The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1899-01-14
why ne WOULD QUIT the PHILIPPINES.

why NE WOULD QUIT TIE PHILIPPINES.
From Senator Vests Article in January
North American Review.
I am opposed to annexing the
Philippines because such annexa-
ton makes the people of those ISL
ands ultimately citizens of the
United States. and necessitates the
admission of territory thus acquired
as a State.
The idea Of comforting American
citizenship upon the half.civilized,
piratical, undermining inhabitants
Of 1000 islands. 1000 miles dis
tant, in another hemisphere. and
creating State of the Union from
such materials, is so absurd and in
defensible that the expansionists
are driven to the necessities of ad-
vocating the colonial system of
Europe, against which the Ameri-
can Colonies revolted when its APP
plication to them was attempted
by the King of England.
Foreman, an English author,
who lived many years in the Phil.
ippines, says in his book, THE
Philippines" published in 1890:
"The native is INDECENT in the
extreme and is never tired of sitting
still gazing at nothing in particular.
He will do no regular work without
an advance-his work cannot be
depended upon-he is fertile in ex-
culpatory devices-he is moment
arily obedient, but is averse to sub
lection. He feigns friendship, but
has no loyalty-he is daring on the
spur of the moment, but fails in
resolution if he reflects"
He also states that, out of 10, OOO-
600 natives in the archipelago T.
600, 900 only are domesticated, the
remaining 5000, 900 being savages ;
and that within a half-day's journey
from Manila there are several we'll
known haunts of pirates, such as
San Mateo, linus. Silan and Indian.
1t is respectfully suggested to
the farmers and manufacturers Of
the United States, who are told by
the expansionists that great mar
ket for their products will be fur
nished in the Philippines, that the
population of those islands, as de-
scrlbed by reliable observers, will
furnish very poor customers for the
agricultural and manufactured ex-
ports for this country.
1t is obvious from conditions in
the Philippines that if we annex
them, and plunge into the danger
Gus arena of foreign complications,
we must keep there an army of at
least 10000 men, and four or five
war vessels, at q cost of many mil
lions annually. Besides this, what
ever may be the status as to citizen
ship of the older inhabitants, their
children born after annexation be-
come citizens and voters. The
Fourteenth Amendment declares
that FALL persons born or naturalized
in the United States, and subject
to the jurisdiction thereof, are citi-
zens of the United States;" and
the fifteenth amendment enacts
that "the rights of citizens of the
United States to vote shall not be
denied or abridged by the United
States or by any State" 1t being
certain from these amendments
that the children of the Filipinos
will be citizens and voters, in case
of annexation, it follows that they
must be educated and civilized in
order to fit them for the duties i'm.
posed by our jurisdiction over their
country.
The official record shows that we
expend each year more than $50
per capita in educating and govern
ing the Indians, and if one-thlrd
this amount is expended upon the
Filipinos the annual expenditure
would be 500, 900 900, with no GER
tainty of making them law-abiding
and intelligent citizens.
Why should we now disregard
the counsel of Washington, that !:
THE great rule of conduct for us
in regard to foreign nations is, in
extending our commercial relations,
to have with them as little political
connection as possible"
The colonial system inevitably
brings war, and the proof of this
assertion is, that in no two years
Of Queen Victoria's long reign
has the British Empire been at
peace with all the world.
Let the flag of our Republic not
be "hauled down." but brought
back to congenial soil, where it will
wave over free-men, instead of
floating above conquered islands in
another hemisphere and 10000, 600
half barbarians bought for - each.