The Government of Puerto Rico and the Philippines speech of Hon Jonathan P Dolliver, of iowa (1900)

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.r THE. .·GOVERNMENt OF PUERTO RICO, ·. . ·1-·;

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AND THE PHILIPPINES.

SPEECH OF

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:..~ION. \JONi\ TI-IAN P. DOLLIVER, OF IOWA,

iN THE H'OUSE OF REPRESENTArlVES, Tuesday', February 27, 1900.

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'l'be Oovernmcnt of Puerto Rico and the .,bl11pplnei.

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SPEECH

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HON.

JONA'~'HAN

P.· DOLLlV}!}R, ..

OF IOWA,

CONSPIRACY TO ROB. AND LEVY TRIBUTE.

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We have been accused of a conspiracy to rob and levy.._'tribute upon a helpl ess and unfortun a.te peo ple. We hn.ve been chnrg d with "treating P~erto Rico as an orange to be squeezed," nnd the inUmation . hns been thrown • out to t he public thn.t this Govemmont proposes to appropriate the juice (intlg hler) , wh en in point of fact ,,.e are s iqtpl y fixing a nominal rate of duti es for Lho so le p UI·pose of g;u amnl ec ing n. ' working r e\'enue for the. n ecessary uses of th e P ue r to R iea'n go\'cr nm cnL for th e t ime being, until it has prepa rctl n,nd put in .opemt.ion a. fi sca.l syH>tem of it.s own. · It will bllj see n , th ere fore, thn.t the con nnit tce hns cl one in subs~nce exactly -w1hat 'the I'rcs idcn t r ecomm en d!'ll s hQu ld be do ne. We have g1ven to these people th e least b urdenso m e m e thod of ta.xat.ion t hat ca n be devised; and our - ll epa.r t ttre from the Jet ter of t he Pres ide nt's recommendation in form 1 b'b t n ot ln substance, is lmnll y enti t led to th e atbcntion wh ich it has r ece ived fr om our wort.hy D~ nocntt.i c bre thre n in this Chamber.

Tbek solicitude lest the co tinsel of t 1c Preside n t · be set at naught n eeds only, in addi t ion t o il.s som ewhat. show appearan ce o f ben e"olcn ce, a. faint note of sincerity to entitle it to the sy mpathy of eve ry r eal fl'i end of the Administration.

Tli.e anxi ety nnd zenl with whi ch gentlem en on the other sid e, and some on this side, h ave t·a lli!'d nrou n u u s i ngle se n ten ce ' in the Presid ent's message, if it could b e rli s t.J-i b ut ccl o ,·er t h e wh ole of th a t hi s toric ·Executive communicati on w o uld h:J.Vc u te ncl eney to broad •n the outlook of an uneasy lot of poli t i inn s who nr c now c ng:tgcd i n o bstructin g th e highway of nationa.l prog~·ess by the itwentions of a ch ea p pa.r t isnn inge nui ty:

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

lituday, February 27.

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This bill, whi ch is a. tt'III[I OI'>t l',\ ' m ea stn·e--and i will advise ·the Houee will he ~o d ccl an ~ d in :Ln amendment to be offered by the conuuitte&aims s illlJlly to prol'i cle a J'e VC Jllll ; f or the isl!Uld of Puerto Rico . Yet it has b een magnified b y thi s cl eha.te in a _stJ·ange way to includ e the whole problem of our gO\'eJ·nnocnt. n f th e- possessions th11-t hM·e come to ,,. 'under t.he treaty of Pnris 1\S 1\ r e.~ult t.h c WO.l' with Spajn.

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· THE PRljlSIDENT'S RECQMliiiENDATION.

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,on good• entered from the United Stntcs, and required to • pay II. COITe8ponding ro.te on goods sent from Puerto Ricp here, the entire fund-all collected here and a.lf collected there-b-eing eXpressly devoted to public usu in connection wilh their local government. In tho.t view o~ the case the injustice wifl appen.r which has been done to the Ways and Means Committee by gentfemen on our own side of the House, by our friends on the othar elde, and by an organized coercion of public opinion elsewhere in ~e United States.

The Preaiden't of the Uuit cu St.a.te.s in his a.nnusJ meas uge recommended tha.t Congress should aboli s h all c ustolll11 tal'iffs bet.wecn Puerto Rico &nd · the Unit-ed St.atoo, and should ad1u it their pr'Oducts to our markets withou\ duty. The argum c'nt upon which the Presirlent'~> rt!Commendatioh Wl\.!l baaed was drawn mu.inJy, I may say entirely, from a con s ideration of the position in which the people of Puerto Rico ba.\'e b~ n placed by our disturbance of their conneetiou with Spain and by th e unfortunate exper·ience o! flood anu &tQrJD t.hrough · whi ch nearly t.he whol e or th6 isln.nd bas recently pus;;cd. It was c \·id cnLly t.he. purpooe o! th t! P r-c.«ident., &nd the only purppse which b e' bad, to do som ething to give tho.~ people & chance to rebu ild its fallen fortunes and to begin anew its commerciaJ a.nd industrisJ life. Now, not'~;i.h s tnnding the 11.buse thll.t has been heaped upon thia bill on this floor · and iu the public press. I mHlcr~kr. to aa:y that it doea in aubsto.nce exactly wb11.t the f't't'$ id ent hl\cl in mind to do. (Applauee qo the Republican side.)

At the same time it k ~ P" account of the fuct that wl)atever form of g overnment js finally established in the island of Puerto Rico will, from the_beginning, stll.nd in exigent need of money to pay its e"-p.ensea a.nd tO provide for the education a.nd material de"elopme nt of t-h e community.

U_nder this bill u it will be :fln:l.lly shaped t-h ey will be enabled to oolleot • re.Uue equal to 15 per oeut ' e'f tho established lltl'iff rat. ot thi1 eoun1rf

(Appla~.)

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:KIND WORDS TO THE CHI;EF MAGISTRATE . . .. Til ere,. ma.y h a \'e u e.Cn ' a time wb eJ? kind wor_ds !rom th e oth er side of this Chamber mig ht h ave b een grn.ldu l to t he t ro ubled h eart of the Chief Magistrate as be hns borne th e bu rden of n a.tionn.l respon si bili t i s which , he did not cre..'\te. ~ut ·r doubt \'Cr y mu ch wh e th er thi s b e la ted and Wbi.plpering pretense of eul ogy nnd indoTsem n t will b e n ce ptc cl• as a suitable recompense for two long y ears of cl nm ur nml ca lumn y witlt which Demo-' ex:-a.tic ideals of propl'iety have surrounded t h I resid ent of th e United States.

(Applause.)

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. th letter though not from the spirit of the" lf our departure f rom e. ' d f th t

. · to be set up a<><~.inst us--if t he w or s o a.

President's recommen d a t 10n IS .,• • d.a tion taken out of connection with the mea.rung a.nd intention recommen • fi 'bl sta.nd d to which a.ll of it, are to be put forwa.rd here a.s the in ext e a.r . n . s of legislative duty a.re to be conformed, I beg my f·nends o our not 10n · . k f · rdinn.te r espect · th ide of the House to put away thetr mas o mo ..- . . tb e o er s . . h t 1 to the more roprta.te for the President's optmon and leave t . a P ea. . . f my fJ:iend f rom Maine (Mr. Littlefield) and my frtend from ttorneysb tp o . t' · th tch as catcbIS:S.achnsetts (Mr. :McCall), " ibo have lost tbetr foo mg m e ca - - . can wrestle with the 'Constit utio:r;t which bas so conspicuously cha.racterW:d the present session of Congress. (Applause.) · \ THE PURPOSE OF THE BILL. What is the purpose of the bill? I . bave !Jee\1 in the new~~pers, ~d I have hea.rd it mumbled in this Chamber, that t he m easure ts m th~ mterest of the sugar trust. I do not believe tha~ny man whose mind t.s a.t . , ou ld staud up 1n a all adapted to t h e consideration o f sue h a ques t ton v . ·•-- tb's oml make such a statem ent as that. We l<now,• tf we presence 11""" • _ • . tha t the suga.r tru's t, so call ed , h n.s no mterest m any · t k now any t b mg, proposition pending h ere except in securi ng f ree t rade In the matennl,o~ of whi ch it ma.nufact ures r efi ned sugar. .. .

