The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1902-03-21
CHAPTER VIII.

Wilson began his speech slowly and
was evidently cool and determined. He
had been in college two years longer
than Edward and had had more train
ing as speaker. He had as sophie
more won the second prize for the best
defamation in the annual contest and
was considered the best all around
speaker in the society that was rival
to the one in which. Edward had his
membership.
+ The arguments Of Wilson were in
brief that the United States was justi-
fed In carrying on the war in the Phil
ippines, because the natives were the
first to provoke the outbreak, because
they were in reality rebels in that the
islands belonged to the United States
by purchase and the authority Of our
government was being defied; that to
withdraw our troops would mean n
condition of anarchy and result in
more cruelty and loss of life than
would result from the war; that in
short the war was necessary before
the United States could assert its con-
troll, inasmuch as the Tagalos did not
represent the Filipinos as a race. but
were only small part of all the inhab-
itants, the majority of whom were
willing to become subject to our au-
thority. He closed with an appeal to
all loyal Americans to uphold the flag
and do all in their power to support the
government in its efforts to end the
war speedily and inaugurate reign of
peace and justice in the islands that
had for so long time been the victim
of greed aud priestcraft.
AS Wilson closed very strongly, he
received tremendous applause, that
broke out again and again. The presi-
dent rose to introduce Edward but the
applause continued, and he sat down
again. The girls who were friends of
Wilson's society waved their flags,
while the girls who sided with Blake
held theirs down over the seats. For
five minutes the shouting and demon
stration continued. Then the president
went forward and introduced Edward
for the negative, and the chapel sud
denly became as still as it had been
bosterous.
Edward felt his knees tremble as he
went forward, and his tongue was dry
and his hands cold. For q second or
two he was Mortified to find that he
could not remember the very first sen
tence of his speech. He actually made
a beginning a paragraph farther on.
Then he stopped just long enough to
make it seem either that he was very
deliberate or that he was not quite
sure. But his manner was naturally
slow, and it is doubtful if any Of the
college people noticed anything
strange.
Then he gathered himself together
and went on finely, doing his best, and
gaining added interest in the argu
ment as it developed.
He took the ground that war be.
tween nations is never justified. except
when every other measure has been
exhausted. He. claimed that every
measure had not been exhausted in
the present war in the Philippines. He
cited in support of his argument sew
eral witnesses from the seat of the
war itself. He also called attention
to several instances where more seri-
Gus international disputes had been
settled by arbitration. He then went
on to quote quite largely from one of
the members of the supreme court of
the United States. who had come out
in a speech against the war and had
opposed the policy Of colonial expan.
sion. This eminent jurist has said:
"'Again, a necessity of colonial pos
sessions is an increase in our regular
army, and the first increase proposed
is from 10000 to 100000 men. 1t Is
q strange commentary chat. at the
close of the nineteenth century. the
head Of the most arbitrary government
In the civilized world, the car Of the
Russias, is inviting the nations of the
world to decrease in their arms.
while this, the freest land. is proposing
an increase in its. Yet such seems to
be the imperative need IL we enter
upon the system of colonial expansion.
We have lived and prospered for 1913
years with handful of regular troops.
We have preserved peace at home. and
have been respected abroad. Govern.
ment by consent of the governed has
little need of the. soldier. So the world