The Indianapolis journal., 1898-12-19
OUR HSIATIC PROBLEM
REV. MIR. SMITH BELIEVES IN TRAIN
ING THE FILIPINOs.
Cannot Engraft the Islands Into Our
Republic at Once-Mr. VIII
Iers's Sermon.

At the Tabernacle Church yesterday
morning Rev. ]. Cumming Smith talked of
the war with Spain and the newly acquired
territory Of the United States lying in the
Pacific. The pastors subject was 'The
Wise Men from the East" In the course of
his remarks he said:
And now in the background Of all his
tory looms up God. You cannot consistent
ly believe in a Providence OF private con-
yenlence unless you go further and DelleVe
in Providence as a historical principle.
From those far-back epochs comes the fact
that in the captivity of the Jews lay
wrapped divine policy just as clear as in
tine flight of pilgrims from Holland to these
shores. Such exile helped to break up the
proud faith of the Jew that he enjoyed
monopoly of infinite love. Such an exile
helped TO infuse into the polished Babylon
ian culture knowledge of God The mix
ture OF races was wholesome in the main;
Babylon stood the symbol or opnlence ana
material splendor and Jerusalem stood the
oracle Of the loftiest religion. The union Of
these constitutes the complete and final
condition of our world. Even the plaintive
voice of the prophet jeremiah encourages
intermarriages between the Jews and the
Assyrians, and as then, SO now, internar-
riages between races that stand about on
par in point of interior culture are safe,
and, although it may shock the narrow,
yet it is true that tntermarriages between
equals, no matter what their dialect or
color, will help to solve most OF our crowd
ing ethical problems. Now, has this old
Here we are encountering the new ques-
tions which have sprung from a war wncn
we entered upon with the loud peat OF
drums, but from the heavy results OF when
we are too prone to shrink Up to TINS
war we have been nursing and fostering
our own internal power. This was the order
of nature. But from this war on we must
date our matured manhood. Other ana
lower races knock at our door. me teen. teen
nical political question / leave to other
hands and other platforms, but the ethlcal
phase of all political questions Deiongs 70
guidebook on the higher politics and
whitening rebuke to the lower politics. ana
no sane man who has seen what wesltn' a'
what brain and Drawn, what love Tor Iree-
dom grand old England bequeathed 10 US
two centuries ago, or who has watched the
strong, sturdy growth of our Republic even
other dream than that we have Deen grow
ing so as to reach out and help other races
drugged into the idea that it exists for its
own sake only courts the doom OF all sel-
fish atheism. We may have come from
nothing to something, but by any course Oh
exclusiyeness we must dwarf from some
thing back again to nothing. Ii our war
stood emblematic OF anythlng peyonio yio., poMd7 poMd
manhood. 1t took off our cuIls ana kIlicht i+
erbockers. We were forced into contact
with heathenism, which was perhaps none
the less heathenlsh because OF its mere
veneer and enamel of Christian ciVllzdtloI.
The story of our earth shows that a . saes
age race, with only the mask ana PAM PAM %
cultlre sinks lower in the scale than IL
left to grope in its original heathenism. A
defective form Of religion olliy auus t tue
new arts of scientific sin to the prlmltlVe
yillainy Better pure savage than mon
grel savage. A., Lo %
affairs in the Pacific, which is destined to
he the storm center Of the future. Ihe Isles
on that sunny ocean shine like jewels on
the bosom of beauty. They are possible ana
nrohable naradises But their races have
rot grown, they have rather Lotteo uiueI
creeds that made them slaves TnoSe prlshe l
1fVzer haaCn
world Our government cannot engra1t tnem
on our Republic at once, but our govern
ment is truant from its own principles anu
interests IL 1t does not bring tnen unueI
our rule Upon us falls the duty or reor-
ganizing their condition. imperialism W9u!u WS9I
be delirious If 1t advocated the i lInileulato tt
ahsOrption a of these mutinous, anarchic, not
headed foreigners in our own government.
We have cares enough OF our own 70 TAX
our wisest heads. But Imperialism does not
involve this fatal aff1liation. 1t means that
we shall take hold of these new won tsIes
as of our own and train them 70 point
of efficiency akin to our own. Can IL I'M
perialism call it protectorate, call 1t an
nexation, you only swindle the people WIN
sounding names If you do not mean as as, l4e ne
central issue that our race is called on 10
drill these inferior races up TO the pane
of power and Self-control. This Is the ethlcal
aspect of the crisis and every great modern
problem hinges on an ethical solution. l
believe in commerce as In Its own ouil, IN
direct way a sort or missionary, even II
il is true that in the one case the agent
of commerce usually takes in the heathen
and i'm the other the heather takes in the
missionary l have most sympathy WIFI
mean the missionary! 1t is a fact that our
congested markets cry for some new out
let's But commerce alone has degraded more
than once into swinish greediness because
not accompanied by the higher purpose of
Christian culture. wonder when our mag
mates will learn that trade cuts ITS own
throat when it goes forth unallied with euu-
cation for education increases needs l Won
der when our politicians too often drunk or
dizzy with their own schemes, VIII learn
that the first question is not one or mines
or votes, but of the sort or men tnere are.
We need now more than ever TO affirm the
absolute primacy of character. And perhaps
the admitted corruption of our politics only
shows that the new need of the hour is
a new strain, a new summons, new sense
of responsibility toward low races looking
our way for help Nothing makes either a
man or a race strong like having others 10
of more territory, If that means more peo-
pie trained to be congenial with our tnstt-
tutions. If America cannot train those few
islands toward that point, then 1T would be
as unwise to enter upon the case at all as
1t would be for a man to try to break in
a colt IT, after all his palms. he knew that
the colt would never be manageable. To
adopt this idea as our own would be to cast
discredit upon the power of America to edu-
cate and still more upon the power of any
race to invite education when all Its inter-
ests urge in that direction. Such cynical
despair of men rising in response to the
best things would be unworthy the man
hood of America Nor have / any fear that
if in a guarded way we take some alien
races on hand they can hurt our own Amer
icanism. As we'll teach that a flock of
crows can scare the crag of eagles or that
n run of groundhOgs could disturb lair of
lions. Our people by their history have been
organically committed to freedom and will
believe still more in our form Of govern
ment when they go forth armed with the
truths Of the cross to level up other races.
For religious culture and craftsmanship are
one and the same thing"