Only last fall Mr. Henry 0. Havemeyer, the pr~s1dent of . th.e A~edr•cadn Sugar Itefining Company, went b efore t he Indus trml Comm •ss•on .a n enoun ced the whole protective tariff, because t he law of 1897 wo.s more careful to ·protec t t he 'beet-sugar indu stry 'of the United States than to keep up t he profits of that company.

• . · We h ave bills pending in this House, offered for the purpose o~ stnkmg down that monopol y, by reli ev ing it of the· burden of paying tn.xes ~n t h o · 1 J 'ch ·t ' mports· wl1en even tlie slighest comprehensiOn of rn'v rnate r1a "\V 11 . 1 1 · ' . . the subject would suggest to any active mi nd that fre~ trade m raw su~ar would be an open gift to the m agnates of the Amertcan Suga.r Refimng Company 6f a purse equal to one-third of t h e total customs revenues of the United States.

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hers of Congreas for weeks. This syndicate of sugar and tobacco broken are even now jostling one another in the corridor~ of this Capitol, pleading, with sordid hypocl'isy, for the people of Puerto Rico, · This bill does not suit ~hem · because it diverts from thel;r pockets a portion of the ( , 'Pto1lts w:tlich they had hoped to reap, puts it into the treasury of the .\_) Island of Puerto Rico, and devotes It, to the pressing necessiti es of that stricken and unfortu~ate people. (Applause.)

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THE SUGAR AND TOBACCO TRUST. .And yet we he'a r it said that the sugar trust .and the tobacco tru! t are behind this' bill. The fact is, if we may believe the c:orrespondent of the Associated Press, that two crops of sugar and tobacco are now <' on hand in Puerto Rico awaiting shipment. There are IS,OOO,OOO pounds of tobacco and the ·sugar crop of two years, not in the h~ds of . the eo 'le of Puerto Rico, but piled up by speculators in the warehouses of . • \ Juan and other seaport cities of the island, now chargeable, if ) ,, I shipped to the United States, with full duties under the Dingley law, {. · h ld there in bulk waiting for the profit that will accrue from fre~ trade.

I' e . A png of speculators, mostfy Americans, have been hom,tding mem-

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MEMORIAL FROM FARMERS. ' Now, there is another thing I wjsh to speak of. It h as been said that certain interests of the United tl~tes, such as the tobacco, beet-sugar, an d frui.t industries, have come here and deu111nded this legislation. It is true that a. memorial f •·om farmet·s' t1ssocin.tion s in Florida, in California and els~where in the United States has cxpr,e ssed the fear that free-trade ' with ropical America will damug · many of the flourishing agricu ltura l indus-· tHes of our country. . ' For that reason they ha.vc petitioned, as they have a right to do, for the maintenn.nce o.f the Dingley tariff rates with Puerto Rico and with the Philii{pine Islands. In the opinion of the committee, their feat·s, a t leas t o far as Puerto Rico is concerned, are ground less. And this bill ho.s not been d~;"awn with any view to comply w ith t hese petitions, so far as Puerto nlco, is cotlcerned. There ~·s not a li ne, there is not a sy lla ble, in it whipb h as been put th ~re for t e pro tection · of any America.n industry; ¥d1 in fact, the bill comes uetLl'l>J free trade with Puerto Rico t;ha.n even the Democratic party h o.s ever dare to attempt. (Laughter on the Republican side.)

Ever since I can recollect anything about politics the Democratic pn.rty bo.a been talking for free tnwe; yet when Mr . l\lorri,son came to draw a tariff bill he was satisfied with ~~ borlzoutal reduct.ion of 20 per ~ent; and when Mr. Mills, in response to a Democmtic platform calling for free trade, drew a tariff bill be reuuced the ex is ting sc hedules less than an average of 6 per. cent.

THE SAME THING HAPPENED IN 1894.

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same thing happened on thi s floor in 1894 , when, after a struggle which is interestl'ng to . r ecollect, •as it was interesting to participate in, we got" down to u. free-trade basis, '\Yith an av&rnge redu,ction of less tha.n. .

10 per dent in all the schedules of the tariff law of 1890. In this bill we · propose a horizontal c~t in e.'dsting rates of 7s per cent; and in order to avoid t he prejudices that hu.ve g rown u p &round this measure we o:ffer on .thi• floor to redu ce it so that it shall equal a. .horizontal r eduction of 85 per cent. And yet our Democratic brethren are complaining because we are imposing nn outrage a'n d o. robbery upon an unfortunate populatloQ. In Puerto ruco. . · My friend from I ll inois (Mr. Cunnoti) ho.s show n, an.:l uo mau cu.u.

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'Y for those people by &nJ anawer pim, that if you are going ~raise ~~nt~e island n. strictly . pa.uper ldnd of ta.xa.tion, if you a.re not gom~ to. gt. t o.rd wise and fa.ir ; and I relation to the United States, this hx siBettJsUs(Mr McCall), who has the f .· d from Mnssac u · · t ~ prove by my li en . . l .d him ·for usefulness in the presen Consti t ution in a shape which h_ru~ dJ sa~ el (lrwghtcr on the Republican emergency of the party to w!lt~ch ~is ~~~~: not open to ~body'• .c.riti· side), that a.s a. fi.scal proposl JOn .

• csm, i aa ~ hi s report now on fi le states.

WHAT ELSE. IS IN ':£HIS BILLP . h's bill? There is one thing in it that nobody s_eetrul What else is ~~ t I I . . ~ but which t.h e able political nmnngers to se who is fi g h tmg it o~ t n s SIC. e~ ' t . Ill Democratic side see with . who have . orgo.nizecl the fi~ht ngn.~ns~ :at.:~~ the world that the . United per fect clearness. It con~~~;s ~~ ~~~~~ure o ·far-off peoples, an effort that .

States in i ts effort to calC or ~ .II d ·'c ty is under no constraint ~ · t · alculable sn.cnftce till anx 1 • • has ,olready cos me to ' . t '. J' eop.twdy the inter ests of our own people. either oJilaw or of duty pu m . _ (Appl au se on the Rep ubli can sid e._) s.p eech es made, addressed .

