Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-08-12

is not so much other and different laws,
as officials having both the disposition
and the courage to enforce existing laws
While this is my view of the scope CT
the common law, if it should be made to
appear that it is a mistaken one, then I
favor such further legislation within con-
stitutionaI lines as will give the people
a just and full measure of protection
1t is difficult to know how any citizen OF
the United States. much less descend
ant of revolutionary stock, can tolerate
the thought OF permanently denying the
right of self-government to the Fflipinos-
Can we hope to instin into the minds or
our descendants reverence and devotion
for a government by the people while
denying ultimately that right to the In
habitants of distant countries, whose
territory we have acquired either by pur-
chase or by force2 Can We say to the
Filipinos your lives, your liberty and
your property may be taken from you
without due process Of law for all time,
and expect we viii long glory IN that
feature of magma charta which has be-
come Incorporated in substance and ef-
feet into the constitution OF every state,
as well as into the Fourteenth amend
ment to the constitution of the United
States?
Can we hope for the respect of the civ
ilized world while proudly guaranteeing
to every citizen of the United States that
no law shall be made or enforced which
shall abridge the privileges or immuni-
deny 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 take away from them
the right OF rial by jury and place their
lives and the disposition OF their property
in the keeping of those whom we send to
them to be their governor? We shall
certainly rue it as a nation If we make
any such attempt. Viewing the question
even from the standpoint of national
SelfShneSS, there is no prospect that the
S20,O00.0O0 expended in the purchase OF the
islands and the S65e 100000 said to have
been since disbursed will ever come back
to US The accident of war brought the
Philippines into our possession and We
are not at liberty to disregard the re-
sponsibility which thus came to US, but
that responsibility will be best subserved
by preparing the islanders as rapidly as
possible for government and giving
to them the assurances that ii 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 with
out support. Ours is world power and
such it must be maintained, but
deny that it is at all recently that the
United States has attained that emf
nence. Our country became a world
power over a cetury ago, when, having
thrown off foreign domination, the peo-
pie established free government, the
source OF whose duInOFltE sprung anu
was continually to proceed, from the viii
of the people themselves. 1t grew as
a world power as its sturdy citizens, TO
whose natural increase were added i'm
migration from the old world seeking to
obtain here the liberty and prosperity de-
MED them in their own countries, spread
over the face of the1 and, reduced the
prairies and forests to cultivation, built
cities, constructed highways and rail-
roads, till now q nation which at the
n
only 100000 in population has become
S0,0O0,0O0 and from ocean to ocean and
tho lakes to the gulf the country is che
abode of a free and prosperous people ad-
Vauced in the highest degree in the learn
ing of arts and of civilization. 1t is the
liberty, the advancement and the pros
perity of its citizens, not any career of
conquest, that make the country world
power. This condition we owe to the
bounty of Providence. unfolded in the
great natural resources OF the country,
to the wisdom of our fathers manifested
in the form of government established
by them, to the energy, industry, moral
character and self-abiding spirit of the
people themselves
The government of the United States
was organized solely for the people OF
the United States. While 1t was contem-
plated that this country should become
a refuge for the oppressed OF every land.
who might be fit to discharge the duties
of our citizenship, and while we have
always sympathized with the people of
every nation in their struggles for self
government the government was not Gre
ated for career of political or civilizing
evangeliZatiOn in foreign countries or
among alien races by Intervention In
their affairs. The most efficient work We
can do in uplifting the people of other
countries is by the. presentation of a
happy, prosperous. self-governing nation
as an ideal to be emulated, a model to be
| followed. The general occupation of our
OFT in @Hea of he = n
sence of large military ornaments tends
to impair neither patriotism nor physical
courage.
I accept, gentlemen of the committee,
the nomination and if the action of the
| convention shall be Endorsed by an cleo
ton by the people. will. God helping
| me, give to the discharge of duties of that
exalted office the best service of which
am capable and at the end of the term
retire to private life. I shall not be d
candidate for, nor shall I accept a re-
nomina ton. Several reasons might be
| advanced for this position, but the con-
trolling one with me is that am fully
persuaded that no incumbent of that
office should ever be placed in situation
OF possible temptation TO consider what
the effect of action taken by him in an
administrative matter of great impor-
tance might have upon his political for
tunes.
Questions of momentous consequence
to all of the people have been in the past
and will be in the future presented to
the president for determination, and in
approaching their consideration as well
as in weighing the facts ard the argu-
ments bearing upon them, he should be
unembarrassed by any possible thought
of the influence his decision may have
upon anything whatever that may affect
MIN personally. I make this statement,
not in criticism OF any of presidents
from Washington down who have either
held the Office for two terms or sought to
succeed themselves, for strong arguments
could be advanced in support of the re-
election of president.
1t is simply my judgment that the In
terests of this country are now so vast