The development of Philippine politics

238 THE DEVELOPMENT OF PHILIPPINE POLITICS

When that treaty is ratified we have full power and
are absolutely free to do with those islands as we please.
Suppose we reject the treaty, what follows? Let us look
at it practically. We continue the state of war, and every
sensible man in the country, every business interest, desires
the reestablishment of peace in law as well as in fact. At
the same time we repudiate the President and his action before the whole world, and the repudiation of the President
in such matter as this, is, to my mind, the humiliation of
the United States in the eyes of civilized mankind and
brands us as a people incapable of treating affairs or of
taking rank where we belong as one of the greatest of the
great world powers.
At last the decisive day, the 6th of February, arrived
Every attempt to pass any of the resolutions declaring
America's purpose towards the Islands had failed. Many
of those who would otherwise have opposed retention
adopted the view expressed in Mr. Lodge's speech. They
did not want to give "bonds to Spain" for "good conduct"
in a matter wholly their own to decide. They promised
that once the legal title to the Philippines was secure, the
Senate would immediately proceed to decide what should
be done with the Islands. Two days before that set for
the vote on the treaty, the Filipino-American War broke
out, the Filipinos, it was claimed, having treacherously
begun the hostilities. This belief was strengthened by the
fact that the day before the outbreak, Mr. Agoncillo, probably alarmed by the press attacks upon him and the statements that he was likely to be arrested, had fled to Montreal, Canada. From this arose the belief that he knew of
the intentded attack and hence had made his escape. This
fact, together with Mr. Bryan's support, decided the fate
of the treaty. In spite, however, of this favorable turn of
events for the supporters of the treaty, when the Senate
met in-executive session on February 6, the Administration
was not sure of victory. It needed two thirds of the votes,
and it had only 58 sure votes, 29 being against, the remaining three doubtful. Within an hour two of the doubtful
votes were declared to be for the treaty, and the third was