Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-14

matter Is very easily dealt with. Let the
United States recognize the independence
of the F'ilipinos. Going still further, let
US inform the powers of Europe that We
consider them for the present as if under
the Monroe doctrine. Interference with the
Filipinos would be considered an unfr1end-
" act l believe Britain would be glad to
recognize them with US.
Could Not Conquer the Filipinos.
Mr. Carnegie, do you really mean that
America could not conquer the Filipinos"
Certainly We are an industrial repub-
lie, without either army or navy worth
talking about. An imperial power with o.
600 regular troops and with only eighteen
first-class ships of war, only three of them
battle ships, is really too ridiculous. We
are the weakest of powers for offense or
conquest, but the strongest of all powers
for defense. The President wishes strong
er army, which it is very doubtful that
Congress will give him, but even II he gets
the right to enlist 100000 men, what is the
use of talking about doing so when he cam
not get 5000, which he is authorized TO
enlist now. Yet he has reported to Con-
gress that he only has $1,000.
No finer evidence OF the advancement of
the American people can be found than in
this fact. They know better than to enlist
in an army where they may be asked to
shoot down people whose only offense is
their desire to fight in defense of their
homes. Suppose the President called for
volunteers. How many would respond?
Is not every representative besieged by
letters form volunteers from Manila today
demanding that they be brought home?
Even among the $4,000 regular troops there
are probably 5000 who enlisted in the reg
ular army only for the war. At least the
regular army was only about 50 900 men
recently, and it was under the stimulus of
the war that they got 10000 more. l under
stand that the great majority of these 25,-
900 are on the same plane as the volunteers
They must be disbanded. What is the use
of industrial republic strutting like a
fighting cock, putting on imperial airs
when it has nothing behind to back it? We
are the laughing stock today of the Eu-
ropean powers and in danger of becoming
their dupe. On the other hand for the
cause of humanity or in defense of our re-
public, there is no country SO strong The
President could have 900 900 of volunteers
in that cause when he could not have got
1000 for his Philippine policy. The trouble
Is that the American has too much sense
gets too nigh wages, and is too comfortable
at home to be fool enough to enlist
The Trouble With the President.
LAS to the statement that the President
did not know that the Fihpinos would OBJ
ject to American possession, 1 may say
that the trouble with the President is that
he has believed that the people of the Phil
ippines are not like himself. God made all
human beings substantially alike. The ele-
ments are the SAME. The Filipinos love
and could not be induced to reside in this
cold climate. If you brought thousands of
them to Washington, made them million
aires and installed them in the finest resi-
dences, they would return to the Philippines
when they got a chance. The Filipinos love
their country and are just as patriotic as
he is Their longing for a country is from
God One of His most potent means for
elevatng a race is to stir this sentiment
within them. Upon that civilization is
founded and the man, be he car or Presi-
dent who orders soldiers to shoot down
people who possess this sentiment in their
breasts is guilty of the greatest crime
which man can commit. He brushes the
divine spark in man. I do not mean to say
that the President wishes to shoot down
the Filipinos. l know he does not. do
not believe that either Congress or the
American people banker after that kind of
thing but the Presidents policy led to
just what has occurred. The President had
no ground for anticipating anything else
in the situation which has arisen. The
President is as kindly in his nature as Lin
the relations of life he is a man in whom
every American must feel the glow of
national pride, but he deals with tremen-
dous forces
These forces have their laws. Force be-
gets resistance and armed sovereignty
| over an alien people means that you would
make them slaves. Some races stand this,
| but none ever stand it whom the Divine in
| huerce has moved. The President spoke
! the magic words, Free and Independent
! Cuba 1t is beyond the power of President
| Mckinley, and it is beyond the power of
|