We h ave heo.rd on t hi s floor w tdb.i~ clc~a~ ~ven color , predicting the t · l'ces of class an 1nce ,Ln • • to tho m~anes preJU~ 1 ·t' la'r indust.d es and the di sintegration of the speedy destructJO~ o pm ICU ' . ubli can p'oli cy of acquirin g> poe· whol e social. fabl'lC on a~cou~ tS ~:i~he yet, when a bill is brought .f orsession of t~e I.!Ite col_op lc~ obotll :rt' ses of Cong ress, whi ch for eshadows . h · .. now pen<l10 g 1n l ou th ard w er-,., . . l United Stutes to deal with ese pos· . in a practical way th e right of t ~lleltei·ests as well as t h eirs, we are beset . ' th a n eye to our own · . th aessJOns w~ 'u I1811.· es of the Constit uti on (ln.ug hter) because m e by the scr1bes an P · sc . f . d to r event the con-

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supreme co ui·t of t heir imaginaUon nardopower I S ' L~u~he pJiticar' and comof these ali en and backw r aces Wl 1 80 l'dn.tion U 'ted States mercia! system of the Dl___, I · ot at-Impeded by these tales of w~ s far a.s I am conceru=, am n ' t . lito . . f llo~ving the other, coming up s r&Ig bY. th~e prcdicticin~i~~:~~~~ 'o~n~heoPttcific Ocean, though I concede tha.t way. out of the . ru . t it is possib le to underrate the e.fteot after national e,xpel'lenc~u~·o f;:~e:f fr ee trade, .on a scale however sm.aJ.I,' of an appeal to the popul , . of Democratic politics in the United even when presented by i 1e mana.gc1s . . ~ States. (Laughter on t?e RepuJ;>h can sJde. ) 1

FREE ADMISSION OF ALL PRODUCTS·.

But if 't.bat were the onl y i ::~sue at stp.k l(, it is not settled . in ~y miild th t anybody ou g ht to be frightened, cer tainly not out of hiS Wits, ;v: ~ b a. posa.l so extreme as the free admi ssioru into our marltets _o t~ ~ ;;ucts of our new po~li!!Ssions, either nov/ or in ti~e ~o come. At e . pra t e, 1't 1·5 no~ontemlcd that any Am e rican indn~t.ry 1s lik.e to sufter any _ ) ~ • 0

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on account of the free admiu.ion into thi.e country of the 1urplu1 produc' · 85 per cent. in all the schedules of the tarift' taw ·o:t 1897 ha.s introduced bo elemen t of a.lam~ wh a tever in'to ' Ute American market place. 'l'he nominal rate retained in t'l\i s bill is for -:. the sole purpose of p_roviding, in par£ n.t least, fo r the expenses of the • local ad~tration in· Puerto Rico, though that is not the only advantage of it, if it operates to put a stop t.o the unscrupulous 'q .gitation that l;la.s filled the country wi th th e fear that in tal<ing posseSsion of va.st tropical territories the Government is found h elpl ess to deal with t hem e.-rcept on terms of such political intimacy and commcrcin.l equal ity a.s the Constitution presoribes for the · people of the Unilt.ed Stn.tes. (Applause. ) 'H the Constitution of the United S~tes establishes free trade between Manila. a.nd San Francisco, as it undoubtedly does between Maryland and .Virginia., then the circU1)lsta.nce ~bat we have got into a n ew ~ompetiti on, possibi;. injurious to some of Oll11' inclus t.ries, is only the lca,st t.rouble th at' is before us. A consideration vaster by far than that arises at once, for we are in th!Lt case disarmed in advance ip the m omentous denm nd which . this 'no.tion has ID1l.de for equa.l rights in tJ1e commerce ol As in..

fJon.e of the people of Puerto Rico.

• And sq the .proposed reduction of

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, 'ELABORATE COMMf RCIAL NEGOTIATIONS.

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· . I violkte.J) no f!Ccret of .this wh en I say that to-day there i\pending in the State Dcpm·Lmcn the most eln.born.te commercia l negoti~tion ever attempted in the hi s tory of our dipl01uacy, based upon a pledge , made by our comm1ss10ners at Pm·i s, Wta.t whatever we do, in the Pacific ·· Ocean we will maintain an ·open door for tJ.Je commei'Ce of the worl d.

And l ask Repul,>li cans, I asl< those Democmt..s from GeOJ·g in., from So uth ·_Carolina., from the gr·en.t cotton belt of the Sout,h, whose peoplE: are interested in the prospects that are wrapped up in the comm erce of t he eaat, with what countenance can we stand bc)'ore tho cabinetS of E urope, prote!)ting against the occupn tion of the porU! of China to the prejudice of Am.eriea.n trade, when we ourselves, from ow- ben.clqun.rtors on the border, being tied cl own by an obsolete constnJCtion of our own ConsLitntio n, have delibe'rl'iely drawn a commercial dend l.i ne about the Philippine I slruJds for the pennancnt exclusion of everybody else.

The open door of 'Asia., through .w hich the enlightened community of . business, Nor th and South, .l ool<s forward to opportunities not -even yet explored, to opportuni t,ies that shall broaden with the centuries -that is the larger question that is on t ri al here. We are in the Ph.ilipplne · · Islands under circutn stances known and read of n.Jl men. Om going there' Wo.e- not an act of sta tesmonsh ip; it was not n.n act of part.isau policy.

It wa an act of war, a step itJ the strategy .of a. military campaign, a truit of ~tory presented to tJ1e American people by our great Admira.J in Asia when 1Ua day's work in the harbor at Manila wa.s done.' (ApplaUBe on the .Republloan aide.)

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·Wh1le the hoatilities lasted the occupation of the Philippine I slands was a war problem aitogcther. It c')id ·not, descend into the region of poli tic~-poHSibly I ought to say it did not nscend into the region of poll-. tics,'. because I use. t he word ih the larger nn,d h!~ber meaning of a term which , in its origin and. early history !Lt. least, is entirely respectable (laughter)-it did not descend into the region of politics'-mi'til our com• ,missioners a.t Pa'ris bad . asge mbled in pursuance . of :the protocol agreed upon witl1 l\'lr. Cam bon, the French ambassador, acting in the place of Spain.

Then, for t he first time, t)le 'questipn was open for the counsel of the wise and for the advice of the leaders 'of public· thought in the Uni ted States. { am not going to stand _here a minute to defend the tre~~sty of Paris.

We !\ave heard here that in maldng that .treaty our Government drifted from its 'moorings and becm:ne a pirate ~· the high seas. . Men have . stood here denoun cing the whole affair a scheme of fand-grabbing rap!Wity.' Even the neutrality \vhich from -;~e{y n:otiv.: of national interest we 11re under obligRtion to maintain in the unfortunRte war now in progress in South Africa, has been put under criticism more malignant than intelligent, and the na.tion itself has been h eld up to scorn and derision, _ because, having itself become a robber. nation, it can no longer tun~ aside from its own busi~ess to interfE!re in the affairs of other nations and, in the language of Danton in the' French Assembly, go forth to "expiate the ·wrongs of the \\•orld."

It is some satisfaction for me to Jmow that no element of nation al ambition, that n'o sinister suggestion of territol'ial aggrandlzem.ent, that not even the greed of commerce, is found in the official literature of the treaty of peace. Its sole motive was to help and give an unselfish guidance to the helpless populations brought thus und ~ r our authority. · And I say to ,both sides of this House that when the archives of that negotiation are published to the world, as they will be,' every American will see that the Pre,sident of the United States ended our war with Spain in the same lofty 11pirit which Ie? the people to begin it, and will be able to reverently invoke ,upon every line in the hi story of the t~an saction the consiqerate . judgment of· mankind and the gracious favor of Almighty God. (Applause ' on1 the Itepnblican s ide. ) < , I hold tbat the treaty of Pa.ris me rely set down in writing the achievement of o.ur · tHms, thougl). I do not deny thae there is rQom f or _a. differ-. imce of opi,nion about tha.t. But I maintain that if any American stateSman cherished the design of hind ering .and disabling the United States In the management of the h eavy weight laid upon us by that treaty, it was . his' duty, before it becU.me a part of the .supreme law of the land, · . to exhaust his influence to d'efeat its ratification. That coui'se was· tB.ken

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OliSERVATIONS OF THE FORMER SPEAKER. ( :wnether the somewhat caustic observa.t ions of the f S ,U the e&tneat arguments of the eminent/ New En I orm.e r peaker or in wisdom or not, it "is now at 1 t g and Senator were founded Tb . . eas a year too late t fi . ey had, a.t all even ts, one q\mlity ~hich enabl o pro tably. inquire. serve the respect of ma.nkind and t hat w . ed both of them to prethe United States ought not ~o ass thas ~heir. defimte conviction that I 1 d . ume e "overeJgnty of th PhT .

