Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-12-12
/MPAjR/NC OUR INSTITUTIONS.

In it's AguinaldO department !eStei-
day the Anaconda Standard makes the
following significant statement:
IT is utterly Impossible for the United
States to pursue a policy which involves
rhe crushing of the native government
in those islands without to some extent
impairing the free and popular character
of our own institutions.
notwithstanding the historical fact
that there has been no native govern
ment of Luzon for upwards OF three nun
dred years. the Standard sets VI its false
premise in order to claim that the free
Institutions OF the American republic
are endangered by the war in the Phil
ippines. For three centuries. SPANS
title to the Philippines has been recog-
nized by every government on earth, and
when that title was by treaty transfer
red to the United States no protest was
raised by any power. That which the
Standard refers to as "the native GOV
eminent was merely an inchoate upris-
ing of a very small percentage Of the
members of one tribe against Spanish
autHoIIly-d itDelIlOu Thai Hdu tAI'ellueu
its force and gone to pieces with the flight
of Aguinaldo to Hong Kong.
When Dewey broke the power of Spain
in the Philippines, Aguinaldo and his
equally ambitious co-agitators conceiv-
ed the plan Of reviying the rebellion and
making a grandstand play for the control
Of the islands and the fruits of leader
ship. Supplied With arms and ammunition
by the Americans, under their pretence
of loyalty to our flag, they We're enabled
to get their new movement under head
way. It's Roadway, however, has been
from its inception in an opposite direc-
ton from the American troops. since the
night of the treacherous assault upon
our lines.
The alleged government consisted
wholly of an assumption Of authority on
the part of Aguinaldo, which was never
confirmed by the people. In its organi-
cation and movements there never has
been the slightest suspicion Of the con-
sent of the governed It was a 'goy-
IN imp III liial VI INoDlI
Hood, the ancient archer outlaw of Eng
land, whose name made willing slaves
of the county folk about him, and whose
seat of government was in his hat.
To argue that ''the crushing of the
native government" which Agninaldo
is supposed to represent in his own per-
sonality, in his rebellion against the
vested rights of the American republic
and the honor and dignity of our flag,
will impair the free and popular char
acter of our w institutions is to deny
to this country the right of self-defense
the right to punish its enemies, the right
to resent an assault upon its flag, the
right to protect property that has been
~legitimately acquired under the recog-
nized laws of nations.
Instead of drawing a logical conclu-
sion from it's text, the Standard drifts
off into an argument to show that the
war in the Philippines lacks a good deal
OF being over, and that our government
has misrepresented the situation. With
out NdStillS TINE WIFI the announced as
sulnptions of the Standard as to the
yeracity of our national officials, the
Inter Mountain would be glad to see it's
contemporary explain how and wherein
the defeat of Aguinaldo will impair 1.-The
free and popular character of our own
Institutions"
Assuming that the Standard does not
wish to see 1.-The free and popular charac-
ter of our own institutions impaired, it
necessarily follows that it does not want
to see Aguinaldo's forces defeated-a late
confession, but doubtless a sincere one.
To defeat the Filipino leader is to crush
the native government, which, according
to the Standard, will impair American
Institutions. If our contemporary can
make it plain that the defeat of Aguin-
aldo will have the effect upon American
Institutions which it points out, those
democrats who throw up their hats in
glee whenever q report comes that