Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-03-06

come when we willy, in order to pre-
serve manageable situation in these
islands, be required to establish condi-
lions of trade comparatively free, SO
far as their dealings with us are con-
cerned.
There is an incongruity which the
world has not been slow to perceive in
the policy of permanently protecting
ourselves from our own possessions, es-
pecially those possessions which are
so situated that they have to buy near
ly everything they consume and ex
port nearly everything they produce.
| intend to point out, if my fifteen
minutes last, some of the morbid as
poets of this platform which in my
Judgment make it incurably defective
and fatally Objectionable to the coun-
try. wish to point out in the first
place that it disparages the army of
the United States. Now, l have heard
several eulogies on the army in this
chamber, followed almost instantly by
the most vehement and most unac-
countable ISLANDERS and libels ever ut
tered against national army in the
history of the world.
/ have sat in this chamber and
heard the officers of the United States
army denounced for numbering prison
ers and shooting down helpless men af-
ter they had surrendered. l have heard
letters read and rumors set afloat here
that the army is an organized scheme
of cruelty in the Philippine Islands. OF
course, nobody pretends to believe
such a thing, and l honor the distin-
guished senator from Massachusetts,
for rising in his place on Saturday and
calling halt on the scattering of
these wicked scandals against the good
name of the army of the United States.
I have read this literature both
since this session of congress began
and before congressman, and | say
here that not single syllable has
been put on record which would be
accepted in any court of justice. Ev-
cry allegation is hearsay, in most
cases two or three times removed, and
have felt that the United States ar
my ought to be protected from cam
paign of that sort. Our soldiers over
| there have had hard task. They are
on the other side of the world, in a
land of strangers, far from their
! homes. They are doing their duty
officers and men alike-with fidelity
and with heroism. Some of them have
i made themselves famous in the le
gends and traditions of the service
They have had enough to bear-bur
dens enough-without hearing a con
slant fusillade in the rear from social
ed politicians in the United States
I say to you that the American PEG
pie will not tolerate a campaign Of
that sort very much longer. The pa
triotic sentiment of the nation every
where is, always has been, and always
will be, God bless the soldiers of the
! United States army wherever they are
encamped
Again, this platform is fatally defec
tive because it disparages the gov
eminent of the United States What
ever has been done in the Philippine
Islands has certainly been done in thu
light of day. | was interested as | lis
tened moment ago to the senate
: from Washington trying to tighten thu
weight of the accusation made by tn
Isenator from Wisconsin (Mr. Spooner
that these bitter denunciations of tn
national policy fall. in reality, upo
the late President of the United States
How is it possible to attack with il
temperate abuse our Philippine polio
without desecrating the grave of Wi
liam Mckinley? Ny friend said h
had great admiration for him and i
!, the same breath he denounced on
proceedings in the Philippine island
as an infamy, perfidy, and dishor
or without parallel in the annals c
the United States.
We who have lived through thes
times know that no step has been tai
) en- without the counsel of William M
Kinley. We know, what the senate
, from Washington does not seem
! know, that our former President wa
not a weakling driven by the evil il
fluence of others.
We know that in every step of thi
r great transaction he himself gave
the policy of the United States tn
3 weight of his influence and the valu
: of his public counsels; and it is nc
possible, whatever may be said Q
!. either side of this chamber, to utter
railing accusation involving the chal
acter of the government of the Unite
f States. filing the air with charges
! perfidy and dishonor and tyrann
5 without covering with degradation ar
+. gress OF these times-the man who's
+ name can not be separated from tn
!. epoch in the national life, yonder
y Canton, has become shrine for I'll
!. pilgrimage of the human race OF g
g ages.
S Again this platform disparages tt
/. people of the United States We S.
It in this chamber, Saturday, and hear
e the American people described as
e set of asses" We sat in this char
e Der and heard the American Peep
E. derided as so besotted as not to
open to democratic arguments; and
d could not listen without feeling tn
y this democratic attack upon the n
v tional policy belittles the whole cha
It acter and purpose of the America
4 people.
IS They have entered upon the admi
1t istration and management of far-off
IS lands with doubts and uncertainti
4. and misgivings. They have taken, ste
| after step, many of them in the dal
If but judging from what l know of Il
l A u