Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-09-23
OUR TROPICAL COLONIES.

OUR TROPICAL COLONIES.
AS the only people who can live in
the tropics are such as are found there
now, we must study them, in view t
the pretense that these islands are to be-
held, to pass a territorial novitiate, to
eventually become States iu this Uuion,
with representation in the government.
This pretense is sustained in order to
make smoother the palpable violation
II II e constitution by Imperialism. Our
soldiers who are coming home from the
Var in the West Inules bring US infor
nariou about the people who are able
to live under that vertical sun. This
adds only TO what every educated man
knew before. A majority of the pee
| pie on all the Spanish islands in the
I We st Iudies are of the most intractable
negroes and hybrids. The colonels and
se erals who figured as large as Al.x-
ander, Caesar aud \ poleon in the vel
Iow press few months ago turn out to
ne but little better than roost robbers
That four hundred years OF Spanish
D session ofthe islands tiuda MAORI V
o. heir people of negro blood Is tv.
nee added to that we have already
D tsented, that the vertical sun DIR ves
u numunlJy 10 shelf under DIRK
SIN. Not single American citizen
who values the integrity and perpetulty'
OF his country will favor the admission
OF sucn q people to fellow citizenship,
uow or ever.
At the close of the civil war We gave
citizenship to our own negroes, and
ave carefully prevented their enjoy
meut of it. No American cares to re-
peat the experiment in the Antilles.
Putting the negro ballot into the con
,litution and keeping it out of the bal
lot box may yet produce great evila at
home. We don't want the risk of still
greater abroad.
| Turning from the American to the
Asiatic tropics we fnd still more diff
cult situation. In the Philippines are
Ten millions of people, of about two
hundred tribes and tongues. In the
rich poison of that tropical soil they in
crease like psggots in y dunghill
There are million Mohsmmedsns and
Il million Chinese. There are unts med
native races and swarm of hYbrids
that would drive an etbnologist crazy
20 classify. The virile blood in all this
numan mixture in Malay. The Malay
and Mahrat,a are the only Asiatic4 who
never feared a white map. On the
Philippine coast are two hundred thou
sand Malays who live by piracy. For
three centuries the influence of Spain
| ;-t-1l,oo Or2nr1x,
ment and the Catholic missionaries
have striven to plant religion among
these people. 1t has all ended in de-
6ance of the civil power Of
Spain and revolt against the
church Every priest who is
caught is slaughtered like predatory
animal, and nuns and sisters of the
church are defowered and slain with
! cut conjunction. Witness the num-
ner and the vexation of the problem
we assume when We yield to the cry OF
political hysteria, Hold the Philip
| pneo!' Can the same government
tony po'ygamy to The Mormons in
u .ah and permit it to the Mohamme-
daus of the Pnilippil e5? Can the sam )
gDverum-nt DEFY to the Mormon
church OF u .ah the ownership of secu-
iar property, and escheat it 10 the fed
arsl government, and permit such OWL
r-hip to the Catholic church of the
Philippines?
Ii we touch the marriage customs CT
the Mohammedans we have to answer
to their spiritual head, the Sheik vi
Islam, backed by four hundred millions
of followers, who have the power 10
compel nearly every European pation
into the contention. If we interfere
with the landed rights there of the
on'y power that has had the intelli-
.encs TO utilize ownership, we must
answer to the Vatican and the Catho-
lie world. Yet, if we plant our stand
ard Il ere, and ii represents the equality
Of right to which this government ls
d -dicated, interference is inevitable.
Do we wish 10 take on these complica-
lions. the end of which none can fore
see? II We admit these islands into
into our body polite AID their
reople to be our fellow CIT
ms. we must accept these pro-
mems with that condition and we must
,oually accept them if we govern the
islam as subject colonisls under an
imperial policy.
The first proposition is absurd and
inadmissible. Anglo-Saxon institution
can be maintained only by the race
wnich originated them, and that race
cannot live in the tropics. Anglo-Sa1on
self government is freedom. Anglo
Saxon denial to other races OF self
o government is tyranny. Lincoln said: !:
sThe doctorine of self-government is
right, absolutely and eternally rignI; 5;
When the white man governs . shin himssl, ELL
that is selt-government, but when ne
governs himself and also governs m an
Other man, that is more than 1 sen.
poyernment-that is despotism: WnaI
I do say is that no man is good enougt Il i
to govern another man without tnat
others consent" And that sentiment
is eternally true. .-,o.a ,oo-
It NAV be said that the island PEG
ple can invite us to gov rn them, wi'n
ont voice, choice or r@nr SET ,'','n,
ia the les u