Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1899-11-23
PREPARING THE WAY.
The Presidents Philippine Policy
Receives the Fullest IndOrse-
ment as n Peacemaker.

President Mckinley's administration
has had no stronger words of justifca-
ton, we will not say of defense, than
were found IN the very noteworthy
speech of Hon. Elihu Root, his new sec
retary of war, delivered recently at the
Marquette club dinner at Chicago. lie
made complete answer to the anti-eS-
pansionists. He emphasized facts that
had III part been toll heretofore, but
which the anti-eXpansionists had either
refused to hear or failed to remember.
These facts cannot be repeated too
often or be remembered too long.
Secretary Root says the problem
which confronted us in the Philip
pines was how to hold back the un-
counted hordes who surrounded Manila,
how to keep in subjection the 100000
Filipinos in the city who had been or
dered to rise and massacre every Eu-
ropean, while we were waiting during
the rainy season until a new army
could be raised and sent "A third of the
way around the world TO take the place
Of the returning volunteers. Seventeen
thousand OF the latter have been
brought back, and new army of %,
coo has taken their places. Seventeen
thousand more are on the way, 1900
in camp ready to start, and by the eEd
of November, Secretary Root adds, Co.
600 American soldiers, the best youth
of America, viii be ready for duty in
the Philippines.
The secretary called attention again
to the fact that we are not fighting the
Filipino nation, because there is none;
that there are hundreds of islands in
the Philippines, inhabited by over GO
tribes, speaking more than six Ian
guages, and every tribe but one ready
to accept American sovereignty. Ad-
miral Dewey, Gen. Greene and Presi-
dent Schurman says the Filipinos are
not fit for self-government, and the in
surgents themselves only demand the
right of self-government under the pro-
lection of the United States; the right
to make war, but only with our help.
The vast majority, including the men
of property and intelligence of the
FilipiuOs, are anxious for peace, and
| the secretary declared that 'we al.
| fighting against the selfish ambition OF
a military dictator brought from exile
| by an American ship. furnished with
arms by American soldiers, who has
| been permitted to gather all the forces
ofdisorder. has attained supreme power
by the assassination of his rival, and
maintains it by the murder Of every
! one whom he can reach who faVors the
| United States
The secretary believes that as long IS
the American people stand behind the
| American soldier he will maintain the
! honor of his flag. These are not mere
words of sentiment: they come from
one of ultra-conservatism. a student Of
the situation, a man trained in thought
ana naturally possessed OF "A judicial
temperament. We are among those
who believe that the anti-eXpansiou
sentiment in this country has been
greatly overestimated. The tendency
of the times is clear. What Charles
| Kendall Adams, in his interesting ar
ticle in the Atlantic Monthly, calls THE
ever irresistible encroachment of the
occident upon the orient, of the mod
ern spirit upon the spirit of antiquity,
| is nnticpable amOnU all the Ureat ma