Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-07-25


Massachusetts,. It is full of common
sense It breathes the spirit Of patriot
ism, and here 1t is entire:
Mr.. McCall-Mr. Chairman. move to
amend by adding a new section.
The clerk read as follows:
insert the following as section g: IN
this first organic act. creating civil gov
eminent for the Philippine Islands, 1t is
hereby eolemnly declared to be the settled
purpose OF the congress to extend to the
Inhabitants Of those islands every aid In
enabling them to develop the capacity for
self government, and when such capacity
faith Of the republic to confer upon them
tbs right H self government after the
fashion Of the really freq nations"
Mr.. NcCall-Mr. Chairman. / will occupy
the time of the committee only moment
upon this amendment. Different presi-
the ultimate policy OF the people OF the
United Btates with reference to the fu-
turo government Of the Philippine Islands.
! will read now what President Roosevelt
eajd In his first message to congress last
December:
''Our dim Is high We do not desire to
do for the islanders merely whct has else
where been done for tropic peoples by
even the best, foreign governments. We
hope to do for them what has never be-
fore been done for any people Of the
tropics-to make them At for self govern
mont after the fashion OF the really freq
netioneL" 49,
the president the power to FIX the status
OF the people OF the Philippine Islands.
but imposea that duty upon congress.
aSrea most heartily With the utterance I
have referred to by President Roosevelt.
1t seems to me the time has at last ar
rived whsn we who are charged by treaty
with responsibility in the matter that
now. today. four years nearly after we
have entered those islands, when wo ore
passing bill, comprehensive cot. an
organic act for the government OF the
people OF the Islands, an act which hooks
far Into the future, 1t is time for congress
to perform Its duty under the treaty of
Paris and declare in at least general
terms what the policy of this people is
to be.
This bill contains provisions which
should never be enacted unless We couple
with them declaration Of the line our
policy Is to follow. II we are silent AZ to
our ultimate policy. those provisions will
operate to determine what 1t Ia to be.
question unless we write in this law no.
ttce of our purpose to the people who
may cot under 1t. This bill opens up ev-;
cry stick Of timber. every acre OF land. ev-
cry nugget OF ore to the people of these
ISLANDS. to the citizens Of the United
States. might say to the world.
Now. our people will go there, capital
lists will swarm there like locusts--nnd
do rot mean this In any opprobrious
sense, because the movement will grow
out OF our commercial spirit and enter
pfise-they viii make investments there
and after they have invested. II the prop
Dsitton Is ever made to take the islands
from a,ndef the Jurisdiction and sover-
eighty of the United States. they will
come 70 this congress-. and they will say
that they have invested their money on
the faith OF this act; they will appeal to
us to protect them.
Gentlemen know as practical PROPOSE
tton that no matter what may be the de-
sfHee Of the American people congress will
be practically poweriess and that we shall
probably never get out OF the islands un-
der those circumstances. The relations
between capital and Imperialism are very
intimate. The Boer war grew out OF the
investment OF capital by the subjects OF
Great Britain in the two South African
republics. II we invite the capitalists of
this country and the world to invest there
under the shield OF the United States, 1t
Is morally certain that everything that
has been said by our president, by our ex-
commissioners and our other public men
will amount 10 nothing and that we shall
remain there II not FOREVER, az seast into
the far future
Now. desire TO have 1t written In this
act, 80 that anybody who goes there will
go under notice Embedded In the act, that
we are not liable to stay there forever.
Ultimate salt government Is the policy.
as ooretrue 1t, 30 well enunctated by the
president OF the United States. It is that
about which tho people Of the United
States are thfnking more than about any
thing else connected with the Philippine
Islands. and It seems to me here and now
are the time and place for US to make
sons declaration with regard to 1t. We
have followed the policy Of drift long
enough We have voted tariffs for those
people We have created an army TO
eubdus them, and we are now construct
ing q frame of government for them.
Somewhere between the covers of this
minute bill. in all its eighty-three sections,
we should find room enough TO convey q
hint OF our purpose.
II we cannot here find a place 20 avow
our purpose. when. I ask, may we prop
erly state It? Whatever our and their in
terests may seem hereafter to demand,
whatever an awakened sense of fealty to
the very principle Of our national life
may point out. II we are silent now. we
Ehall. fear. bind these islands to us with
cords OF Steel This blu contains some
liberal featuxes. think the gentleman
from Wisconsin, and those upon his COM
ntttee have considered this question in a
broad spirit but 1t seems to me 1t would
be vastly improved 1t the amendment I
propose were inserted in It.
Every American citizen without re-
gard to politics indeed, every loyer Of
constitutional liberty-would do well
10 read and to seriously ponder that
speech. ~
The Republicans voted down Nc
Calls amendment, Notwithstanding his
strong, luminous and truly American
speech.
Cochran's Homestead Amendment.
The Democrats did their best to have
the public lands in the Philippines. for
which we paid $20,O00,0oo in cash, to
say nothing Of the cost Of the war.
thrown open to settlers in small guam
titles under the homestead laws In.
stead of being sold to corporations in
large blocks. Colonel Charles II.
Cochran Of Missouri, an able, fearless
and patriotic Democrat, offered the
following amendment and delivered
the following terse and unanswerable
speech: -
Mr.. cochran-Mr. Chairman. the section
as amended by this proposed substitute
would read as follows:
THAT all lands acquired under the au-
thority Of section 15 Of this act shall CON
stitute a part and portion of the public
property Of the government of the Philip
pine Islands and. may be held, granted,
sold and conveyed to actual settlers only
by the government Of said islands on
X A..