The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-10-02
THETRUE DOCTRINE OFTHECAsE

THE TRUE DOCTRINE OFTHECAsE
The platform adopted by the Repubi-
can convention Of the State of New York
last week contains the following plank:
owe realize that when the necessities
Of war compelled our nation TO destroy
Snanish authority in the Antilles and In
| tho Phillppines we assumed solemn duties
and obligations. alike 10 the people Of the
Islands we conquered and to the civilized
world We cannot turn these islands back
TO Spain. We cannot leave them, unarm-
ed for defense and untried In statecratt
TO the horrors Of domestic strife or 10
partition among European powers. we
| have assumed the responsibility OF VIC
tory. and wherever our flag mas gone
there the liberty. the humanity and the
civilization which that flag embodios and
| represents must remain and abide Tor
| ever."'
The Times is Of opinion that It thinks
impartiaHy and quietly upon all subjects
and that it is generally fortunate enough
to express its just and impartial thoughts
IN language ineligible 70 the plainest I'M
Outstanding. But The Times does not
think that even It could have summed
I'D the Philippine case more happily than
| the writer Of this passage has done He
has stated the case exactly as 1t is. and
! his statement has the additional advan-
tage of being Just what The Times has
| claimed from the beginning should be the
view this country was 70 take of the
| situation. The writer Of the New York
platform may not have known this when
he was writing that instrument, but the
fact will no doubt be a very consoling one
to him when he learns it.
There is a class of Democrats who can
find nothing good in anything that ema-
mates from Republican source. Though
! the Republican utterance may express
what was their views until the utterance
was made they will reverse their views
| at once If they find them to be also Re
publican views. This is not the case with
The Times. The Times is always seek
ing truth and advocating justice, and it IS
as ready to tender its praise to a just
| sentiment when It comes from RepuD-
lican source as when it comes from
Democratic soufce.
The Republican platform has stated
|
this country towards the Philippine
Islands. we deliberately drove Spanish
power and control out Of them and we
| thereby assumed responsibilities towards
the people Of the islands that we cannot
| divest ourselves of. No matter what
those responsibilities cost us, We must
meet them and perform them TO the let
| ter. There may be a difference of opinion
as TO the manner in which they shall be
performed. but there can be but one opin-
ion as to our duty to the islanders. We
must keep them from cutting each others
| threats, we must preserve peace and or
der on the islands. We must see to it that
they are not seized and appropriated to
any other great power. and we must put
them in the way of elevating themselves
and learning how to govern themselves,
whether as a colony Of This country or as
an independent power. These are our
plain duties in the promises, and they
are duties that We cannot shirk, what
ever consequences may be entailed. This
is the position Tho Times has taken from
the heGNDiHIi anu ~ Nti iuN HNf dA' 10
the less because it las been adopted as
the position of New York Republicans.
Many persons will believe that their
turks under the fine eenerauties of this
Republican platform the intention to an-
mex the Philippine Islands to this coun-
try as part and parcel OF H. This may DE
so. We know. We know nothing of the
purposes Of the party except as their pur-
poses may be learned from the language
of their platform II the party really on-
tertains this purpose, then The Times
and a. are as far apart as possible upon
that point. But if the party means what
it says aud intends no more than That
this government shall provide for the
peace and safety of the islanders without
annexing the islands. then The Times says
the Republican platform Of New York has
laid down the true doctrine TO be applied
to the subject. and that All the platforms
Of all the other parties should be con-
structcd upon the lines Of this Repubh-
CON ono