The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1899-08-10

that which every right thinking man
must feel when he sees his country
transferred from the role of lberator
to that of oppressor, has said some
plain words about our attitude in the
Asiatic tropics and our unholy war
of conquest His temperate and
common sense sentences run as fol-
lows:
No man. said Abraham Lincoln. is
good enough to govern another man with
out the other mans consent When the
white man governs himself that is self
government; but wher he governs him
self and also governs another, that is
more than self government--that is des-
potism.'
'We are told by the intelligent patriot
that Aguinaldo is not true patriot, but
merely clever bandit Yet even child
knows that this is the Identical accusation
brought against every leader OF people
struggling for its independence. If Agu-
naldo were an angel would not the ex-
pansloniss say the same? Span always
claimed that Gomez and Gracia were
merely INSCRIPTIONS adventures, and
that the real Cubans were not in their
ranks IT'S an old trick. The most
careless reader Of history knows that the
ranks of people struggling for independ-
once are always recruited from the rngiag
and boblail rather than from the upper
crust. In our own revolution the VERY
best people" in New York, PHILADELPHIA
and other cities were in favor of England.
80 also was the church, almost TO a unit
And it is significant to note that today
the clergymen who make sport of our
declaration of independence, such as
Henson, are all of the orthodox pulpit,
whereas here in Chicago every preacher
in the liberal church is opposed to the
present policy, But orthodoxy and
tyranny and the very best people" al
ways go hand in hand, and this the peo-
| pie are beginning to learn.
FINALLY. it is said by some that we
cannot retire with honor. Again we see
Uncle Sam metamorphosed to fit the role
OF Don Quixote! little over year ago
Spain pleaded that she could not retire
with honor from Cuba. Today Ameri-
can honor-may God forget ills plead
ing the same quixotic nonsense, the while
we continue to follow the crooked course
of Spanish honor perblind to our own dis
honor. Alas but there is no solitary ex-
cuse America urges today that has not
been previously pleaded by Spain and
other tyranls. Meanwhile we have
"Christianized' and promoted To the
higher life 5000 Filipinos. and heaven
knows how many Americansi How
much more does our honor needy 'Yet
il we stop says Henson, the Baptist.
I'VE shall be the laughing stock Of the
world" And there speaks Sancho Panza.
There is but one right course to take.
II we have one spark of true honor left.
let us stop firing at once There is no
possible excuse in wagng offensive war
fare and devastating their land, patriot
ism and orthodoxy to the contrary not
wthstanding We are strong and they
are weak; a giant opposed TO child.
Our honor, such as il is, may well stand
a truce. The bully gains naught save
the well merited rebuke of the historian
by thrashng child into or, ing for un-
| conditional surrender. And now let us
declare, in no vague, uncertain terms
what we should have declared months
ago; namely. our purpose to act merely
as their protector against other greedy
foreigners, and while they set up their
burden and work out their own salvation
independent of jingling Kiplings and
other foolish or avaracious or well-mean-
ing white men. And let us do this If
possible before they are all Christian
lied" TO the tune OF our own murderous
commerce and conceit; though even now
thousand years OF right doing on the part
OF the United States will never serve TO
blot out the history OF this blacklist year
of Imperialism and despotism The thing
that history will charge against us is
that, despite our so-called peace commits
sloners. we persistently refused to treat
with the Filipinos save on terms of I'M
conditional surrender, and preferred TO
murder them into submission If need be.
Our intentions may have been good. but
our acts have been monstrous and wicked.
Hell is paved. etc"
PARTISANSUIp