B a.n s, :With the cares unavoidably im· I~· d . . . e I lppme ' D.ll.d implied, to the Kingdom o~ Spain o toe th and ~~s d.ntJes,. both defined, the world at large. . ' e native mh ab1tants, a»ft to

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NO SINISTER SUGGESTION OF TERRITORIAL AGGRANDIZEMENT.

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80JU, not&bl7 b,- the form~ Speaker ~ thi 8 · !,lolld- patriotic Senator fi.om New En . · . , Ho~e, a.nd by a venerable ma.n who kn · h,..~... ,___ ~land, the amcenty of whose h eart no ows l l l l ....., ever questiOned.

OCCUPATION OF PHILIPPINES A IWAR PROBLEM' ALTOGETHE:a.

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The war, by the total prostration Of the en no ma.n ought to have advised the t'f . t' emy, was at an end; and manly resolution in his heart to sta:: tblc,thJ'On of the treaty without a immeasurable load la id upon the Unit d Syt teJs country i·n taking up the .• . . e a s by that solemn t f · aovelltmept.

It ts mconceiva,ble that m en wh ac o Ita the, hjghdt digniti es of our nation~] life s hould o count .themselves fit for the party advantnges of the situation d ad . ha ve dehberately reckoned treaty, not -for th ~ purpose of m l·in • .:ntl IVlsed the ratification of the miserabd -opportul) 'ty of harassir ;h~ G aw of t.he land: but for the 0 \olitical party. · .· \g emment m the mterest of a

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'l'HE POLITICAL LEADER WHO\ LEFT HIS UNIFORM IN FLORIDA. _ · Yet such was the reel< less m ental . t' . reserva ton of the l't' w h o. 1eft hi s uniform in Floridlt whil h' h po I 1ca1 leader, · • e e astened to th' 'tal h1s followers to .the support of the tr t f lS cap1 to rally ea y o peace Ev · th . of the approaehing campa ign the moral h •- .' . en In e exCitement '11 . c a.rac ..,nsttcs of su h I ad • WI not 1!ltogether escape t he attent· f tl . c a e ership . h ton o 1e Amertcan peo 1 d · m ot er times, free from the prejudices of h P e; a.n ·Whim degradation are truly measured a . d . ~ e hour, the depth·s of thia • JU gment wtll be record d · con d em.nation of so gross a betra"al f tl . e m everlasting f +A~ , ·' o le nattonal welfare f th o a _.,porar.J( partisan llchantn g-e. {1"oud . applause) or e Sake Even now these advantages ure not as rofi . year ago, for the wi~dom of the national ~· ~ble as they appeared a 1 the ind~bitable folly of every project tl t~ <;! las been emphasized by . At Paris we had the 'choice of gh;ing t;a . lias dbeen offered in its place: . th to fi g ht lt . le IS an s back to S . I . ell! . out with that unfortun t K' . po.m, eavmg independence, leavi.ng .them to fight it :u~ a::gdom, or providing for t!Jeir soverei!!'nty in our own name' and undertak.in ong tbem.se.lv~. or assumin~ ,:>n our own account. g to adD1lruster their affairs · ' Nobody blames us for puttin · . ~VeJI. Mr. Brran lias beeJI. caref~ an ten! ~ the sovereign ty of Spain, a.nd . ,.emand tqe. wit'!!dr!l-w!IJ ~f QlM' . . no

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Army, lea.vlng the !Jsla.nds to their fate; yet' he a.ppe&.J'!I ~ reject the only two propositions in connection ~th the subject tliat, ll(lC()rding to my friend from Missourl (Mr. De Armond), have aD,Y se11se in them, namely: That we shall stay there as in duty bound 'by the treaty, and administer their afta.irs; · en: that we sha.IJ leave them, n!>twi thstanding the treaty, a.nd let. them work out their own sa.lvatlon.

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THE Pl\OPOSITION WHICH MR. BRYAN MAKES. The proposition which Mr Brya n mn.kes concedes that without ua the lsla.nds would · become a prey to t~ose nn.tions which are n.ccustomed to protect the interests of their people in th'e out-of-the-way places of the world. He therefore asks us to first r ecognize the government of an inBurg t .tribe, represen ting onJy a srt~all minority oi t he population of the islands, to' commit the so,·er eign ty which ~acquired from Spain · a.nd which ~e hold in trust for several millions f people, embracing over sixty triPe~~, to the di ctatorship of tJte military c 'efta.i.ns of a single one, and then . stand ofl at our own expens e with 011r Army and Navy, r esponsible for all that follows, but w i thout 0. vestige of a u thority to direct ' the course of aftili~. I undertake to sa;r tb.o.t in the w hole hi story of the wdrld n!> auch blatant stupidity hils ever m asqu erad ed f or wisdom, even In the l ender. alilp of a forlorn political hope. '(G r cn.t applause on the Republica n side.).

It mo.y be set down for s~re that, wba.te,-cr else happens, t his clumsy , a.nd unmana~ble thing will not h appen. If we go, we w ill take · our baggsge with u~ (l imgh ~er ) , leavi n g . the po li ce du Lles of d vili zo.tion, after our · ignominious default of our t-reaty obligations, to be pe rforme d by the nations interested. If we stay, we will stu.y in our own right, exercising the functions of our own Government, deriving o ur aut hority from the treaty which defin es our respon sibili ty. · (4pplau se.) , I

WJl CANNOT LEAVE THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS WITHOUT SURRENDER OF NATIONAL CHARACTER. My own conYiction, strengthened by ·months o f soli citous inquiry and in the 11nan iJ;tl.OUS r eport of the ofl:lcin.l boo.rd wh ose report has just 'been laid before Congress, is that we cun Dot JeaYe the P hili ppin e Islands without sui:rendering the nn.tiomil charn.ctru·, with out rlisown.i ng. the sacrifices we hM·e m ode, withou,t tu rn ing o ur bacl<s on· th f;! mission of the Republic among the n n.Lions of the world. Our Navy .is t h ere, sti ll glorious in the renown of its gTeat sailors ; our Army is th ere; pati ent an d uncomplaining a.D?id. the h a rd ship_s of a stran ge Inod;' our flag is. the re, with no stain upon it except t he blood of th e brnve men who h ave !lied in · its defeiHie. (Appl ause oti the R epublican s ide.) · The open attuck on t h e front of t he national position ron de by the :Democratic party and its allies is nlrcacly n, f rtilu re, pi tiable and complete. ~ven:while it lasted it was rdore con temptible than formidable. It went c~nftrnied

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'to pa.rtnership with th~ feYel"'l of the camp a.nd tried to · k m votes at every sotdi , fun ra.l p1c up a few rels .. :.ffi • er B e ; it sought to r eap a profit from the quar o~ o· cera m both arms of th · d f • listed m . e servlce an ·rom the grievances of entation b enffu~nd even in the hour of victory it degraded the national reputruth (~ I ng the world with sca ndals and hearsttys without decen cy or PP ause on the Republicnn side.)

