The Portland daily press., 1898-08-24

it was), they have reason to wish now
that they had had nothing to do with it,
for Its outcome was to all iutents and
purposes victory for the expansionists.
To be sure the resolutions did not direct
Iy counsel the holding of the Philippines
by this country, but they did declare
against giving them back to Spain, and
that is practically the same thing, for the
alternative of not returning them to
Spain, and the only alternative, is the
governing of them ourselves. Self gov
eminent may be possible in Porto Rico
and Cuba. but in the Philippines it is out
of the question. Attempted government
simply anarchy. There was some weak
talk by the anti-annexationists about the
| United States treating the people
of these islands as wards until
they had become enlightened and
competent for self-goyernment, but with
| all the American missionaries could do,
| in all probability several hundred years
must elapse before their enlightenment
| would be sufficient to entitle them to be
entrusted with their own government; and
| long before that time had passed the
United States would have become SO ac-
customed to treating these islands as
one of its possessions that there would be
insuperable opposition to giving them
up.
The anti -expansionists at the confer
ence tangled themselves up by their ex-
cessive allegiance to self.government.
Having laid down as one of their funda-
mental propositions that ali government
rests upon the consent of the governed,
| they could not without gross violation
of consistency advocate the return OF the
Philippines to Spain. and as they were
opposed to annexation they took refuge
| in the untenable position that they should
be handed over to their own people,
though they must have been aware that
to do that was to hand them over to an
| archy, which the United States could not
| do without being condemned by the
whole civilized world. The doctrine of
| the consent of the governed is sound with
the proper restriction. But If there is
going to be no government in the world
that does not rest on their consent, many
peoples will go ungoverned. The doc
trine of self government pre.supposes lit
ness for self government, and when that
fitness does not exist, self government Is
impossible. 1t does not exist in the
Philippines. Spanish government In
these islands has undoubtedly been bad,
but we imagine self-government would
be infinitely worse. In fact self govern
ment would be no government at all
Therefore when the anti-expanslon1st
seeks to escape the cruelty or wicksdness
supposed to be involved in handing these
islands back to Spain by proposing that
they be left to govern themselves he I'M
Willingly involves himself in still greater
cruelty and wickedness. The truth OF
the matter is that there is no middle
course to be pursued with reference to the
Philippines. Either we must allow the
sovereignty of Spain over them to con-
tinue or we must take and govern them
ourselves.
If all that was involved in the choice
| betw cen these alternatives was the condi-
ton of the Philippines, we should say let
us tax Q and govern them ourselves. But
the condition of our own people, the
people OF the United States, by whom
and for whom our government was
founded, and the first and dominating
purpose of which is to promote the well
fare of our own people is to be consid.
cred, Can we hold and govern the
Philippines without detriment to the
welfare of our own people? If we can
then let us hold and govern them.
But If we cannot then our duty is to let
them alone. Our government was not
formed to propagate philanthropy in the
islands of the sea. 1t has no right what
ever to raise armies to conquer and
hold territories and peoples in order to
give American missionaries a chance.
Only when it will promote the general
welfare has it authority to do these
things How will it promote the general
welfare of the people of the United States
to raise big army and transport it
across the seas to reduce to subsection
10, 900, 900 of semi barbarians and govern
thems How will it promote the general
welfare to impose upon the laboring
masses of this country the financial bur-
dens which such an army must necessa-
rily involve? Upon what ground oan the
wage Garner of this country be asked to
surrender part of his wages to promote
the prosperity of the people of the Philip
pine islandsp They say that the acquisi-
ton of these islands will increase our
trade. Not unless we erect around them
a protective tariff, and if we do that we
shall encourage Russia and Germany ana
the other powers to wall in in a siiml ar
way the empire Of China, with its hum
dreds of millions of people, so that what
we gain in the Philippines will be more
than lost in China. They say that Ameri-
can capital will go there and start great
industries. If it goes there it does not
remain at home, and the working1nen at
home are deprived of the employment it
wonld afford if used here. In all the
arouments for expansion Vet offered