Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1899-01-13

dent on our republican theory of gov
ernment has been constantly recognized
and acted upon by the supreme court of
the United States. Congress, theref IRE,
cannot lawfully prevent the migration
of any citizen residing in the Philippines
(and every Spanish subject therein be-
comes one by force of the treaty. to our
states any more than 1t can lawfully
prevent the migration of citizens of the
states to the Philippines. 1t is not well,
then, to shut our eyes to danger of this
character that attend such acquisition of
territories fully populated by such
peoples as those of the Philippines are
known to be.
There are other considerations, both
humane and financial, that cannot be
ignored. If the people of the Philippines,
both civilized and savage, must be sub
United to our Christian government by
force Of arms, how many American lives
and how much American treasure ought
to be sacrificed to that end? Rapidly de-
veloping events seem to show that
military force of at least $4,000 men
must be kept on land in those islands in
order to our obtaining an effectual SUI
premacy.
And this force must be supported by
many naval vessels, with their crews,
etc. To keep up such an establishment,
it is evident from the experience of
Spain, and from that of other nations
carrying on such operations in the
tropics, that a constant current of sup
ply and reinforcement, both of material
and men, must go on.
Besides the casualties of battle with
foes (some of whom Spain has not been
able to subdue in 200 years of efforD
Arx -, n.NN nr,I
querable foe of the tropical climate and
the diseases always present in it. And
besides this, no troops from the temper
ate zones can long endure the effect of
such climate, and they must, therefore,
be withdrawn to some cooler latitude at
very short periods to recuperate. The
, English in India happily have the Him
alayan hills within comparatively short
distances. to which their troops are sent
at frequent intervals to escape the eX
haustion of the tropical seacoast. But
our troops in the Philippines must be
transported by sea four or five thousand
miles to reach the salubrious shores of
California and Oregon. TO accomplish
all this the annual and continuous eX-
penditure of millions upon millions of
the earnings of our people must go on
indefinitely.
But we are now confronted with both
a condition and "theory.' The eX.
ecutive has concluded treaty by which
Spain has ceded the sovereignty of the
whole Philippine group, of which she
had actual possession of only small
fraction. and in many parts of which her
dominion had been absolutely over
throw, and in other parts of which she
never had any dominion at all, many of
| ~. ell IC 1ox hn Grnt -
today been inhabited by independent
tribes over which Spain never had any
actual dominion.
In dealing with this treaty the senate
Is supposed to be as free to act according
to its own Judgment as the president
was free to act according to his In
negotiating it. The senate may decline
to ratify the treaty, which in the present
state of affairs would produce situation
extremely embarrassing. But If the
senate believes the treaty to be wrong it
will doubtless have the courage to reject
1t and to face the consequences.
The senate, however, may consider
that while Spain ought to depart from
the Philippines and renounce her domin-
ion there, the United States ought not to
assume her sovereignty, such as 1t was.
against the express will of the people of
the islands. And in view of the evils
likely to follow even if those people
desired to become a part of the United
States, the senate can amend the treaty
so as to provide substantially, as the
scheme has been as to Cuba, that the
people of those islands should be left to
govern themselves as best they may
with such guarantees for order ard per-
sonal safety of the inhabitants as shall
be adequate to the preservation of order
Such guarantee can be presently en-
forced at infinitely less cost of blood
and treasure than our undertaking to as
sumo and exercise sovereignty over the
, islands.
In such case every material benefit Of
trade, commerce. and of political eXpedi
ency can be attained.
make no comment in respect of the
price of S20.000,000 provided by thu
, treaty to be paid TO Spain for the islands
In view of the gravity of the other as
, poets of the subject it is not worthy o.
, notice-New York World, Jan. s.