Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-09-16


PEELED to believe that the Filipino
masses are loyal TO Aguinaldo and TIE
, government which he heads
! Neither by threats. promises, offers Ct
reward, nor by assurances of safety,
can | pursuade one of these amigos
! to talk against the insurgent cause.
/ They tell me they are ogr friends
And no art that we are master
| of will get any information from them
AT first I thought this reticence was
due to fear Of Aguiraldo'ss vengeance.
1t can not be that, for the most stupid
of these natives within our lines mus:
now realize that Aguinaldo can never
hope TO take Manila
Two Wars Contrasted.
6. The assumption tha. those who
supported the government during the
civil war must, to be consistent, now
favor the subjugation of the Filipinos,
is not only false but foolish. The
struggle on this continent was for the
preservation of a union originally eS-
tablished by consent of all the states,
for the enforcement OF laws enacted
by the representatives of the whole
people. and finally for the emancipa-
tion of a race which had been held
in bondage for more than a century
It was war for self-preservation. not
for the acquisition of new territory;
for the enforcement of our own laws
in our own country, not abroad-not
10000 miles away; for the freedom
and enfranchisement of native-born
Americans. not for the political en-
slavement of foreign people. In
other words, a rebellion inaugurated
and carried on against the will of the
great majority, in violation of a con-
stitution which all helped to frame,
in disregard of laws which the repre-
sentatives OF all took part in making,
is quite different thing from a war
to repel a foreign invader who goes
armed to the teeth to subjugate and
possess. The supremacy of the will
of the majority of those to be gov
erned is the true American doctrine,
and this constitutes lf-government.
Z. 1t has been said that the inhab-
itants of the Philippine islands are
barbarians, and hence not qualified to
govern themselves. The truth is a
large proportion of the people of these
islands are Christians. The Philip
pine archipelago has altogether over
1000 schools for the instruction of
children and many universities for the
higher education of youth. The col
lege Of ST. Joseph in Manila was
founded over 800 years ago: the uni
versity of San Tomas in 1908; the col
lege of San Jean de Latrin in 1920. A
larger percentage of the population Of
Luzon are able to read and write than
of the population of Alabama, Louis
lana, Mississippi, Cuba, Porto Rico, or
the South American republics. Ad-
miral Dewey affirmed that "the Fill
ipinos are far superior in their intel
Ii icpnno and nana hlo nf Golf
ernment that the natives of Cuba"
81 am" he says. familiar with both
races General Charles King. re-
Gently from Manila, states that the
capability of the Filipinos for self
government can not be doubted. and if
given fair start they could look out
for themselves infinitely better than
our people imagine Our counsel
general at Hongkong tells us that
"A guinaldo. Agoncillo and Sandico
are all men who would be leaders in
their separate departments in any
country" John Sherman. George F.
Edmunds, George S. Boutwell, and
other eminent American statesmen,
say that parliament of the islands.
by representatives elected
Constitution co defining the
powers and duties u the separate de-
partments of the government with re-
markable clearness and ability" Mr..
Barrett. formerly our minister at
Siam. as already quoted. said that he
attended the sessions of the
Filipino congress, and that the mem
bers of it conducted themselves with
great decorum, and showed a knowl-
edge of debate and of parliamentary
law that would not compare Unfavora-
bly, with the Japanese parliament.
CRIMINAL GREED.
to Justify Avarice by As
sumptiOns of Superiority.
The truth is that men. prompted by
mean ambitions, by avarice. vanity.
or luxurious inclinations, are not un-
likely to attempt TO justify acts of
seltishness and brutality by
speciouS assumptions of superiority.
Ingenious but Elusive allegations with
respect to the intelligence and nobil-
ity Of one class Or race, and
the ignorance and degradation of
another, have from time immemorial
served as preteXts for depriving large
numbers of mankind of their rightful
share of Gods favors. Arguments
similar to those now used to excuse
the holding of the Filipinos in subju-
cation have been worn threadbare by
every slave owner, slave trader and
slave driver of the world If the peo-
pie of the United States should now
repudiate the only doctrine which rem
ders our country pre-eminent among
nations-that Of the equality and in
,lienable rights of men-we may soon
ook for restricted suffrage, oppressive
.aXation, an immense national debt, a
great army and the arbitrary rule of
Caesars. Ii our experience as ma
ion has taught US anything with ter
'ible emphasis, It is that a people who
would themselves be free, should not
advocate the curtaiiment OF the rights
and privileges of others.
8. 1t is said, that what other ma
ions have the power TO do, this nation
las, the power to do; that to hold the
contrary is to concede that the United
States is inferior to other nations; but
his is all nonsense. 1t was certainly
not the desire of the fathers, nor is
government should be permitted to do
Ill the things other countries have
lone or are doing. We claim to have
/ government so much superior to all
others that it must obtain its power
rom the people, not usurp it, and
WELD it against the will of majorities.
)f course it may be shown that we
nave often erred in the past, but our
errors should not be converted into /
)recedents for the commission of new
,utrages.. Ours is a government of the |
people, not of emperors or kings. and |
I has the legal right to do only what |
he people have given it the power to |
10. In other words. it is the theory |
If our government that its officers, |
whether elective or appointive, are the |
servants OF the people. not their mas
ers: that they have right to do in |
heir official capacity what the consti- |
ution and the laws, passed in con-
ionance herewith, authorize them to |