OF lives
taken by our soldiers. If they were the
conscience Of the republic would revolt
nd demand that the war be ended. Gen
tlcment seem to forget the principle
tlat a naulon can do wrong as we'll as an
individual. that a nation can commit
crime even as an individual can commit
crime. The responsibility of a contin-
uance Of this Wretched state of affairs
rests upon each gentleman in this cham
Der, and ne cannot escape it If he would.
And what an anomaly IN government
We have, Mr.. Chairman. Republican,
colonial and monarchical governments
all under the constitution OF the United
States. The President is as absolute
over the Philippines as the Car is over
Russia We We're told that we needed
these islands in the interest Of trade,and
yet the other day we saw the majority
in this chamber pass a bill protecting our
infant American Industries against COM
petition in the Philippines How long
shall the war last? Soon four years will
have passed. How long Will it take &c.
500 men to completely subdue eight
million?
Again | say how utterly have the high
purposes of the war been perverted.
We are simply continuing what Spain
was too weak to accomplish in the Phil
'ippines, while at home we see slandered.