The progressive farmer., 1899-11-07
THE PHILIPPINE PROBLEM
AGAIN.

Our war with Aguinaldo has nov
been iQ progrcss-or, If not in progress,
has been IL some sort OF existence-for
about year, and # Gon. Otis is any
nearer victory, or is better prepared
Tor winning 9 victory now than then,
no cue seems to realize it. Hundreds
OF td0us ands OF dol Ars have been ex
pended bus the insurrection is not
Quslled. In fact, We hold practically
10 LYz)u territory ten miles from
Manila. Wish present progress the
war may be continued for a hundred
years. These facts are not hidden from
the people and they are demanding a
change IN our Philippine policy. Il
may be said that the masses OF the
people know little Of military RffA airs
This is true enough, but they do know
that an enterprlsing General is always
fighting or preparing for fighting, and
If Gen. Oils is doing either, the Ameri
can people have not found it out. The
discomfort OF the people regarding his
policy ia 80 marked that the Washing
ton Post. a Mckinley paper, recently
said:
THE President must usher in a new
and healthier regime. II he cares for
a political future, he must replace i'm
becility with brains and vigor. The
people are worn out with failure, be
wilderment and disaster. Humanity
demands q cessation OF the murderous
bungIing in L1zon. Existing
conditions projec led into the coming
year will put conclusive end to Mr..
McKinleY's public life. Deeply as be
is beloved by the American people,
overwhelming as may be his present
claim to re election, the fact remains
that six months more of such miserable
failure Rs we now have in CUBA and
the Philippines will condemn his ad
ministrasion, evan in the judgment of
those who love him bGs5, and make it's
repetition an impossibility.
Whether or not the continuation of
the present policy means, as the Post
says, tie defeat OF Mckinley is az open
question, but it is certain thai it will
lessen his chances of re-election. The
whole trouble seems to be that the ad
minis ration has no clear cut or we'll
/, ii led policy man a. the helm
does not seem to know whether he
should SO forward or backward, to the
right or TO Ghe lef5. DR. J. G. Schur
man, President Of the Philippine Gem
mission, seems to realize this Ia an
interview IN the current issue OF the
New York Outlook DE- S thurman
states his view Of the present condition
of the Philippine problem, and gives
his advice as to some important points
OF the policy to be pursued in the i'm.
mediate future. OF the many sugges
tions made by him the one that, in our
opinion, is Wises5 is as follows:
I'VE should have an authoritative
declaration on the part of the United
States of the form Of government and
OF the rights, privileges and immuni
ties which the Flipinos are to receive
from us. / trust that the Preside MT
and Congress will s0on agree on such a
grant; and the sooner it is enacted the
better. In my opinion, nothing could
go much contribute to an adjustment
Of our Philippine troubles as such a
piece Of legislation.
"In a word, my advice is, increase
your military force 20 the utmost *,
tent that may, uudeE aoy circumstan
ces, be necessary, and with those forces
annihilate, or be ready to annihllase,
the Tagalcg insurgents who are now
r9ei'ting the authority Of Ehe United
SCat9e; CU5, at tde same time, tell the
inhabitants OF the Philippine Archi
pelago, four ftGhs Of whom are at peace
with you what political status aud
civil rights you propose Co confer upon
them. S1ch a declaration may make
the further exercise Of power unneces-
sary. In any event, it will tend TO
satisfy all the races, except the Taga-
legs, who are now actually engaged in
war, and it cannot fail to have great
influence among man of intelligence
and property who are now committed
to the Tagalog cause"