New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-27
SENSE ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES.

General Merritt talks sense. He favOrs the
present retention Of the Philippines. Why?
As matter of duty. Perhaps that considera-
ton does not greatly appeal to some people. to
those Superior Persons who think the world
Will never 60 right unless they "hOller out
Gee" But General Merritt is not that par
ticuar kind Of Superior Person. He Is a SOL
der and soldiers have something of a prcju-
dice in favor Of discipline and duty. We can
not. says General Merritt, do otherwise than
hold them, for II we turn them over TO any
other nation the result will certainly be war.
Every man who has paid any attention to cur
rent affairs knows that is exactly true. If one
European nation cannot take little slice of
China or Of Africa without ruffling the
capabilities Of others. what would be the sequel
OF acquisition Of that large and valuable archi-
pelago: All Europe would be set by the ears,
a regular wOrld-war might cIsue and the very
people who are now urging that we should not
keep the Philippines. but should turn them over
TO some one else. would be foremost in railing
against us for causing such a hideous catas-
trophe.
Well. but why not just abandon them? In
other words, after having destroyed the only
Government they had. why not leave them
without any. TO stew in the juice of anarchy?
fine proposition that for a civilized, Chris
tian Nation. If anything is certain In the
case it Is that bound TO put them into
as good state and TO give them as good n
government as we found there on May Day
last. Let them govern themselves? Well. Gen
eral Merritt has been there and had some prac
teal observation and experience there. and so
Is presumed TO know pretty nearly as much
about them and TO be pretty nearly as well
qualified TO judge them as anybody who has
never been nearer to them than at the small
end Of Connecticut made Manila cherOOt
And he says unhesltatingly that the Filiplnos
are not yet capable of governing themselves
How could they be? They never have done
So In a civilized sense They have had no in
structOn in the art They have had 10 illus
tratiOns or examples Of IT, save those that are
bad. The idea their leaders have is set forth
In Mr.. Aguinaldos tassels and walking sticks
and his holding Of prisoners for ransom. One
OF these days they may be able to govern them
selves. General Merritt says he certainly be-
lieves they Will. SO say we all OF us. And the
better government they get now the sooner
! that day will come. General Merritt does not.
OF course, believe in admitting the Philippines
as States No rational man does The Fill
! pinos do not look for any such thing. The in
| telligent men among them want us to give
/ them good military and civil government on
a sort Of colonial basis, and then let them de-
veop into fitness for self-government That,
we say is sound sense. 1t fulils duty, it
vindicntes the Manila campaign and It puts
us under indissoluble bonds. II II shall
prove necessary for us to retain control Of the
islands forever. can do with a clear title.
II II shnll seem expedient 10 set them up in
Independence, even in the mi-lndependence
of United States protectorate. that can be
done TO best advantage when they are fit for
such status. In brief. in any conceivable event
/ II will be good for the United States to have
assumed control of and responsibility for the
islands IL has wrested from the unworthy rule
Of Spain.
One other point Is TO be observed which en-
phasizes the sound sense Of General Merritt's
remarks. General Merritt says that he made
no promises to NJ Aguinaldo and that Gen.