The evening times., 1899-01-10
TUESDAY. JANUARY lo, 1899,
Hnnr nnd AguinnIdn.

Hoar and Aguinaldo.
II the effort Of the melancholy Hoar rep
resents the strength Of the anti-eXpan-
sionists their campaign viii be not only
brief but without the appearance OF reason
and conviction which hopeless minority
is usually able 10 present. As Senator
Plat Of Connecticut justly remarked, he
set up man OF straw TO knock over. He
was worse than unfair in his statement of
The conditions under which il is proposed
TO hold and govern the inhabitants OF the
Philippines Before he MAS half through
with his laborious speech it was apparent
that be was not moved by any convictions,
and that his fears were all sham. Why
he should oppose the retention Of The ISL
ands is nor made dear by his speech, for in
ii he never touched on any possible condi-
ton. Where mere rhetoric was not the only
quality Of his phrases. there WAS a purely
groUndless assumption that nobody who IS
al all familiar with the history Of The
American people and the temper OF Ameri-
can Legislators would ever accept.
The speech in itself is not worth careful
reading any more than the volumes of
words thar have sometimes issued from The
lips Of Senators to kiH time in the process
known as talking measure 10 death.
Even a cursory porusal viii reveal what an
exact reading viii confirm. that the things
Senator HOar pretends 10 fear are as i'm
possible as a declaration of monarchy in
this country. The central idea of his
speech was that the American nation pro-
poses 10 deprive the Filipinos of their lib
critics TO legislHte for them without regard
10 constitutional restrictions or the prin-
ciples that undeIlie our own institutions.
aud TO treat them generally as they have
been treated by Spain.
Mr.. Hear should be read. if at all. in
the light of the facts Here are some
millions OF people Of many races admit
ted by all, and especially by The enemies
OF expansion 10 be wholly Incapable OF
self government They have always been
under the repressive tyranny of the one
nation which has made no advance in po-
litiCal intelligence since the darkest days
OF human history. They have been denied
the right 10 any education and have betn
condemned TO the most abject poverty in
the case Of the majority. They have been
without example in personal freedom and
inevitably are unable 10 distinguish BE-
tween liberty and license. BY the for
tunes OF war we became responsible
for the good order of The country they in
habit. BY the admissions Of everybody.
10 confer independence on them would b
10 institute The barbaric rule Of a dicta-
tor, as Aguinaldo. the savage leader OF a
savage band, has already declared him
self. 1t would be 10 turn over to b oody
revolutions country Of exuao7d nary re-
sources and people capable. alter years
OF careful rule and guidance CT becoming
prosperous, intelligent. pe2ceab,e ana TT
TO enjoy personal and political liberty.
To these people the President Of this re-
public issues a proclamation promising the
utmost degree Of freedom consistent with
safety and the progress OF civilization.
They are assured that they are not TO be
treated as vassals. but are TO have Whatev- |
er measure Of self government they show |
themselves fit 10 exercise with all the |
privileges OF free movement, security of !
property and exemption from foreign op- /
preston the American citizen enjoys. They |
are 10 have free education and the reye- |
nuos of the country are 10 be expended |
exclusively for their benefit. Contrast all
this with the condition from which they
have been rescued by this country and then
say whether their own interests as wei |
as those Of all mankind are not to be bet
ter served by the Presidents policy than
by any other that has been suggested. No !
lfal-- Dc I,a4 Z
not be their destruction and source of /
danger TO this republic through the en-
croachments of ambitious foreign nations /
and by reason Of our responsibility for /
their welfare. The resistance offered by |
Aguinaldo is lively example of what in /
dependence would mean. He derives no 4
authority from the Filipinos. He has sim 4
ply gathered z comparatively small pro-
portion CT the people, and by promises OF ,
plunder has induced them to become ban 1
dts The majority of the Malays includ- 1
ing all who own property and on whose
security depends the material prosperity 4
OF the Philippines. are opposed to his /
knEship. If the Americans should with /
draw, he would establish an absolute mon
archy and revive the worst expressions OF (
Spanish administration. Eventually he
would be overJhrown by some other am
biticus outlaw, and the islands would be |
scene of bloodshed and robbery until, in |
the interest Of civilization, some foreign |
power would seize them and in time use |
them as menace TO America
Senator Hoar, unless he has become a |
victim of paress, knows that no Congress
Will ever impose on the Filipinos legis- |
lation that is not positively and undeniably |
for their good and in entire harmony with |
the principles that govern legislation for
the States. That in providing for their
gradual self-government we should impair
the liberties of our own people or change /
in any degree the principles of republican |
administration is the fancy of a decaying
Intelligence. 1T is 10 assume that the leg
tslators of the future are to be inferior in