The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-14

Cubans to be sending senators and
representatives. to Washington to help
govern the American Union, any more
than we want Kanakas or Tagalos or
Visayas or Mahometan Malays. We
will do them good and no harm, IL we
may, all the days of our life; but
please God, we will not divide this
Republic, the heritage of our fathers,
among them.
Resist the crazy extension of the
doctrine that government derives its
lust powers from the consent of the
governed to an extreme never for one
moment acted upon i'm their own prac-
tice. why should We force Jefferson's
language to a meaning Jefferson him
self never gave it in dealing with the
people Of louisiana, or Andrew Jack
son in dealing with those of South
Carolina, or Abraham Lincoln with the
seeding states, or any responsible
statesman of the country at any per-
iod in its history in dealing with In
dians or New MeXiCans or Californians
or Russians? What have the Tagalos
done for us that we should treat them
better and put them on a plan higher
than any of these?
And next, resist alike either schemes
for purely military governments; or
schemes for territorial civil govern
ments, with offices filled up by carpet
baggers from the United states, on an
allotment of increased patronage
fairly divided among the bosses of the
different states. Egypt under Lord
Cromer is an object lesson or what
may be done in a more excellent way
by men of our race in dealing with
such a problem.
1t is fair. / think, to say that this
=. Al nj
Peace is absolutely due to lack of faith
in our own people, distrust of the
methods OF administration they may
employ in the government of distant
possessions, and distrust of their abil-
ity to resist the schemes of dema-
gogue9 for promoting the ultimate ad-
mission of kanaka and Malay ana halt
breed cOmmonwealths, to help govern
the Continental Republic of our pride,
this homogeneous American Union or
sovereign States. If there is real reason
to fear that the American people can
not restrain themselves from throwing
open the doors of our Senate and House
of Representatives to such sister states
as Luzon or the Visayas, or the Sand
wiCh Islands, or Porto Rico, or even
Cuba. then the sooner we beg some
civilized nation, with more common
sense and less .sentimentality and gush
If we are unequal to a manly and in
tcllgent discharge Of the responsible
ties the war has entailed, then let us
confess our unwOrthincSS, and beg
JaUan to assume the duties of a civil
ized Christian State toward the Philip
pines, while England can extend the
same relief to us in Cuba and Porto
| Rico. But, having thus ignOminiously
shirked the position demanded by our
hIllipaTaOpV and pllr let uS
never again presume to take place
among the Self-resp Getting and respOn-
sible nations of the earth that can ever
. lay us liable to another such task. II
, called to it, let us at the outset ad-
NIT our unfitnesS, withdraw within
our own borders and leave these larger
duties of the world to less incapable
races or less craven rulers.
Far other and brighter are the hopes
I have ventured to cherish concerning
the course of the American people in
this emergency. | have thought there
was encouragement for nations as we'll
as for individuals in remembering the
soldering and steadying influence of
great responsibilities suddenly de-
volved. When Prince Hal comes to the
| crown he is apt to abjure Falstaff.
! When We come to the critical and dang
! erous work of controlling turbulent
| semi tropical dependencies, the agents
! we choose cannot be the ward heelers
! of the local bosses. Now, if ever. is the
| time to rally the brain and conscience
! of the American people to a real ele-
| walton and purification of their Civil
! Service. to the most exalted standards
! of public duty, to the most strenuous
! and united effort of all men Of good
/ will. to make our Government worthy
/ of the new and great responsibilities
! which the Providence of God rather
! than any purpose of man has imposed
/ upon it,