Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1902-07-17

ana 10 meet DraVely the great oDl1gatloH
that Is thrust upon you by that treaty.
AS a congress the first obligation thrust
upon you is to 'fix the political status OF
the people of those islands" Now why
will you constantly run away even
from your own breath? Why are you
constantly afraid even TO declare your
own policy so much as to let your words
go out upon the circumambient air su
that somebody somewhere may possibly
know what you intend to do?
Why not now give notice of your policy
to the world. as the gentleman from Mas
sachusetts has said, even In the negative
way in which he proposes? Have you
any policy that you dare utter? Do you
want simply to drift without the courage
to meet the real responsibilities and the
real questions; continue to drift without
a declaration of policy or intent until you
have drifted so far that you cannot re-
trace your steps, until there have drifted
into the Islands capital and invested in
terests of many different sorts that will
hold you there whether the people behind
you want you held there or not? An un-
sought policy may drift on to you.
Gentlemen let us not talk always about
COURAGE" let us show some; let US not
talk always about facing responsible
ties;" let us face one now. Suppose be-
fore we leave here this evening the Amer
lean congress shall declare 1.-The political
status of the people of the Philippine Is
lands" as the treaty of Paris requires.
one way or the other-either declare 1t
our way by giving them their independ-
ence or declare that they are subjects,
colonial subjects. by saying that you are
going to hold them perpetually or in
definitely as you are now holding them
or declare that they are to be citizens.
We will vote with you If you do the first;
meet you in confidence before the people
If you do either of the other two things.
But declare something.
Don't you think that the American peo-
pie have a right to expect something of
this kind from great party that has abb
sorbed the initials &c. o. P."-"Grand
Old Party?" But I think those letters
might better be "S. o. P"-"Smart Old
Party" "Dexterous Old Party" "Cun-
ming Old Party" Why not once In your
lifetime let it be Brave Old Party?'
Don't you think the people have a right
to expect from you simply that you shall
utter your thoughts out loud In the public
ear. not run away" every time anybody
proposes anything definite?
What do you declare in this bill? You
are afraid to declare for the people of the
islands their political status. You declare
them to be inhabitants and "ctizens
of the Philippines" What is that in
Gods name? Everybody knew that they
were inhabitants of the Philippines and
''citizens of the Philippines" What does
that mean? What are the Philippines?
An independent government Not yet
How can anybody be citizen of some
thing that is not an Independent country?
You decline to say that they are citi-
zens of the United States. You decline to
say that they are subjects of the United
States The nearest you have ever got
anywhere TO a declaration this subject
was in a judicial construction made by
one of the judges of the supreme court
the others did not unite with hirn-that
they were citizens appurtenant." Now.
Just let US have it out here now. We have
told the American people what we pro-
pose-annoupced our policy. Say what
you mean If you mean anything at all.
have the courage to tell the American
people what it is. and do not run away
face something.
De Almonds Aqua Fortis.
After some more scrappng, In which
General Charles Henry Grosvenor of
Ohio, Crumpacker Of Indiana, McDer
mott of New Jersey and others took
part, Judge De Armond Of Missouri,
once more got the floor and poured
torrent of vitriol on the Republicans
for five minutes. Since John Randolph
of Roanoke was gathered to his fa
theirs De Almond has the sarcastic
faculty more largely developed than
any other man who has appeared In
Washington. Perhaps old Thad Ste
vens or Thomas B. Reed has equaled
in bitterness any single sentence ever
uttered by De Armond. but neither of
them could bold candle to him IN
deceptive mortal in appearance now
on the boards No casual observer
would ever pick him as fighter. but
that is his forte. He is delicate look
ing man. mild hammered. but unusual
ly wide between the ears at the base
of the brain. where the pbrenologists
locate the bump indicating combative
ness. In debate he Is in the heavy
weight championship class. He is
fne lawyer. a long time judge. and his
sentences, which cut like razor. have
the polish Of cameo. He fell afoul
of the Republicans In general and of
General Grosvenor in particular In the
following vigorous and amazing fash
ion:
Mr.. Chairman. believe that we are
now at very important stage of this
legislation. Inc venerable gentleman
from Ohio [Mr. Grosvenorl is apprehen-
sive of deep laid design on the part of
my friend from Mississippi [Mr. Will
liamsl-to do what? To force the Repub-
lcau party to say what it desires to do
and what It will do! Now. that is a spec
tacle for gods and menl The gentleman
from Mississippi in this late hour in the
last days of the session is seriously trying
to force that valiant, that warlike, that
hra mi rt tn co hnt fn dn
and to do what it desires to do!
do not wonder at the apprehension of
my friend from Ohio-to be thus suddenly
attacked in this way, an effort to be made
suddenly to force that great party to be
honest with the country and honest with
itself, to speak out and throw away SUBJ
terfuges, to declare what its purposes are
and to give the American people the
great surprise once, in connection with
this Philippine transaction. of finding the
party honest and candid! Will my friend
from Mississippi refrain from this course
of conduct?
Why pursue the gentleman from Ohio
in this heartless way? Has my friend
from Mississippi no bowels OF compass
sion? Does mercy have no influence with
him? Where will he stop? Does he think
what Is the character of his performance?
About TO force the Republican party to
an act. single and alone. of course, in re-
bear. forbear. my friend from Mississippi!
This is asking too much! 1t Is attempt
ing too much
/ know you can bring enough of force
to move those who desire to be honest
and those who have any inclination to be
candid. ! know that. 7 know that every
thing involved in the question, / know
that every incident and every surround
ing fact unites in the protest and in the
claim in urging and persuading to one
single. lone act of candor and honesty in
connection with this Philippine play. but
it Is too much to hope for: 1t is too much.
when you are in the minority. to strive
for. It cannot be done.
The gentleman from Ohio is right about
1t. The party will not be honest. You
cannot make it honest 1t will not be
candid. Why. it would cease to be the
Republican party of today if 1t were to
be candid. 1t would be a disorganization:
1t would be abandoning the organization
that lives for spoil and plunder. that lives
by pretense and hypocrisy. Do not ask
1t: do not expect It, The astute gentle
party cannot afford to be honest. The
party Is damned If it is honest.
Honesty IL the bane of the party. The
party shrinks from 1t as it shrinks from
death Do not ask so much: do not go
into a cruel performance here and en-
deavor 10 force it. We cannot do It; we
have not the numbers. Moral forces, high
sentiments. lofty appeals. stern duty, per-
suasive eloquence-all these will fail. The
gentleman from Ohio is going to stand by
his guns. and he is going to turn his guns
the wrong way. Already they are spiked.
The conduct OF the party the pretenSe,