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It furnished enough votes i f ' · • and tslk e . . n avor of t h e treaty of P a ri s to ratify it, . nough aga.tnst it to entourage adventurers to m~ke an · • tit' on as:athmst the sovereignty which it established. It fot:med a. ;:::~ecJOD Wl Aguinaldo more t 'bl b m11r alliance which will • ang~ e . y far than the secret . Anglo-Saxon be found r ecord ed m t he dream book of that . . ' t bl f or t une teller from M' . h llllilll a e fall! . .

JSSOUrJ, w o so often de lig hts with his tales f . . a.l~ng emplres. (Laughter on the R epublica n s id e ) By its te A ~ n uo was to do all he e ld f th . rms gllla.i't wa , . ou or e Dem,ocr ntic party, ani! the Democratic ~hyd s to do all It could f or him- a sort of mutua l aid societ in wh ' b

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e::!~~o~n 0~het::c~~~~~::: ~~:er,({hile1 ~oth were I)W~~g swif~~:y

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TIME TO DO SOME PLAIN SPEAKING.

The tiljlle has cpme, in my juc1m ent for s omebod t _speaking i-n - this Hou se and bav ' n "t 'd Y o , do some plai n b d el • I wm e n early th r ee months fo o y se to come forward· to atte~l to it I r somem~self. (A pplnuse.) The .o th d ~ propose now to attend to it • d elphia.,' ~ took up the eveningerpa;ers,p:~ n!t ~!:o~~ th; t~ity ot P h ilat:ype an !Deb long, was "McKinle a mur , o . 1e column, in colum.n, I found that a genU y I· . derer, n.nd r en clmg down the emo.n w 10se name I can not ll :. noun~ th e Pres id en t of the Uni ted States r eca. • bad d eas a murdereJ·, amtd t he ap. plause of the United Anti Irnpe . I' t C · . . Waah.ington's birt hd ay t b- ~ t rmtJS onvention meeting t h ere to cclcbt·ate • • .. gTea assembly · u • its exercises conducted on the tl b , orgnnlze by u ca tl ID!!n, nnd on the Republican side.) . oor y m a dm en. (Lau g ht e r and nppl au~e I .ronde up my mind that i:f I could . ·. read t.ho ord ers of th n.. ' ] get an opport uni ty here I would ...,.,... · e .n"esJc ent of the United SL· t 1 know what manner of men these ar .. t es, t lnt the " ·orld titny against their country does t • e w~ose WIC I<cd nnd rec.:k lcss m alice States. ~bold . h dno even ~pare t h e hicj i\fngistrate of the United · m my an the Pres1dent's tel 1.. 1111 .

Admiral ewey of J · · "g ' to Ge ne ral Otis and to . , anuDJ'y 8, 1899, and I des ire to J"end i t J· n th IS ' H ouse.

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LETTER FROM GENERAL OTIS.

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. I deaire to read a.lso the followin g letter fr G !!!urgent commander, in whic'h he ca·IJs his tt t?m en ernl Otis to the in· .un'cler strict orders of the Preeident to ~ . en ~~n ~ t h e fact t hat he was • a vot . confli ct Ill ~very possible way:

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To Otis and Dewey, Manila: We transmit to you the following n\:essage f1'9m the Preeident.

I ALGER, LONG. "Am most desirous that conflict hf avoided. Your statement that a conflict' 'at Iloilo or other southern .port means war in all the islands' increases that desire.

Such conflict most unfortunate, considering the present, and might have results unfavorable affecting the future. Glad you did not permit Miller to bring on a conflict.

"Time given insurgents· can not hurt us and must weaken an discourage them.

They will come · to see qur benevolent purpose and recognize that before we cab give their people good government our sovereignty must be complete and llJ!questioned. Tact and kindness JDOSt essential just now. Am sure you both, having full knowledge of situation, can be trusted. to accomplish purposes of · this Government with the least discord and friction. We accepted the Philippines from high duty in the interest of their inhabitants and for humanity and civilization.

0 sacrifice's were with this high motive. _ "We want to improve the condi~ion of the inhabitants, securing them peace, liberty, and the pursuit of their highest good. Glad you are conferring with thein in tl>.eir unoffici al capacity. Will send conl~ssioners if you think desirable to coop~rate with you both in your delicate task._ They can not leave here for two . weeks or report Manila for two months. Will send them as above on hearing from you. If possible to hasten repatriation of Spani sh soldiers before treaty ·ratified, -it will be done, You are maste rs of the situation there and must not relax your .power or vigilance. Hope good coun sel wi ll prevail among the inhabitants and that yo u will find mea ns to save -bloodshed and restore trnnquil>ty to that unhappy island.

"How . i~ the henlth of Mill Pes command?

"WILLIAM McKINLEY." I desire to tea.d als o the following! lette r from Oenero.J Otis to the iniiu~gent. commander, in which he calls hi s attention to the fact that he was under strict ord ers of the President to avoid conflict in every po'ssibl~ way: Headquat:ters Department of th e Pacific and Eighth .Army Corps.

Man i la; ~h i lippin e ! • lauds, Januarv 9, 1899.

Gen . Emilio Aguinaldo, Comma·11di11g R cvoi!IL·io11ary Force, Malolos, Phil·ippiu e f slau ds .

General: I have the honor to acknow ledge the receipt of your communication of to-day, and am much pleased at the action you have taken. I greatly regret that you have not a clear understanding of my position and motives, and trust that my explanatign, assisted by the conference I ha:ve invited, will make them clear, to you. · · In my official capacity I am merely the agent of the United States Gove~­ ment to conduct its affairs under the limits which its Constitution, laws, precedents, . and specific instructions prescribe. I have not the authority to recognize any natiomil or civil power not already form ally recognized - by my Government, unless specially authorized so t do by the instructions of the Executive of the United States. For this. reason I was unable to receive officially the representatives of the revolu tionary government, and endeavpred to make that inability clear to the distinguish ed gentlemen with whom I had the pleasure to converse a few evenings sipce. You will bear witness that m course throughout my entire official connection with affairs here hns been consistent, and it has pained me that I have not been able to receive and answer communications of the cabinet officers of the government at l\Ialolos, fearing tlu~t I mi!)ht 1 be crroneoUHI;Y chnr!)ed with llaclt of courtes;r.

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Permit me now briefly, General, to ~pea k of the Sl)rious misunderstanding which uieta between the .Filipino 'people anti the · n ipresentativea of the United States Go,.ernment, and which I hope that our commissioners, ,by thorough discussion, may be able to dispel. I sincerely believe that all desire peace and harmony, and yet, by the n;1achinlLtioll8 of evil-disposed persons, we have been influenced to think that we cx:dtpy the lJO&ition of advers11ries. The Filipinos appear to be of the opinion ·that we meditate attack, while I am under the strict orders of the Presi· - dent of the United States to avoid conflict ,.in every way possible.

My troops, witnessing the earnestness, the compa ratively disturbed and unfriendly attitude, of the revolutionary troops and mauy of the ditizens of Manila, conclude that active hostilities have been determined U].JO n, although it must be clearly within the comprehension of unprejudiced and rcflectillg minds that tile welfare and happiness of the Philippine people depend upon the friendly protec. t~on of the United States. The hand of Spai n was forced, and she has acknowledged before the .world that all her claimed rights iu t his country ·have departed by due proceas of law.

