Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-08-19
Mr.. PARKER'S SPEECH.
Continued from First Page. !

| tuiS 10 my view VI Iuc sCOpc vi tue
common law, if it should be made to
appear that it is a mistaken one, then
| favor such further legislation with
in constitutional limits as will give
the people just and full measure OF
protection.
1t is difficult to know how many
citizens of the United States, much
less a descendant of revolutionary
stock, can tolerate the thought of
permanently denying the right OF
self-government to the Filipinos. Can
we hope to instill into the minds oil
our descendants reverence and devo.
ton for a government by the people
while denying ultimately that right to
the inhabitants OF distant countries,
territory we have acquired either by
purchase or by force? Can we say to
the Filipinos, "Your lives, your LID.
erty and your property may be taken
from you without due process of law
for all timer" and expect that We will
long glory in that feature of the magma
chartd which has become incorporated
in substance and effect, into the con-
stitution OF every State as we'll as into
the fourteenth amendment to the
Constitution OF the United States?
| GIVE FILIPINOs THEIR RIGHTS.
Can we hope for the respect of the
civilized world, while proudly guaran-
teering to every citizen OF the United
States that no law shall be made or
enforced which shall abridge the priv
ileges of citizenship of the United
States or deny to any person the equal
protection of the laws, and At the same
time not only deny similar rights to
the inhabitants of the Philippines, but
to take away from them the right of
trial by jury and place their lives to
the disposition of their governor. We
shall certainly rue it as q nation If we
make any such attempt. Viewing the
question even from the standpoint of
national selfishness, there is no pros
pect that the twenty millions of dol.
lars expended in the purchase of the
islands and the six hundred and fifty
millions said to have been since dis
bursed, will ever come back to us.
The accident OF war brought the Phil
ippines into our possession, and we are
not at liberty to disregard the respon-
sibility which has come to us, but that
responsibility will be best suoserved by
preparing the islanders as rapidly as
possible for self-government and CIV
ing to them the assurances that it will
come as soon as they are reasonably
prepared for it. There need be no fear
that the assertion so often made of
late that we have now become a world
power, will then be without support.
Ours is world power and as such it
must be maintained. but deny that
it is all recently that the United States
has attained that eminence. Our
country became world power over a
century ago, when, having thrown off
foreign domination, the people estab-
lished free government, the source OF
whose authority sprung and was con.
tinually to proceed, from the will Of
the people themselves. 1t grew as q
world power as its sturdy citizens, to
whose natural increase were added
immigrants from the old world, seek
ing to obtain here the liberty and pros
perity denied them in their own coun-
try, spread over the face of the land,
reduced the prairies aud forests to cul.
tivation, built cities, constructed high.
ways and railroads, till now . nation
which at the formation OF the govern
ment numbered only three millions in
population, has grown to $4,000, 900,
i As~I ~. L.
lakes to the gulf, the country is the
free abode Of prosperous people ad.
vsnced in the highest degree in the
learning OF arts of civilization. 1t is
the liberty, the advancement, and the
prosperity Of its citizens, not any Ca
reer Of conquest, that made the coun-
try world power. This condition we
owe to the bounty of Providence, un.
folded in the great natural resources
Of the country and to the wisdom OF
our fathers, manifested in the form of
government established by them to
the energy OF industry. moral charac-
ter and lsw.abiding spirit OF the people
themselves.
| MUST BEWARE OF WAR.
We are not military people, bent
on conquest, or engaged in extending
our domains on foreign lands or de-
sirOus of securing natural advantages,
however great, by force, but people
loving peace, not only for ourselves
but for all the nations of the earth.
The display of great military arma.
meuts may please the eve and for the
moment excite the pride of the citi.
zens, but it cannot bring to the coun-
try the brains, Drawn and muscle OF a
single immigrant or induce the invest.
ment here of dollar of capital. Of
course such armament as may be ne.
cessary for the security OF the country
and the protection of the rights Of it's
citizens At home or abroad, must be
maintained. Any other course would
not only be false economy, but pusil.
Luminous. protest, however, against
the feeling, now far too prevalent, that
by reason OF the commanding position
we have assumed in the world, we
must take part in the disputes and
broils OF foreign countries, and that
because we have grown great we should
intervene in every important question
that arises in other parts of the world.
l also protest against the erection of
any such military establishment as
would be required to maintain the
country in that attitude. We should
confine our international activities
solely to matters in which the rights
OF our country or defense are directly
involved. That is not situation of
isolation, but Of independence.
The government of the United States
was organized solely for the peoples of
the United States. While it was con-
templated that this country should
become q refuge for the oppressed OF
every land who might be fit to die.
charge the duties OF our citizenship,
and while We have always sympathized
with the people of every nation in
their. struggle for seli.government, the
government was not created for q ca
reer of political civilizing or evapgeli.
cation OF foreign countries or among
allies by Intervention in their affairs.
| kn