The record-union., 1898-11-02
THE PEACE SETTLEMENT STU.
ALTON.

THE PEACE SETTLEMENT STU
ALTON.
The statement is now given with
such detail and apparent verify that
the American Peace Commissioners
have demanded peremptorily Of Spain
cession of all the Philippine group that
it may be accepted as official and true.
This demand is in accord with the best
thought of the nation. 1t is simply
impossible for us to return the Fill
pinos to the slavish rule of Spain: we
cannot sell or cede the group to any
other nation: we have no right to
transfer the people Of the Philippines
to others.
It remains, therefore, that we must
administer the trust that has been i'm
posed upon US by act of war The
American people are capable of it, and
they will do it to the credit Of the
nation and the betterment Of the con-
dition Of the inhabitants of the islands.
Spain will resist this demand to the last.
She may make it the ground for abreak
up Of the commission, unless there is
q large and overwhelming reversal and
rebuke Of the Administration in the
State elections next week. If, unhap-
PLY, that should come to pass, our en-
emy may gather courage to threaten
us and possibly have in that act the
countenance of some of the European
Powers.
AS to what share we shall pay Of the
Philippine debr under our plan of peace
it is as yet unsettled But it seems
to be the opinion that the Administra-
ton will favor assuming so much Of it
as represents permanent betterments
I'M the islands, and none of it that rep
resents expenditure for purposes Of
war upon the people or against the
United States. There is a suggestion
that these betterments shall include
things mental as well as material. :"
Probably moral was intended, and was
the word used in the consideration of
the subject. This implies expenditures
for schools, among other things.
But there is no common, undenom-
national school system in the islands.
That is something Spain never contem-
plated for the Filipinos; all the schools
are under the church, and are little
else than catechism classes. There will
be demur, therefore, to paying for
church-school property, except that so
much Of 1t as Is represented by per
s= al n
the new government and discovered
from church relationship. If the word
moral includes church property also,
such meaning will be antagonized most
assuredIy. This Government will not
consider for a moment the question Of
paying for the property Of any church.
That remains to the church. and it
will never be deprived Of it, but the
United States will make no contribu-
ton to the support of any church, nor
pay for any church property, simply
because under Spanish rule the church
was a State institution.
The dispatches latest at hand, and
since the foregoing was written, de-
clare that influential Spanish intelli-
gences say advisedly that the Spanish
Government will absolutely reject the
ultimatum of the United States, which,
it is added, means that Spain will
stand for larger debt obligation than
the S40,000000 it is estimated the
United States might be willing to as
sumo Of the Philippine debt.
If we adhere to our demand and
will make no further concessions than
indicated above, these informants of
the press agents say that Spain will
break off peace negotiations, after sub
mitting formally a counter proposal
that, it may be taken for granted, will
not meet our approval. There is one
significant statement made in the
latest advices, and it comes from a
Spanish informant, namely, that the
Spanish Cabinet is looking to the pres
ent political campaign in America as
an aid to Spanish ends. If the elections
to any considerable degree should re-
suit antagonistically to the Admins
tration Of President Mckinley, the Sa-
gasta Ministry expects the United
States to recede and grant more IA
vorable terms to Spain. It will be
seen, therefore, that the Record
Union" is not alone in the charge that
Spain looks upon every vote cast for
the opposition next week as a vote in
her special interest.