Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-01
4 CANDID EXPANSIONIST.

Senator Carter of Montana Is to be
commended for his candor in declaring
the policy that should be pursued to-
ward he Filipinos in the event of their
rejecting American rule and resisting
American authority. The expansionists
generally have not been altogether
frank in this respect, although most of
them undoubtedly feel about it lust
as the Montana senator does. In his
speech In he's senate Monday Mr.. Car
ter said: 1--WE will inquire. when this
treaty shall have been ratified. who on
those islands is in rebellion against our
government. If they do not recognize
the rights and authority we shall exer-
else there we will whip them to death"
That is honest. consistent and the only
logical position for an expansionist. If
this government shall adopt the policy
contemplated in the treaty of peace. OF
assuming sovereignty over the Philip
pines, it must be prepared to whip to
death any Of the natives who rebel
against its rule. The men who are urg-
ing the ratification Of the treaty as it
lands would insist upon this course as
necessary to the honor and dignity OF
the nation. Having proclaimed our
purpose to rule the Filipinos, it would
be declared that duty to ourselves re-
quired that we compel them to submit
to that rule. though in order to ac-
cOmplish this it should be necessary to
whip any lumber Of them to death.
This great government. it would be
said, could not afford to potter and par
ley with a lot of ~semi-savages who do
not really know what they want and
cannot understand or appreciate the
benefits and blessings we offer them.
That we shall be given the opportunity
to whip to death Filipinos if the treaty
is ratified in its present form there can
be no sort of doubt. The purpose Of
the natives of the Philippines to insist
upon independence and fight for it If
necessary Is fixed and Enthusiastically
earnest. They are not trifing, nor are
they playing a game of bluff. Those
people are thoroughly imbued with a
desire for freedom. for self-government,
for exercising the right to shape their
own destiny in their own way. They
believe themselves capable Of doing his
and they also believe that they have
won, by years of struggle against Span
ish oppression and misrule, the right to
be free and independent. To their view
resistance to American rule would not
be rebellion. but the defense OF their
hnnNaS md fhnip M tjvn land aroinct fn,
eign Invasion. Let there be no doubt,
therefore. that If this government shall
assume sovereignty over the Philippines
1t will be given the opportunity to whip
to death a great many of the natives
Of the islands.
But what does this mean for our
selves? Admit that in time, perhaps
several years. we should s%ubjugate those
people, who can foresee the cost and the
s~acritice-the loss in life and treasure
of accomplishing this? How many
American soldiers would be required to
hunt the Filipinos in the swamps aud
jungles and subdue them? What would
be the expenditures for such a warfare?
These are practical questions which men
like Mr.. Carter seem not to consider,
but which demand the most serious
consideration. We should inevitably lose
thousands of men in an effort to sub
jugate the FilipinOs--pernaos ten from
disease for every one killed in fighting.
1t will be very difficult TO secure soldiers
for service in these islands, Of which Il
member Of the Astor battery recently re-
t'.rned declared. 1T Is The worst coun-
try on earth: sickness prevails every
where and the heat is unbearable.'
With Il soldiers dying by thousands in
these tropical lands, the American peo-
pie would not long tolerate a policy re-
curing such a sacrifice.
We can avoid this by simply assuring
the FilipinOs that they shall have indie
pendence and that the United States de-
country and to aid them by Its counsel,
guidance and protection in forming and
putting into operation an Independent
government, capable Of performing all
international obligations, preserving
peace at home, dispensing justice i'm
partially, extending civilization and pro-
noting material development in the
islands. We have but to give the Fill
Pine people the same assurance we have
given the Cubans in order to put an end
to existing conditions and effect an I'M
Outstanding mutually advantageous.
Unless we do this there is nothing more
certain than that we shall have a chance
to test II ability to whip to death"
the people of the Philippines who seek
independence.
The New York newspaper man who
-Aa .niAl- IN LII Hatch 81 linnannln