Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 September 1900 — FAIRBANKS’ TRICKERY. [ARTICLE]

FAIRBANKS’ TRICKERY.

The speech of Senator Fairbanks Tuesday night was the most complete and flagrant resort to deciet and trickery that it has ever been our lot to hear from any man occupying so exalted a position as Mr. Fairbanks. We give below a sample: In attempting to hold Mr. Bryan up to scorn and ridicule for his action in endorsing the Philippine treaty and then taking the position regarding them which he now does (and has all along), to show that it was only for political purposes that Bryan did this, Mr. Fairbanks read from Bryan’s speech of acceptance at Indianapolis as follows: “I was among the number of those who believed it better to ratify the treaty and end the war, release the volunteers, and (Mr. Fairbanks added the conjunction—it’s not in the original speech) remove the excuse for war expenditures— Here he stopped. Why didnt he read the rest of the sentence? Here it is: AND THEN GIVE THE FILIPINOS THE INDEPENDENCE WHICH MIGHT BE FORCED FROM SPAIN BY A NEW TREATY." Next he read from the middle of a paragraph the following: "I believe that we are now in a better position to wage a successful contest against imperialism than we would have been had the treaty been rejected. With the treaty ratified a clean-cut issue is presented between a government by consent and a government by force, and imperialists must bear the responsibility for all that happens until the question is settled.’ What did the first part of the paragraph say? Here it is: “Lincoln embodied an argument in the question when he asked, “Can aliens make treaties easier than friends can make laws?’ ”

Then he went on: “If the treaty had been rejected the opponents of impearialism would have been held responcible for any international complications which might have arisen before the ratification of another treaty." Here again he stopped in the middle of a paragraph. We give you below the rest of the paragraph which the Senator failed to read: “But whatever difference of opinion may have existed as to the best method of opposing a colonial policy, there never was any difference as to the great importance of the question and there is no difference now as to the course to be pursued." Next he jumped over one paragraph and read a part of a paragraph. That the reader may get an intelligent idea, however, of how unfair and misleading Senator Fairbanks quotation was, we publish all of the omitted paragaph and one from which he read, in full, the part read by him being inclosed in quotations. We also publish the two paragraphs following, that you may see what Bryan did really say: The title of Spain being extinguished we were at liberty to deal with the Filipinos according to American principles. The Bacon resolution, introduced a month before hostilities broke out at Manila, promised independence to Filipinos on the same terms that it was promised to the Cubans. I supported this resolution and believe that its adoption prior to the breaking out oi hostilities would have prevented bloodshed, and that its adoption at any subsequent time would have ended hostilities. "If the treaty had been rejected considerable time would have necessarily elapsed before a new treaty could have been agreed upon and ratified, and during that time the question would have been agitating the public mind." If the Bacon resolution had been adopted by the Senate and carried out by the President, either at the time of the ratification of the treaty or at any time afterwards, it would have taken the question of imperialism out of politics and left the American people free to deal with their domestic problems. But the resolution was defeated by the vote of the Republican Vice President, and from that time to this a Republican Congress has refused to take any action whatever in the matter. When hostilities broke out at Manila Republican speakers and Republican editors at once sought to lay the blame upon those who had delayed the ratification of the treaty, and, during the profress of the war, the same Republicans ave accused the opponents of imperialism of giving encouragement to the Filipinos. This is a cowardly evasion of responsibility. If it is right for the United States to hold the Philippine Islands permanently and imitate European empires in the government of colonies, the Republican party ought to state its position and defend it, but it must expect the subject races to protest against such a policy and to resist to the extent of their ability. Nothing very villianous about it after all. Some men would mjsquote holy writ to gain their ends, and Senator Fairbanks

seems to be that kind of a man. The democrats do not have to resort to any such methods.