Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-02-13
SEC. TAFT's SPEECH.
CONTINUED from Page One)

sion? Would he, as the anti-ini-
perialists, take the position, were ne
| living today that the Republican par
ty in it's action with respect to Porto
Rico. Cuba and the Philippines had de-
| parted from the principles that actu-
ated him in becoming a Republican
and in retaining that party in nationai
| control!
Lincoln relied greatly in his discus
sions On the slavery question upon inc
| terms of the Declaration OF Indepen-
| dence. He maintained that the words
| All men are created free and equai
included the colored as well as the
| white man, but affirmed with great
emphasis that he did not mean that
| the men who were thus declared equai
we're necessarily fitted at once TO De
voters or take part in the government
| What he contended was that they were
| entitled to the bread they earned ana
| should be given the right of life, liper-
| ty and the pursuit Of happiness.
Lincoln was not man stiftiy dos-
matte. He was man who allowed the
application of his principles to be con-
trolled by the fitness of the thing. his
whole nature was that Of a sweet rea-
sonableness and common sence. HAD
he been in the seat occupied by NC
Kfnley when the problem was present.
ed to him after the Spanish war as
to what should be done with respect
to the Philippines, there is nothing IN
his career, nothing in any OF ms
speeches properly understood, when
would lave prevented him from TAX
ing exactly the same course which NC
kinley took.
"It is true that Mr.. Lincoln opposed,
with argument and resolution, the
course of Mr.. Folks administration III
beginning the Mexican war and that
he regarded it as a mere quest for
military glory and acquisition of terri
tory that did not belong to us; but
when one compares the different cir
cumstances surrounding the recent
Spanish War with that Of the MeXi-
can war no fair-minded man can sus-
tain an analogy between the two. We
can all remember the reluctance with
whch Mckinley was finally brought
to the necessity of taking up arms in
behalf Ct the Cubans against Spain.
"When the exigencies of the Cuban
war took us to the Philippines and
Porto Rico, and the problems were
submitted to us after the protocol was
signed, whether we should take over
the Philippines. question arose for
decision that finds no analogy what
ever in the issues which Mr.. Lincoln
was called upon to consider and our
national course in that regard found
no controlling principle in his declar-
ed political philosophy for our spe-
cific guidance.
'"The Philippine islands came to US
without our design. In war one must
pursue his enemy where he can find
him. It was necessary that Dewey
should destroy the Spanish fleet in the
Pacific to prevent its use against our
commerce and against our Pacific ter
ritory. The destruction of the Spenish
flet Put the Philippines at our mercy.
We had not troops however, and as
reasonable war measure, we invoked
the assistance Of Aguinaldo and his
fellow instructors against the power
of Spain, to assist US in establishing
control on the land until our army
could traverse the 1000 miles between
our ports and the Philippines. With
the assistance of Aguinaldo's army We
took the city of Manila and then peace
came. The question was what course
lay open to US.
SHOULD we turn OUT Philippine allies
back to the government of Spain and
to the oppression against which they
had revolted: Would Abraham Lin
Coln have advised that course? I cam
not think SO. Should we turn the is
lands over to Aguinaldo and his mill
itary subordinates? They had them
selves in the nine months intervening
tried to establish g. civil government,
and the tyrannies and the insufficient
cies of that government in trying to
maintain order would have made it
a crime against the whole people of
the Islands for us to just dodge re-
sponsibility and seek to escape the
burden which Providence seemed to
have thrust upon us. Would Abra-
ham Lincoln advised a policy of scut-
tie and retreat from these islands to
leave them with no government and a
chaos that would only increase the
suffering of these unfortunate people?
Clearly there is nothing in the Decla-
ration of Independence as interpre-
ted by Abraham Lincoln that would
have compelled this pusillanimous
course.
1T is tiile that the declaration recites
that all Just government must rely on the
consent Of the governed: but that is to
he interpreted as meaning a consent of
the governed who have intelligence suffi-
Gent TO enable them to discriminate as to
what is government in their own interest.
Lincoln in his debates with Douglas did
not insist that the colored man. as they
then were. should take part in the gov
eminent as voters, but he evidently treat
&c the postulate in the declaration of in
dependence as the ideal toward which all
government should work. He would have
been the last man to affirm that it was
tine duty Of Mckinley and the Republican
party, responsible for administration. to
have turned those islands over to a peo-
pie of seven millions. with 20 per cent.
having density of ignorance hard Tor
us TO understand. and with 10 per cent
though somewhat educated and intelli.
gent yet without the slightest experian,.