Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-05-12
.rnnAsox" AND rms WAR.

In this free country the public acts
OF al public officers are open TO criti-
.Isin. II II not treason TO md fault
with any public functionary. From
the President 81 the United states.
down 10 the smallest oniclal Of the gem
ctai or local government. every one Il
public servant and IL not above
comment from tie commonest " the
common people.
The word treason" Ia frequently used
without understanding Of Ito slgnin-
cation. Pretended patriots. whose
love " country consists chiefly In
shouting and fiag-wavine. are In the
habit ~ yelling ''trenson" whenever
the acts Of the powers that be are
called In question. In this country
treason has not the same meaning NJ
that In old world nations. II has
been defined by the supreme authorl-
ty-The People. The Constitution of
the United states says
Treason again-, tho United States
shall consist only In ievyinE war
against them, or In ndherinr to their
enrmIea giving them aid and comfort"
OF course that aid and comfort h
Understood 10 mean something ma
terlai. and not merely such arguments
or dirsents FROM public policy ~ would
please the enemy and diapiease the
government. Freedom Of speech and
u the pr,rr IL guaranteed by the same
instrument that defines the meaning
Of treason"
Yet when our country IL confronted
with serious difficulties. and events
which appear provldsntial. or TO say
the least could not have been aycrtcd,
have placed US In n position Of grave
responsibility which cannot be avoided
with honor, II does seem that nothing
should be- done or said which viii
weaken the authority Of the United
States or encourage people In rebellion
against n.
To bring the application OF this home
10 present conditions take the ease 81
the Philippine question. The war with
spain was wnscd. not only with the
consent but on the ardent desire " the
American people. who almost went Wild
In their pressure on the administration
" It8AA" - ettsI' tWAf wv NNNHfs INV
srea, blow struck Mt spain In Manila
bay. was hailed with universal Joy
throughout this country and made
Dewey the IDOL Of the nation. The
Philippine Islands have fallen into our
hands ~ a consequence Of that war
and 81 that brilliant victory. Now
what should be done with the acqulHl.
tIoni
To turn the government 81 tho Phil.
ipplneH at once into the control of the
natives would menn--whaig Il the 80.
called government represented By Agui.
naido to be recognlErdf what h II but
a factionf Are not the interests Of tho
residents from the foremost nations Of
the world 10 be- considcredg How can
the wishes ana welfare Of the people
delivered from Spanish thraidom be beet
ds,srminedg while these and other
grave Affairs were on the point OF de-
liberation. the Agulnnido Instruction
was precipiated ana II had TO be- put
down By force Of arms
4, appears 10 " that these events have
been forced upon the administration,
aud that nothing less than the warfare
that has followed could have been tho
course to pursue. That being ~. II IL
not fair 10 iind fault with the goyern-
inent. or 10 hold II TO q too strict con.
Htructlon " a Constitution framed with.
out any reference whatever To the Hltu-
alton evolved out of new conditions
the Inevitable results of compliance
with the popular tcmand.
When this cruel war IL over. Il viii
be consistent for champions Of iibcr.
" and constitutional iinitn 10 national
authority. TO urge their views and pre-
sent their criticisms NJ 10 tho policy
~ the government. hut now every
patriotic citizen should sustain the adj
minlairaiion In the conflict, that must
necessarily be- carried on until the
islands are pacifled and the people can
IL fully consulted az to their Wishes
Nothing should be- done or said to Grip
pie the national authority. 10 dlscour-
age our gallant soldiers ana sailors or
20 afford any ENCOURAGEMENT TO the In
surgenta who must aud win be aul,duod
for the welfare Of their own people ana
country.