If in this country, where the people have the right to vote, Republican
leaders dare not take the side of the people against the great monopolies which
have grown up within the last few years, how can they be trusted to protect the
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Filipinos from the corporations which are waiting to exploit the islands: oi
[s the sunlight of full citizenship to be enjoyed by the people of the Unit-
ed States and the twilight of semi-citizenship endured by the people of Ports
Rico while the thick darkness of perpetual vassalage covers the Philippines?
The Porto Rico tariff law asserts the doctrines that the operation of the Con-
stitution is confined to the forty-five states. The Democratic party disputes
this doctrine and denounces it as repugnant to both the letter and spirit of our
organic law. There 1s no place in our system of government for the deposit of
arbitrary and irresponsible power.
That the leaders of a great party should claim for any president or Con
ogress the right to treat millions of people as mere “possessions” and deal with
them unrestrained by the Constitution or the Bill of Rights shows how far we
have already departed from the ancient landmarks and indicates what may be
expected if this nation deliberately enters upon a career of empire.
The territorial form of government 1s temporary and preparatory, and
the chief security a citizen of a territory has is found in the fact that he enjoys
the same constitutional guarantees and is subject to the same general laws as
a citizen of a state. Take away this security, and his rights will be violated
and his interests sacrificed at the demand of those who have political influence.
This is the evil of the colonial svstem, no matter by what nation it is ap-
plied.
WHAT IS OUR TITLE TO THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS DO WIE Hi
BY TREATY OR BY CONQUEST? DID WE BUY THEM OR DID WE TAKE TI
DID WE PURCHASE THE PEOPLE? IF NOT, HOW DID WE SECURE TITLE TO
THEM? WERE THEY THROWN IN WITH THE LAND? WILL THE REPUBLI
CANS SAY THAT INANIMATE EARTH HAS VALUE, BUT THAT WHEN THAT
IARTH IS MOULDED BY THE DIVINE HAND AND STAMPED WITH THE LIKE
y
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NESS OF THE CREATOR IT BECOMES A FIXTURE AND PASSES WITH THE
SOIL ?
IF GOVERNMENTS DER HEIR JUST POWERS FROM THE CONSENT OF
THE GOVERNED IT IS IMPOSS LE TO SECURE TITLE TO ] OPL.E EITHER BY
FORCE OR BY PURCHASE.
We could extinguish Spain's title by treaty, but if we hold title we must
hold it by some method consistent with our ideas of government, When we
made allies of the Filipinos and armed them to fight against Spain we dis
puted Spain’s title. If we buy Spain's title we are not innocent purchasers. But
even if we had not disputed Spain's title she could transfer no greater title
than she had, and her title was based on force alone,
We cannot defend such a title, but as Spain gave us a quitclaim deed
we can honorably turn the property over to the party in possession. Whether
any American official gave the Filipinos formal assurance df independence is
not material. There can be no doubt that we utilized and accepted the services
of the Filipinos, and that when we did so we had full knowledge that they
were fighting for their own independence, and I submit that history furnishes
no example of turpitude baser than ours if we now substitute our voke for the
Spanish yoke.
Let us consider briefly the reasons which have been given in support of
an imperialistic policy. Some say that it is our duty to hold the Philippine
Isiands. But duty is not an argument; it is a conclusion. To ascertain what
our duty is, in any emergency, we must apply well-settled and generally ac-
cepted principles.
~~ Itis our duty to avoid stealing, no matter whether the thing to be stol-
en 1s of great or little value. It is our dutv to avoid killing a human being,
no matter where the human being lives or to what race or class he belongs.
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