| Show THE annexation POLICY the springfield republican argues against the annexation policy of the united states on the ground that it is a departure from the principles embodied in the of independence pen dence and that it la Is a step towards the establishment of imperialism in this country the republican urges the people to speak freely and emphatically on this subject it says bays we say then that if we axe are to abandon the policy of our national life up to this time and start off on a course that one of the imperialists has been frank enough to say involves the danger of it cannot be done constitutionally and lawfully without the expressed consent of a majority of the people congress to not the people A majority of congress is not a majority of the people and congressmen speaking and voting upon a subject of the highest public concern whereon no particular instructions have been placed represent only themselves and not their constituents this is primarily a government of the people and not of unrestricted representatives and when unrestricted representatives attempt to go beyond the platforms upon which they were elected and to commit the country to great reach and consequence they act in a highhanded high handed and revolutionary manner unless they can maintain successfully the plea of urgent and vital national necessity which cannot wait for a plebiscite it seems to us that the people have already spoken public opinion appears to be in favor of at the policy of the administration as fax far as this has been announced and if it involves any danger of the overthrow of ow our institutions and of the introduction of the major majority lt of the people axe are not aware of it the me wax war with spain from the moment it became known that the destruction of the maine in the ha vana harbor was not due to internal causes was entered upon by the he whole nation with an enthusiasm and unanimity almost without precedent in history one of its consequences was that the hawaiian Ha wallan islands became our ai ally ay by giving to our transports the necessary facilities for coaling and repairs on their way to the philippines another was wae that the spanish islands had to be seized as aa a base of operations for admiral deweys deleys squadron which no longer could remain in any neutral harbor would it in the opinion of the republican be in accordance with american principles of government to aba abandon n d 0 n hawaii after the wax war and leave it to s generosity does the declaration of independence demand that the philippines again be left to a country whose misrule ts Is the cause of the present war that surely cann otle the ver verdict of the people there are no complicated facts to consider the good samaritan who found by the roadside a victim of outrage and who moved to comp compassion Non stopped and administered to him and then picket s him up and saw him comfortably at tended to at a proper place did his duty a to a fellow being and no one thinks of blaming him for not minding his own business the united states it seems has among the nations of the earth been called upon to rescue millions of human beings from cruel oppression pres U to pass them by in their dying condi i tion on the plea that to pour oil andt and wine in their wounds la is a departure from the policy of the country would 1 be to betray a sacred trust this coun try has been endowed with power and the will to give to the millions or of colonies the protection top i which their condition so pitifully ap peals to the civilized world shall they f appeal to us in vain as did the arme i anians and cretans caetans to Christia when the great instrument of american independence declares that all men are created equal in their political lega rights does that not imply that a nation acknowledging this principle la is morally bound to uphold it wherever by the force of circumstances its influx ence Is felt the opposition to a policy evidently the outgrowth of the wonderful evol evolution of this republic may have it its roots in the depth of political considerations but they are hidden from the view of the common people to then t the hawaiian islands and the philip pines are peopled with beings entitled to the benefits of civilization and tree frew I 1 government if by establishing these stepping stones can also be laid to t theft immense trade of eastern asia all tb the better then the war will prove k blessing to the conquerors and coa alike |