T)lis tteaty acknowledgm ent, with the conditions which accompany it, awaits ratification of the Senate of the United States, and the action of its Congress must also be secured before the Executive of that Governm eut can proclaim a definite policy. That policy must conform to the will of th e peop)., of the Unit..d Stutes expreased through its representatives in CongT·e!;l!. For. that action the Filipi.rio . people should wait, at least, bdore severing the existing friendly relations. I am governed ' by 1a dCJ!ire to furth er. the_ inter;';lts of the Fi lipino peuple, and shill! continue to laDor Wtth that end tn VIew. I h ere ~ shall be no conflict of forces if I ·am abl~ to avoid it, and still I shall endeavor to maintain a po&ition to meet all emergencies that may arise.

Pennit me to subscribe myself, Gep eral, with the high est res]lect, I .f\ Your moat obedient setyant, \ i .

E . S. OTIS, \ faj or -Gcncral, U. S. l'ols., Com111a11ding.

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POLICY OF FORCE AGAINST PHILIPPINE PEOPLE. A year ago on this floor I wo.&. jeer ed . by my Democratic colleagues because. I refused to advi se a policy of force a gainst t he rhilippin e people.

I did not th en know that for months our boys had borne in silent humiliation the taun 't s and j~ers and insults of thi s mob of swift-footed warriors.

I did not know tlmt the P resid ent of tbe United States had commanded both our Army and Navy under no circumstances to make a.n attack but to treat these people with ldndn ess and considern.tion and malce k~o~ to them the good will and fr ien dl y purposes of our Government. I did not th6'n know the objects with which that armed horde was encamped on the suburbs of ll!anila.; nor did I understand the motive and form of th~ unique system of' government by whi ch a ~~If-appointed lead er of the Tagal in virtue of a constitutio.n wl1ich he wrote himself in a chinese · · 'boarding bouse in Hongkong, had become the 'bead "o f an irnaginary Philippine republic. .. .

But whatever my desire to avoid the nccrssity of waging war on Agul; na.ldo's army mn.y have ~n, I n ever h ave b een even tempt.ed too r eg-ret tha.t our littl~ garriRon lying in the m11d in the outskirts of Manila refm100. tO run from them . (Appla"tlS~.) And fro'm t hat · duy I n.~s.-:rt, with the unanlmows report of· the Philippine Conuniaaion in my hand, th11.t uothing

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baa bee11 done there that has not b~n n~ to ~ure 1« our GoTez:!l• meut the respect and obedience whlch belong to it. (Applause.)

N~ Amerit'.a.n a.rmy ever voluutRfred for · a. service more a.rdUOWI; ~one enr had a. better right to look to their countrymen at borne for encour· agement a.nd sympathy; no e ever -ea.rned a higher title to the love of a generoua people. In camp o.nd garrison, ~n the ma.rch a.nd in the fteld, in the tangie of awa.mpa a.nd over the passes of unt.ravehslfmounta.ina4ey_. ha.ve borne the ftag of the America.n Republi~th&t ftag which n.eTer yet -stood a.nd never e&n 1tand for a.nythinlf ex~t the libelrty of !:nell• . (Loud applause.) · THAT LITTLE ARMY 01!' VOLUNTEmi.S. That little o.rmy of volunteers stayed in the service nearly a yea.r after th teon of their enlilitment ho.a'. e.Kpir · . When the ret.urning regiments came back they were welcomed with U lllgDS of public honor in every city and village from Sa.n li'mncisco to ~ei r h_oml'.~, a.n.d the President of · the United States did not think it below the dignity of his office to lea.ve this capital a.nd go O'llt to meet the men who ho.d sened the rur.tion, ta.ke each one of them by the hand; and speoJc to him in words of a.pprecia.tlon and gratitude. (Applause.) · t With gracious sympathy he consoled the sorrow of those whoee loved ones had fo.llen in battle or- died in the hospitals of disease, and in the presence of th_e living be comforted broken hewrts with this sentiment; native to the ieelinga of kindly and patriotic men everywhere, "They died on the altar of their' country." (Applause.) A few. days later the Omaha World-Herald, Mr. Bryan's persono.l organ in Nebraska., printing the Ass~ . elated Press cable containing General Otis's officio.l list Of the dead a.nd · wounded (I have a oopy of the po.per before me), set over it, - in . mimicry of the President's gentle words, this infamous hea.Qline: "Still dying on 'tbe altar,'" and then follows t he pathetic roll of our poor boya fallen in a land of stra.ngers in the discharge of a. ~oldier's duty.

EVERY MAN'S RIGHT TO HIS OWN OPINION. I, have been accused of calling men traitors, though I never did. I · give every man the 8ame right to his views that I claim for myself. I have been accused of calling m en copperheo.ds, though I never did. I •recog. nize every man's right to his own opinions. But if I had done so in a case like this, I would apologize to the old r ebels of the South and the" old copperheads of the North 1 for I declare here that political degro.dation never· before fell ~o lmv as to turn into j est and tidicuJ-e the · death reporta ·ot . the army eit her North or South. (Loud appln.use.)

A few days ago in this city, in a stately ceremoni11ol, his comrades carried to Arlington th e bra,•est of the brave. It was he who, a.t the time when the printing presses of America were buay with deed• of valOil' fur_.. nis~ed in ma.n 1fscript by i"ed~emen who performed them. itandllil' · before

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the multitude at __ Macon, •could only say , "I a.m not an orator; I am a. soldier. I am not a hero; I am a Regular." (Appla)lSe.) - - What right ha.ve people living und er t h,e shelter of our Jaws to embitter the .Jlervic~ of a man like that as he rid es und er m~ieudly skies, care!~ even of his life, at the head of an American command? Is it not a shame that this old soldier, who !or forty y_.enrs hns obeyed the orders of this Qovernment, receiving .hardly enough to sup1101't his family and educate his children, with no ambition except to do his duty, should in his last great C!IIDpll-ign hear messages from home so filled with banter--and criticism a'nd reproach that his heo.rt sank within him, and in his agony of spirit, seeing he sho.d~w upon him, he wrote the words I am about to read?

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I wish to G~d that this whole Philippine situation could be known by every one·'"l'n America as I know it. If the real history, inspiration, and conditions of this · insurrection, and the influences, local and external, that now encourage th e euemy, as well na the actual possibilities of these islands ~tnd peoples and their - relatione to this great East could be understood at home, we would bear no more talk of unjust " shooting of government" into the Filipinos or of hauling down · our flag in the Philippines.

If the 1so-cnlled anti -imperialist! would honestly ascertain the truth on the ground, anti not in distant America, they, whom I believe to be honest men mi&-inform-ed, would be convinced of the error of their atatemcnt.e and conclusion•· and of the unfortunate effect of their publications here. If l: am shot by a Filipino bullet, it might as well come from o'Te of my ow n men, because--1 know from ob· servation -l:onn rmed by captured prisoners that the _continuance of the fightinJ ia chiefly .due to reports that are aent dut from America.

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\ Sto.udiug by 1;he gro.ve of W. Lawton, I appeo.J to the patriotic millions of my countrymen witl1out regard to politics to put a.n end to the pestilent fire in the rear "''hich for nearly two y~>.a.rs has followed -our Army) n the Philippines, filling the hen.rts of our vwn soldiers with despair a.nd the hearts of their enemy with comfort a nd good cheer. (Loud applause.)

