St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1899-10-14
A WORD OF WARNING.
Ehe Radical Departure of the Ad-
ministration May Have Se-
rious Results.

President AfcKinley's expansion pol
Icy is said to favor the permanent hold
Ing of The Philippines and their gov
ernment by three American commits
sioners, to supplant the military gov.
ernment when the Aguinaldo rebellion
shall have been crushed.
1t is reported from Washington that
the president will urge this policy upon
| congress, and use all the influence at
his command to bring about its adop-
ton. In view of his recent strong
declarations in favor of establishing
American supremacy in the Philippines
there is no reason to doubt the accu-
| racy of this latest outlining of his
plans.
Whether the people of the United
States will support the president in this
radical departure from well grounded
American principles is the greatest is
sue of foreign policy presented since
those which led to the war Of 1912. 1t
is upon adherence to the Monroe doc
trine that the United States govern
ment logically bases its claim to SUI
premacy in this MISUNDERSTANDING
hands off the old world and requiring
the powers of the old world to keep
hands off the new.
The people of this country recognize
the fact that the problem of the perma-
nent disposition of the Philippines is
seriously perplexing and that it de-
mands the most earnest deliberation be-
fore conclusive action is taken. They
hope, however, that the settlement of
the problem may rest on a consistently
American basis. They know that from
the moment the United States takes
formal and final possession of the
Philippines new epoch begins for this
country, and they are apprehensive as
to the developments of that epoch as
bearing upon American principles and
institutions and the welfare of the
country.
1t must be acknowledged by unpreiu-
diced thinkers that there is a menace
attaching to permanent American SOW
ereignty in the far east. 1t necessarily
means the maintaining of big army
and the inevitable fostering of spirit
of militarism. 1t nullifies the Monroe
doctrine and opens the way for further
colonial acquisition beyond the limits
Of the western hemisphere. 1t vastly
increases the chances of war with the
great powers of Europe and renders inn
perative constant state of prepared
ness for such wars. It changes COM
pletely the attitude in which this gov
ernment has stood before the world
throughout all its previous history.
If we are to remain 1iberty-loving
and liberty-fostering republic, legiti-
mately supreme in one-ha1f of the
worlds territory, win it be wise to take
the risks inseparable from the perma-
nent holding of the Philippines? Is it |
light to do so? Is it safe for American
VIII it not be better to at |
least make an effort toward giving the
tiIpinos a chance to demonstrate their |
for self-government? The peo-
pie of the United States are not partisan
n contemplating this problem They
Ire looking at it through American
yes. It will be well for the president |
% consider their attitude before sur
'endering American principles to the
'apacity of land-grabbing syndicates,
whose Americanism is limited to a wor-
'hip of the eagle on the face of the
American dollar.-St. Louis Republic.