Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-03-02
The Philippine Question.

The next great political battle il
this nation will be fought out on th
Iquestlon Of the disposition Of tn
Philippines. On the one side will b
4 lined up those who believe in the abil
: ity of the United States to accept it
great destiny as the foremost civiliz
ing and Outstanding force in thu
world; on the other, the carpers ant
critics and grumblers. The Bryan
D Cleveland crowd has already com
J J menced its wall which is simply ant
: wholly devoted to find fault. Not 3
man has offered substitute for the
policy Of expansion which they pro
pose to pull down, il we except the
chump who stood up in congress the
other day and said, II would sail
away from Manila and never look
back"
| Whitelaw Reed, one Of the peace
commissioners, made an address in
Chicago the other day in which he
gave clear outline Of what the ad-
mnistraton has sought and still
hopes to accomplish, "Our CON-
missioners," he said, maintained in
the face OF the most vehement OPP
position not merely Of Spain, but Of
wellnigh all Europe, principle vital
to oppressed people struggling for
freedom, principle without which
our own freedom could not have
been accomplished, and without
which any successful revolt against
any unjust rule could be made prac-
tically impossible. That principle is
that, contrary to the prevailing rule
and practice in large transfers Of
sovereignty, debts do not necessarily
follow the territory il incurred by the
mother country distinctly in efforts
to enslave it. Where so incurred
your representatives persistently and
successfully maintained that no at.
tempt by the mother country to
mortgage to bondholders the reven.
ues Of custom houses or in any way
to pledge the future income Of the
territory could be recognized as bind
ing or valid security--that the moment
the hand Of the oppressor relaxed its
grasp, his claim to the future reven-
ues OF the country was gone. 1t is a
doctrine that raised an cutlery in
every Continental bourse, and struck
terror to every gambling European
investor in national loans, lloated at
usurious profits, to raise funds for
unjust wars. But it is right, and
one may be proud that the United
States stood like barring any
road to peace which led to loading on
the people liberated the debts incurr.
ed in wars against them. II this is
not international law now, it will be-
and the United States will have made
It,"
But while guarding the interests Of
the liberated people the commission
was also very careful not to admit
the liability of the United States in
any manner. 1t secured treaty un-
der which our country is pledged to
nothing, but left absolutely master
of the situation in every way. And
while watching closely that the Unit
ed States should not place itself I'M
der any indemnitory obligation, the
according to Mr..
Reid, "neither neglected nor feared
the duty of caring for the material
interests of their own country-the ,
iuty OF grasping the enormous posi- ,
1ilties upon which he had stumbled, ,
'or sharing in the awakening and de- +
1elopment Of the farlhest East. +
That way lies the best hope of Ameri- =
AN commerce. There you command =
H"uului lutuVI tuuH all dTlIllClul
rade-a trade which pushes itself in i
tead of needing to be pushed. The +
'actic ocean is in our hands now. 3,
Practically we own more than half i
he coast on this side, dominate the 4,
est, and have midway stations in
he Sandwich and Aleutian islands
o extend now the authority of the t
United States over the great Philip "
lines archipelago is to fence in the P
nina sea and secure an almost S
qually commanding position on the u
Their side OF the Pacidc-doubling /
ur control Of it and Of the fabulous d
rade the twentieth century will see P
bear. Do you know of any other 5
iyilized nation OF the first or even d