THE FAILUli.E 01' THE FRONT ATTACX. But the failure of the front attack bas not discouraged the enemie." of the no.tiono.l Administration. They have other resources, and it is not re_u:uu':qple that t hey have o.t length underto.lccn a movement by the flank, bringing into action a dilapidated battery of condemned ctWnon and opening on the Republican works with" a smoothbore interpretation of the law, Ia the (\Xpecto.tion of making the p~sition of th Government uncomfotta.ble; · if not -dntenable. (Laughter on the Republican side.) ·There a.re some timid souls who think that the leaders of the Democratic party are ~ing to be able to sca.re ~he American M,Ople out of the . Philippine Islands by pounding their commercial prollpecta to death with a copy of the Constitution_of tho United Sta.tes, annotated in the ha.ndwrlt~ of ,John C. Cn.lhoun. .(Laughter and applause .on the Republica.n side.) fhlC;h persons may be pardoned tor· expres.~ing thei r S\ll'prise that. this que•tJon ilaa ~en p ~rmit~d to rise.

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In the face of a. united and discipline<!- enemy, how could we help it . coroing up? You say you are surprised. Well, I o.m n.ot. I never IIII.W' b.~~·-: one day in my life when I thought w.e would get ILDY help from the 'nem'Qcratic party in managing this b'kiness, and that was the day when my .friend from 'l'exa.s (1\ir. Bailey) got up n.nd pledged everybody to sta.nci ·by the GoverWllent in the Cuban intervention. My faith · in that distln-. guished young statesman lasted just three days; for Wh6n we brought in a bill to p a.y. the expenses of it, h e went all to pieces because we declined to . feed the Army and float the N1Lvy' on the se igniorage in ·the Treasury.

(Laughter.) · He did not resent our failure to coin the bulliOn. He did not seem to want th.a t coined . He wanted to coin the seigni~rag&-that is, the atmosphere tliat surrounds the bullion. (Laughter on the Repub'can side.)

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DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN I~ABITUAL ATTITUDE. I can not, therefore, share in this surprise; knowing the Democratic · · party a.s I do, I have never since that a. owed myself to indulge the hope "that the nation would through the vast undertakings growing out of the Cub~n intervention witbo~t · sooner or later . finding the entire organization out of hreath and r ed in th? face, with the Dred Scott ,decision II\_ one hand and holding on fQr d ear life to your Uncle Samuel's coat ta.ila with the other. (Laughter. on the Republi can sid e.)

I have no surprise to express, no complaint, and, as ev~ts have developed, not even a r.egret. The fact js that, like n early everybody else, I . prefer the Democrati c party in its habitual attitude of b elaboring the policy ,. of its' adversary, rather than to see it clothed with authority, helplessly struggling with a policy of its own. (La ughter. ) It shov~·s off our sy!ttem · of governm ent to a !Jetter advantage to have the Democratic party on the outside, howling to get in, than to biive them on the inside, with everybody else desperately awaiting the expiration of their term of office.

(Laughter.) · It is impossible, even with the best management, to keep · them fro~ occasionally getting in, but such a thing does not commonly happen when important pages are being added · to the national history---such pages as . from decade ·to deOade have glorified the last forty years in the lite ot ·;. the Republic. (Applause.) It is not an acc,ident that everyone -of them has been· written by the Republican party-every · page, every line, ~very word. Our Democratic friends have only managed to work in a. few• pUnotua.tiou points on us-a. ·comma. here, a semicolon there, an exclama.tl~ ' here, an interrogation there, with .a. full stop in 1892, at lea.st 8Q f&r u our worldly _interests were . concerned. (Continued laughter:) c

THE CARNIVAL OF SOUP AND RAGS.' My f riend from Missouri (Mr. Clark), and /I am glad to see his saintly and benevolent face befor~• m e (laughtCl·), in g lan eing ba'ck tht: otbcc du.f

oveor ' the roll of Democrll!tic Pr&;idents never allowed, his ey~ to re.qt until . he got to James .. Jluchanan. He n ever eveu looked ,at the man for whose election he did what he could three different ti_mes-twi ce successfull.}:, ' o:ri.ctr when / it did not count, and once when it did; the man who, from the defeat. of James G. · Blaine to the carnival of soup and rags that followed the electlol}- of 1892, bestrode the narro,w world of Democrat ic: politics lilte a. Colossus, while the petty men who now ign ore hi s existe nce walked underneath his huge legs and peeped about to find them seh:'e.~ a comfortable berth. (J.. aughter.)

What has become of this obscure hero of I>emocmtic victories, that my friend from Missouri should stand here for two hours gidng his attention to all sorts and conditions of men , from Crassu s and Augu s tus Crosa.r · t.o fhilip of Macedon and Dr. Jolinson's indispe nsable widow, without even mentioning the most conspicuou s n ame. in th e poll lis t of his anti-imperialist associates? You say tlmt h e heti'a.yed t h e sac rr d cause. Be not · deceived. He never did a thing to s ilv er '.v hich he had not publicly promised to do before you either. nominated him or elected him. What, then, "'!IS the my,tter with him? I will tell you. 'l'he time had co me for a change of ase, arid ·Mr. Cleveland wa.s left holding the hag whil e boon companions · in the glorious work of t:uiff r eform one by one depa r ted for fresh fields and pa.stu;r~ new. (Laughter.)

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T~E DEMOCRA~IC

PARTY. TO-DAY. '

~ T0.day the D.emocrn.tic party, ih a s imilar strait, is und er the necessity eLther to retire from business or to\renssort its principles and llnd one not yet, shopworn in the bankrupt stock of Ame1·ican politics, warr;ilited to la.st at least through one campaign. (Lu.ughte1· on the Republican side.)

And ·. Mr. Bryan would have been le ft h oldi ng the ba&" too, if he bad not, with an instinct decided ly professiona l, comprehend ed, in a dim sort of way, in the ieisure of camp life in Tampa., _that an important s te p in the history of the United States was about to b e tal< en and that his party would need somebody experienced in the str ategy of Democratic warfare to manage the tail end of the process ion . · (La.u whter.)

• I do not dispute his qpn.litications for the place. The man who dug his way Ollt of the debris of the Wilson t."Lriff law, and ins id e of three years pasted the label on a new remedy and . actually got more. than· 6,000,000 of his countrymen to· tlike it clown, n eeds no in s truction from Boston to . qua.li~y hlm to superintend the litti e jobs that the De;nocratic party ill. · now engaged in setting . up on the United States of America.. (Laught-er · on . the Republican side.) ' Gentlemen, with all respect to such of our boys on this side have gone lnto the labyrinth of the Constitution and are not expected bacl< (laughter), I say here publicly that our Republican forc es in t his House hold them~elvea ready to meet any manoeuver of the' Democratic pn;·ty- front, fianl<, or re!!l'. {Applause on the Republican side.) We do nl>t deny that a ques-

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18 tion of law Ia invohed here. In tact, we t.b.ink that we h&ve been stucq- ·-- . iDg this question of law a good xhany monthll before some of _the folia oa ~ ~his side who refuse to ta.ke oilr opinio~ about it hea.rd that &\lch a q~~ tion was up. I am quite sure tfat ·may be li&id of the reaponsiJ:lle om~ connected with the Administration of the Government pf the United-St&ta.-

GIVE TBE OLD REPUBLICAN PARTY A CHANCE. - .

I ask the membership of the organization which we ove a.nd have aerved for so many years, .is it not fair to give the old Republican party a chance for its life .bY allowing this question to pass from this pl~, where 'it can be debated but not detm·mineq, to that tribuno.l where it can be .both argued and decided? (Loud applause on both sides of the House.)

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Another gentle~n,n says, ' O!ou ha:ve aJ1·ea.dy got on your banda in the Phili ppine Archipelago polygamy an s ·v ery." It that is so, we ~ not responsible for it. We found both in \the"Mohammedan Islands there. But I will say to the gentleman that tbe\Republica.n party bas a. record for · effectual dealing with both of these relics of barl;m.rism. Its first successful . platform denounced the!D, and even those of us who are younger h ive • ' lived to see one of them, as Garfield once sn.ld, "shot to death on the field of battle," and the other snea.ldng and hiding in the secret pla.c'es of our Western mouritnins.

