Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1903-02-03

for the election of United States sena-
tors by direct vote of the people.
have but little faith in the ability of
the people to induce the United States
senate as it is at present constituted to
yield us this great reform.
: l beg your indulgence while / speak
of some things that are swiftly passing
into history. When we made our treaty
with Spain after the war was over had
some doubts whether it would have
been wise as an original proposition for
us to take the Philippine islands, yet ]
did not see how we could well do other
wise under the circumstances. 1t did
not seem to me that there was any time
when we could safely release these is
lands from our sovereignty. | was one
of those who believed that we should
put down rebellion in those islands
| and establish our authority there at no
matter what cost in blood or treasure
| No man ever felt more answering
devotion to our cause aud to Cur flag
than | held during all that struggle. |
] did not want to see the men in blue who
| fighting their counlry's battles in the
midst of barbarous foes and in the
deadly perils of swamp and Jungle
meet me with the bitter reproach that |
| had given aid an comfort to those who
were fighting than in the field | know
| that war is barbarous and that many
| things are done in war that cannot be
| justified. | never condoned or excused
cruelties practiced by individuals in our
army in the Philippines, but think that
as class our soldiers are as humane
and mercifu as those of any country
/ in the world. We can punish the of
tenders without indicting the whole
army. / believed in the beginning we
should have assured these helpless and
| dependent peoples that they were a
| part of our country and that our flag
and our freedom were theirs.
We cannot tell what effect these as
suranceS would have had upon them.
but it might have ended that war with
| out entailing so much bitterness and
bloodshed. No such assurance was
given them, nor has it ever been given
them. For failing to so assure them
we may well hold the Republican party
to heavy responsibility | do not
believe that we can keep territory half
| free and half something else. The term
United States should mean every place
and spot over which our national
sovereignty extends.
The constitution does not follow the
election returns The rights of these
people should be as highly placed and
as highly protected as ours. and they
should not be left TO the shifting cur
rents of the Washington atmosphere.
1t is strange doctrine that we can retain
these islands as colonial dependencies,
given them only such portion of consti
tutional guaranty as our politicians shall
determine. do not believe the colon
dependencies have any legitimate part
part in oar system of government If
we cannot give to these peoples the
same government and>the same rights
that we give our territories west of the
Mississippi we had better abdicate the
bastard sovereignty we now maintair
over them.
Nor need we fear the migration If
these pople to our shores We nave hid
Cuba aud Porto Rico and Mexico close
10 our border lines since the Establish
ment of this republic and although the
people Ia these countries could come
here freely, only mere handful have
availed themselves Of the opportunity.
The fear Of an inundation Of cheSu
laboe is not the conservatism Of true
patriotism.
/ know some Of these views are 10
direct conflict with those Of many emf
neDt Democrats with whom have sor-
FowfUIly differed, but they are my own
and not uttered withaB wish TO die
tate any party policy on these matters.
If you shall disagree with them then
must stand in your Condemnation and
can only ask you to accord to me that
independence Of belief that freely ac-
cord to every citizen What / would
urge is that we should not attempt to
build up permanent party policies on
matters that are only subjects Of cap
tiouS and casual criticism
In the conduct of every war we have
had many things occur that could