The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1906-09-18

when history snail record tne
events of that brief struggle, it will
be known how truly the President
directed the forces by, land and sea.
He had been a soldier. but he loved
peace, and knew in her victories was
our best security. He dreaded the suf-
fering which must come to a people
in the loss of it's young ana gallant
sons more than all treasure that wal
would cost, but he knew that being in
the conflict it was merciful to bend
every effort to it's successful prosecu-
ton.
No responsibility in his eventful ad-
ministration rested more profoundly
upon his heart and mind than that
which involved the exercise of the
treaty making power in determining
the fate of the Philippine Islands. He
did not seek and would gladly have
avoided the necessity of carrying our
governmental responsibility to distant
people unused to self-government, and
having little in common with our in
obiNuNLSho anu dllOllOs AltCl lut
most careful consideration he reached
the conclusion that we could not
abandon these people to their fate, or
throw them as a bone of contention
among the nations.
THE PHILIPPINES.
With a full appreciation of the diff
ficulties involved, he finally concluded
that our duty demanded that the
United States take title to these islands
and instructed the Peace Commission
ers to demand their cession, at the
same time extending liberal conces-
slons to vanquished foe. He was
actuated by no desire 10 bring de-
pendent people under imperial control.
AS he himself declared, his purpose
was rather to deliver ten millions of
people from the yoke of imperialism
He believed in the power of the
American nation, as declared by Chief
Justice Marshall in one of his great
judgments, to acquire territory in the
ways known to civilized nations. And
he believed with equal confidence that
the representatives of the people, ex-
ercising the powers conferred by the
constitution, might be trusted to see
that people who come under our flag
shall have the inestimabe privileges
of self-government as fast as they are
capable of exercising them for them
selves.
In the great state paper which di-
rected the formation of the first Phil
1ppine government he required that it
should embrace the right of the people
to enjoy all the rights and privileges
secured by the Bill of Rights of the
American Constitution to our own citi-
zens for the protection of life, liberty
and propefty-except 1T is true, trial
by jury, unknown to the established
system of Jurisprudence in the civil
lied parts of the islands, and wholly
unadapted to other people inhabiting
the archipelago. He declared our
principles should suffer no change by
their application to new conditions,
and he never for an instant forgot that
his country stood among the nations
for the right Of the people to govern
themselves, and that with more than
a million of his countrymen, he too,
had fought, and thousands of his com
rades had died upon the field of battle
TO perpetuate a government "of the
people, by the people and for the peo-
Dle."
Man is neither master of his life or
Of his fate. He can but offer to his
fellow men his efforts to diminish
human suffering; he can but offer to
God his indomitable faith in the
growth of liberty"
More clearly than some of our states
men, Mr.. Gladstone foresaw the sure
growth in influence of the American in
he world, and of it said "wul it be
instinct with moral life in proportion
o it's material strength? One thing is
his temptations will multiply
With his power, his responsibilities
With his opportunities. Will the seed
De sown among the thorns? VIII
Vorthlessness overrun the ground and
blight its flowers and it's fruit? On
he answer of these questions and to
such as these, 1t will depend whether
his new revelation of power on the
,arth is also to be revelation of vir-
ne, whether it shall prove a blessing
'r a curse. May heaven avert every
lark omen, and grant that the latest
and largest growth of the great Chris
ian civilization shall also be the
brightest and best"
No man felt the weight of these por-
.entous questions more keenly than
lid William Mckinley.
NOT PESSIMISTIC.
If William Mckinley were alive to-
lay he would deplore the instances of
to public trust and prl-
yate duty which have been disclosed
% the country. But his confidence in
niq cauntrvman and tho inet;tn.;o,,o