PAGAN AND SAVAGE INSTITUTIONS. An~ if this Dl~.tion, when qall ed 1 on to dea l with pagan nnd s&vnge in-

stitutiona 'i n our distant Territories, has the sa.me fortune that the Republican party hns had in dealing with th m in t h e .United States, I think it ought at least to satisfy the Democratic party in the present ata.te of Its culture. • For I observed while the. gentleman from Texas wa.s spea.kin.g how rapidly his party is moving toward the light. It was a .happy th.ought to ornament the peroration of hi s great speech t?is afternoon with words once despised and rejected, now transfigured before the eyes of menthose "Yords, forever true thnt "a nation can not endure half slave, half free;" w ords, the rl epth of whose meaning are not even yet, comprehended . either by the North or South. As I listened to my friend's eloquent periods it did my l!eart g~o;l to find that in the closing year of the century the Democratic party o/ America bas at last Cll.ught up with the middle' of 1t. .

(ProiQnged ln.ughter n.nd n.pplause.)

J._fy friend eom:plains beoanse we have slavery and polygamy ciD ' tile Philippine Islands. What opportunity have, we ever had to get rid of them? , Under. your theory of the Constitution a. polygamist in :Mindanao is entitled. before ,he can be di sturbed, to n,n inui ctment by n gro.nd jury, a. tri.lll -by a jury of hlg peer:;, to be followed by an appeal to the higher coUrts, aDd a fino.) recourse to the writ of ha.beris corpus. 1 The only other wa.y to stop ~t Ia to lynch him; and ij I e.an get .a.t the oompla.int w)lich is ·made bere

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&tee cUd 11.0t punue that cout'IIO. We haM ma.ne~d to ol our polyramlat.l In the United States w!th due proceu of law.

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"WALK!NG ON CLOUDS. "

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We have been u.ble to keep them out of Cougre3s 110 tnr (laughter), against the votes ~f a good mru1y good people. In !act, OUI.' polygamist, ~rding to his own· statl!ment, went out of this Hayse ·•wnlking on clouds," which had been produced by a. w eek's debate and "holtliug onto the pillars of the temple of libc•·ty" which t.hc gentlema n irom lll aino (.\lr . .Littlefield) and the gentl eman irom 1\lisso ul'i (l\lr. De Armond) had been good ~nough to erect for hi s :JCcomm odat.ion, lea\·ing those gentlemen still among us, hugging the Constitution of the nited Stutes to their bosoms. (Con. \inued laughter and applause.)

And yet men st.a.nd here p •·etending thut we h ave put a protectorate ln ·er polygamy and s la\'ery. And we h ave the s ha de of the Emnncipator ' •ummoned because uu Ameri ca n o!nccr, rather than precipitate blood s h~ and war, has made a temporary ar rangeme nt ro~ th e pence or th e Sul u' Archipel u.gp. unt~l some f01:m of ci vil go 1·er nm en t enn l.Jc establisiH" cl th c r~ . .A. ~d 1t\ IS w1th a r otll'lllg' delu g·e of nonsen s e lil;e this t haL d ·sperate politiw adve·n turers axpect t o fectl th e cl nmor 'by which t.hey have sd out to oapture the, Government off the uit.ed l::i lut es. ~ r, \

LET US r oT FALTER.

My countrymen, in the mid s t 'b.r our h igh res po u s ibiliti es, let us nnt allow the national r esoluti on ' to fnlt c r for u. moment. H th e 1!<-puh li<·n u ~arty can not stand together 1\ C are sure ly ovcnvhehned . But th " H ~ pub­ lica.n party can s t.a.nd tog-cth<•r (a pp lause on the Hcpublkn n side); and multitudes of othe1· political vi ews, sc··ing the 'burden whi ch we l.Jeur, will not lJ.esitste to leave their pru·t.ics and cpme to tue s upport of a l.Jrol!d national policy. Above ull there is a 11 i ~ dom in the u.!Iair>:~ of m en that Ia higher than any poor wi sdom of ours.

The experience of the last two years has gil·c n the American people a national ides) from wh k• h it is not possib le to !nil nwny- an itl en.l shaped in the")uinistry of the on of ~Jan, in obedience to whi c h every human life becomes a sacrament of help an u mer y, 11nd evc•·y true national life stands willing to pour itself out in the scr~· ice of m:mldnd.

The great nations of the world are the nations that bear the heavy · burdens of the world- upon wh o ~ h•ll'l;~ nre l rii d the heavy responsibllitiea and the appointed duties of these pas ing c~ntu rics . E"ery mnn kn'uwa .with what motive the American people brolce the pence of the world, and the time Ia coming when e\'el'y man shall know with what motive we have taken up these burdens which are ·not our own. I do not believe that the .A:toeriean Republic will be allowed to fail the midst of Ita dutiea, hon 88 tly aucl manfull7 tryin&' to perform them. ·

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t~NG'ER Roo:M: i'bR

NA:P<>t..:koN'

'l'B:~ 'a:tUl:A.'l\

1.n the wuster:Picce ~£ prose fiction you r eme mber ·that on the d;~y , ·~l ; .\'Vuterloo the Supreme Equity which. is in the h eavens enters a decree 't&t• ··::In the nineteenth century there is no longer room for Napoleon the' Great; '~· ~ . timt the time bas come . t.o maJce a.ll end · of hi s affairs. That is tha .glel(m · : of ·a lofty imagination, but there is in the h eart of 'tJte· American people , tl1e steady light of n fa.ith more sublime even tlmn that, a faj.th in · the' , greatness of our country, u. f a ith in the future of huma.iiity, a froth ' in the divine' guidance which has watched over the n'a.tional life from· its infancy · ·unto this hour. . · 1 ' ·

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It is n'll't h ard to see th e dangers that beset us; it is not hard to point · out the cares that are upon us; it is not hard to fill the future with 'th~ reatio~s of doubt and uncertainty an~ · ear; but none of these things eliin · move us if 'in the midst .of all danger a . all burdens and aJi doubts ' and .. fears we recognize th.e hand of God, s . etched forth from the stars, touch- .. . . lng the American Republic upon the sho lder · an d giving i't a high commls. sion to stand in the arena the world's great affairs, living no longer to Itself alone, b.ut in willing submission to t.he divine appointment, ready lit last to become the faithful senant even of the lowliest and most helpless of His children. (Appl au se.) · ' We have heo.rd it said, that the days ~f the R epub lic are numbered. _Such a speech belongs to the bl n.ckncss of tlre darkness of a past generation.

The old , Union a.rmy made it p oss ible for u s and our childr·cn to live in an atmosph ere no •longer overshadowed by tilat awfu l dreatl. \Vlmtever may be in store for us, wll ntel' cr poli tical pa rty mny ri se or fall, this Governm en t shall live to scatter th e ri ch es of h uman f.b erty to r:tccs yet uncivilizecl and to n ations yet unuqnr. (Applau se.) · I believe' in the United Sttttes of lrm er icu; I · bnck Hepublic of our fathers aga inst t he w o dd; nor s in ce Abraham Li n f ell in the midst of duties far more t h an onrs ha s th er e bee n a.fl'a.J.rs a steadier, wiser, ldndli er, br:ll'<'r _ Md\inl cy, President of the United Slates. ~e on t.he floor nn<) in the galleries.)

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