Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-09-13

ihdoI wv loIi hic nhl'FBiitS DIS pui2-
The first answer is, that we bought
them, and the second that we whip
ped them Do you know Of any other
ground for holding the Philippine is
lands? Have you another raaEon,
any other right or title than that we
bought them or whipped them? This
IN not according to American prin-
ciples, sag that we have crossed the
Atlantic as an e2cuse 10 cross the
| Pacific. We have q good right to
those possessions, says the republican
party. | deny the right OF a king to
sell his subjects. | deny the right
Of the republicans to buy subjects of
a king. Now, IL a republic can buy
subjects of a king, then a president
may be able to sell to a king, and If
the president attempts d sale CT me,
| want to protest, and when I do pro-
test | do not want him I o say |
agreed to buy somebody else. No
man can justify the purchase of the
Philippines from the Spanish king
and at the same time deny the right
OF our president to sell us to a king.
! theefore challenge the president and
his party to give a reason why we
are entitled to and can possess the
Philippines.
Now, my friends, | know no prin-
ciple which applies to an individual
that does not apply to a nation, nor
any principal which applies To a ma.
ton that does not apply to an indiy-
naL. And when yom tell me that a
great nation like ours can whip the
Filipinos and then own them, you
assert a position which il applied to
an individual means that a big man
can whip a little nj and then own
him | deny the title. | am not as
large as ! hoped TO be when | was
a boy, | am short one and a half
inches of what ! hoped To be, though
| have gained in diameter. Still, / am
not a big man. but | protest at being
owned by a bigger man than myself
because he can thrash me.
Our republic Is larger than the
Philippines, but that does not give
us title TO them, Now. my friends, ii
we believe in American principles,
We must recognize that we have no
title to the Philippine islsnds, and
that they should be a government OF
their own, France helped US TO gain
our liberty and then left us to enjoy
il. Some years ago the French peo-
pie helped us to place a statue oil
liberty In New York harbor.. A statue
OF liberty enlightening the world, and
MS ships come In. passengers see that
emblem Of American principles Now,
let us help the Flipinos to gain their
liberty, and then leave them TO en-
JOY Il instead of teaching them to
hate us, and, in the years to come
their children will join our children
and plant a new statue Of liberty In
the Orient, a second emblem Of Amer.
lean principles, Pardon me, my
friends II | have spoken at length on
the Filipino question; | feel deeply
on the question Of Imperialism. Lei
us then work together as republicans
and democrats and not ask how We
can gain advantage over each other
hut how we can hest work together
and make this our country the best
and greatest nation in all the world
And, my fiends. II you Will send Geo
=. Money to represent YOU Mt con,
gross. r Will know that ven are
ready TO give your support and do
your part. and will, through him, sue
coed In reaching the goal Of your am,
billions 10 be a sell governing state.