The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-10-18
A Condition, Not a Theory.

administration have over
looked in their attacks upon
the Mckinley programme was maze py
the president in one Of his western
speeches when he called attention to
the circumstance that expansion Is no
longer debatable theory but an al
ready accomplished fact. The PhiIip-
pines, in law, are as much American
territory as is Alaska or Hawaii The
manner ana form of their acquisition
are unquestioned by any nation and re-
bellion in them is as much rebellion
against American authority as would
be a rebellion in Alaska or Hawaii.
The question is now, Shall we keep
the territory already ours by treaty
cession by occupation, and by the gem
eral consent of the sovereign powers?
If the answer he that we shall not,
then must be determined whether to
give the Philippines back to Spain, to
sell or give them to some other power,
to trade them off, or simply to pull our
soldiers and sailors away from them
and let them go to the bow-wows. II,
on the other hand. the answer be that
we must keen them, there can be but
| one Interpretation Of the meaning Of
that reply, and that is that the Ameri-
! can people intend to civlize them, to
| establish and to maintain in them gov
ernment or governments founded on
| liberty wisely regulated by law, "hon-
| estly administered without oppression,
| taxation without tyranny, justice with
| out bribe, education without distinc-
tion Of social conditions, freedom Of
religious worship and protection in life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness"
What objections are offered to this
| aforementioned programme? The theo-
retical arguments against expansion
are incompetent because the expansion
against which they warn us is already
| an existing condition, a confronting
and an imperious fact. To change that
condition we must find somebody else
to take the job of governing the Phil
ippines off our hands. To whom shall
we offer it? To Aguinaldo, who planned
to massacre every white resident of
Luzon, who killed off his chief rival by
assassination, who ordered his follow
ers to attack our soldiers Whom they
were quietly standing between the ma
tive FilGpinos and a general looting of
Manila? To Germany, whose admiral
eXasperatpd George Dewey? To Rus.
sla, France, England or Japan?
Let us lool; at the matter Just as Il
stands. Hold what theory we may. tn,
responsibility for keeping order in thi,
group of distant islands is on tn,
United States ana upon the United
states alone. We must discharge il
or fall utterly in the worlds ccntempt
We must discharge it or score our frs
failure in the extension Cf American
principles over territory formerly th,
abode of savage or semi civilized peo
pies. We must discharge 1t or confes.
10 ourselves and to mankind at larg
that the idea persOnified in the famous
statue of Liberty enlightcning tn
World' is inapplicable to a group O
races having today no other protecto
or instructor and is simply a beautiful
conceit of the imagination which w
have not the courage to transform int
q living trIth.
But, if we do discharge II: if, follow
ing the presidents patriotic leadership
we sholl provide for these "hutter;n,
children If a tropic cline" govern
ment which will bring them bless
1ngs'" "nromote their material inter
ests' and advance chem n the nat
Of civilization and intelligence" a gov
ernment Of liberty 'egIia:ad by law
honestly administered without orprcs
! sing eXactions, taxation without ty
} ranny, justice without bribe, edu2atiC
| without distinction Of aoaial c1ndi
tions, freedom Of religious worship an
protection in life. liberty ard the puy
! suit OF happiness" as oye have done [
2 the inhabitants Of every one OF III
] nearly 100000 square niles over whic
p the American faE hos Go1a in cnef
| cent expansion since first it procIaine
2 the birth of the American republic
f we do this who is it hat viii suffer
! | whose viii be the ultimate loss? Nc
! the Fiiipinos, surely, whose most ad
F. Vanced ideas of self rule are crude an
clumsy dreams beside the acoomplishe
e tenor Of American sovereignty.
- Have we the ability, the strengt
: and the fidelity to principle ana dut
% to accomplish this task? This is fc
. the future TO determine but with a
+ our faults and shortcomings it Is O
v glorious record thai we have neve
D failed yet.