Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-07-11
lingly philanthropic character. Eve

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now American commercialism, repre-
sented by great trusts, is planning the
capture of the former Spanish posses
sions, Cuba first, then Puerto Rico and
the Philippines, for its own aggran-
dizement, by securing control, through
fair means or foul, of all their fran
chises and products.
Itwas Imperialism and commercial
ism, not duty, which impelled the
United States government to wrest
the Philippine Islands from Spain
after she had sued for peace, and when
we had not possession of even a small
portion of one of them.
The political ownership of the Phil
ippines will furnish opportunities for
hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of
political offices, which will increase
the patronage and power of the
government. The addition of territory
and the consequent increase of the
army and navy, will increase the
political prestige of the nation among
the nations of the world, and will
satisfy the growing imperial spirit.
The increase of the army will tend
to establish the party in power, and
make it more dangerous for the peo-
pie to to attempt to throw off any sort
of oppression, or to attempt any such
political revolution as must come, and
that soon, if true liberty is to be pre-
served. The argument of duty is sim
ply cloak to cover the animus of the
the sexpansion" movement. Does
anyone imagine for a moment that
any sense of duty to civilization or to
the Filipinos is impelling the United
States government to the slaughter of
that people to compel them to accept
freedom and liberty as exemplifed by
trust-ridden and money-ruled ma
ton.
Already, when it seems as though
the popular opposition to this unjust
and wicked usurpation of the natural
rights of man to be governed or to gov
ern himself as he sees fit, has been
largely stilled, the ''duty" argument
is, in measure, being lost sight Of,
and we'll it might, in view of the most
successful way in which we are at the
present time carrying peace and liber-
ty to the Filipinos.
The humorous, the political, and
even the religious press, are pouring
maledictions upon the heads of the
'poor, ignorant, and savage" Filipi-
nos, for having the temerity to oppose
the government of the United States
in taking possession of their islands
and themselves, and governing them
as it sees fit. They are also encourag-
/ ing Uncle Sam to give the Filipinos a
sound whipping to "teach them their
place"
| Is it a belief in the duty and the
manifest destiny of the United States
toward these islands and people, that
calls forth these sentiments? Verify
this is a Christian nation!
i The argument of "duty" was an in
Invention of political necessity, the
necessity of politics managed not in
the interests of the people, but to make
the government a power to be felt il
the world. This is an imperial policy
1, When it was seen that Spain was to
lose all her colonial territory, there
arose the necessity for a plausible ex.
cuse for the United States taking pos
session of so much of Spanish terri.
| tory, and SO far out of our way, al.
though at the outsetof the war it was
distinctly declared that this was not
to be a war of conquest.
!, All the nations of the old world were
anxious that we, who thus far ha6
governed ourselves simply, should en-
/ ter upon imperialiStic and colonia
policies and practices, thus retreatine
from our foundation principles thai
all men were born free, and have The
right to choose their own government
But the fears and suspicious of thu
people must first be quieted withsomt
plausible arguments, which would
seem to show that we were not incon
slStent, and that there were no de
, signs against the foundation princi
pies OF free government, before tina
could be safely done. Therefore, j
, become the duty of the United State
to establish government sin TIN
D place OF the one which we had de
. stroyed in the Philippines. 1t be
f came our duty to civilize and educat,
' the Filipinos, for it was easily decided
: that they were too savage and heath
enish to govern themselves, howeve
much they might desire to try it. /
also becomes our duty to ESTABLISH
: peace among them, and this we ar
doing with shot and shell.
Undoubtedly we shall be able t
e more thoroughly subject the Filipino
: than Spain has been in the five hun
: dred years of her rule.
4 The duty" argument was taken III
7 by press and platform, the religion
V press and pulpit, and advocated witt
/ fervor. The duty and the NANTES
/ destiny of the United States to civil
d ize and Christianize the Filipinos wa
e insisted on everywhere. Thus far W
+ have succeeded in impressing upo
: them the idea that we are going t