Washington sentinel., 1898-12-31
GIVE tn Fuipinos a Chance.
To me Eqiloy Qfms Nsw York Tim

! To me Editor Of the Nsa0 I0fE -"HeS
You say editorially that the Presiden
in his remarks at Savannah "presenteo
arguments and principles in support o
his policy that the anti eXpansionlst'
must meet or give up the fight, anc
you quote one passage, from which
take the following "Can we leave
these people, who by the fortunes Of
war and our own acts are helpless ano
without government, TO chaos alter we
have destroyed the only government
they have hadP" You quote General
Merritt that the people ofthe Philippines
are not fit for self government. Gen.
Shafter says also about Cuba, IN words
which denote the true spirit OF miIltar'
ism, "they are no more ht Tor sell
government than gunpowder is mt Tor
hell"
Now, the President has just assured
the people Of Cuba in his message 10
Congress that the United States is 10
"assist them to create free and inde-
pendent government at the earliest
possible moment" Admiral Dewey
reports that ''in my opinion these pee PIE
are far superior in their intelligence ana
more capable Of sell government tnan
the natives OF Cuba, and l am familiar
with both races" The issue you make
is that the people Of the Philippines are
not for fit self government and that we
must govern them. The true American
has no difficulty in answering this
contention.
He believes there is no community
which has not within itself the germ OF
self government, that this can only be
developed bv allowing the people to
develop their powers in freedomi that
the government Of an inferior race by
superior is proved throughout the world
not to improve the inferior race; that
the government which takes from a
community the freedom to govern itself
has nothing in its power Of equal value
to bestow. We point to the dependen.
cies of the world governed by superior
races; we hold it to be elfevident that
as long as a superior race governs an
inferior there can be no development IN
the inferior; that there is no real civil
ization except that which comes through
freedom Of action. These are general
truths. Here is a notable passage from
the speech Of Fisher Ames upon the Jay
treaty / quote from memory the sub
stance. the idea; "Were all the fugitives
from justice in the world assembled on
an ISLAND to live there, the first thing
they would find 1t necessary to do IN
order to live would be TO establish
Justice" that IS, some form Of sell
government.
We see nothing inconsistent with
these views when President Mckinley
announces that we shall assist the
Cubans, but we do hold that the less
assistance we give the better. We know
that outbreaks against the law occur in
all countries; we have had notable
experience recently OF this in the Caro-
liuas. Now. when the United States
governs a foreign country, and an out
break occurs, the good citizen will sit
quietly at home, saying: THE United
States has undertaken this business; it
is none Of my affalr-let their troops
attend to it," but when the American
finds an outbreak against the law at
home, he believes that the militia which
he has provided will suppress It, but if
not, in the last resort the necessity
for action will fall on the law abiding
citizen himself-the responsibility is not
shifted from the native citizen to for
eign power. We hold that the military
resident OF the United States, with the
troops held in reserve, should not appear
upon the scene Of disorder until the
native authorities find themselves unable
to cope with the trouble, just as the
States in the Union repress disorder,
and only call upon the Presideot for the
National forces held in reserve when the
State lorcss prove inadequate.
have travelled the world round;
have seen very backward peoples and
tribes and even among the distant
tribes of India | found the village self
government system dating back Z, ZOO
years. Tut the most recent case OF
ability for self government is found IN
the Afridi tribe OF India. The British
Government decided to build roads
through the Afridi territory, which the
Airidis objected TO, knowing that roads
would open their country to attack at
any time. An army 10000 strong was
assembled, British and native troops,
the largest ever known in India, and the
campaign began, The world knows the
story-that great army returned Datlled,
boasting, however, it would return in
the spring; but that spring has never
come Now, in this AiridI tribe was
found perfect self government, not such
as suits the English speaking race, but
better than any English speaking race
can ever force upon and establish among
them. Coasider what the position will
be in the Philippines il we destroy the
germ of self government and attempt to
govern them ourselves, and how it is to
lead to their civilization, which is the
claim made.
There would be an army Of $4,000
soldiers. Does any one think soldiers
can do much in the way of civilizIng a
people2 On the contrary, is it not true
that armies OF men in distant lands
require the strictest discipline them
selvess There may be a General at the
head who feels and does not hesitate to
speak like Gen, Shafter, who says that
"they are no more ftior seifgovernment
than gunpowder is fit for hell" Is his
;r,a,erca Iitalv To be of a civlizing