Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-02-09

i TO establish on said ISLANDS soN''"
| ment suitable 10 the wants and eonbho''
| OF the Inhabitants of seid Islands 20 pre-,
| nare them for local SELF government, anc
| In due time 90 make such disposition OF
l ssti islands as will best promote the IN.
tcrcsts OF the citizens OF the ip'teo
| States and the inhabitants OF saio
! Islands"
/ Now let us read the criticism Mrs car
fery made Of the resolution when 1t wa
before the Senate on Monday. We quote
from the Congressional Record:
"Mr President. the resolution n'ro'
| duced by my colleague Mr. McbheiS
provides for nothing more than rroiec
| toTate, coupled with sovereignty OH ,i''
| part Of the United States over these u
| lands. with the reservation 10 dispose W
them Just as the United states chooses
| The first nroposition is that II Is not the
intention OF the United states 10 lhco'
porate the people OF the Philippine is
lands into the Union. or TO annex the
territory of the Philippine Islands as IN
integral part Of our Union; and then foi-
lows:
But II Is the intention of the United
states TO establish on said ISLANDS
government suitable 10 the wants anu
conditions OF the inhabitants OF saiu IS
lands. 10 prepare them
mot for sef-govcrnment. b"'-
" FOR local government. ana III que uine
10 make such disposition of said islanus
as will best promote the interests OF the
citizens of the United States and the IN
habitants OF said islands.
"Nr. President, we not only decline 10
Incorporate these people. and thereby
make them citizens Of the United states
but we decline TO do anything more imam
70 establish a local self-government. and
after that 10 dispose Of the Islands In
any way we see proper. That gives us
the power TO ALLEVIATE them, TO sell them,
TO dispose of them in any manner. shape,
or form that suits the prevailing ma
iority in the Congress of the United
States.
''In other words II is a despotic pro-
tectOrate without any guaranty of in
dependent sef-government whatever
upon the part of the United
States toward these people. They are only
to be educated up to what we are pleased
to term local self-government and in que
time we are to MAKE such disposition OF
them as will best promote-first, the ID
terests Of the citizens of the united
States. and then the people of the Phlip-
pine Islands-our interests primarily
paramount all the time. without any con-
sideraton whatever Of the wishes OF those
people Not line of this amehdhent
gives to those people any sort Of authoil-
~ or right or jurisdiction over ther oMh
affairs; but we fix it all; we pfeScrlDe
what sort Of n government is a local self
government. and then we hold the power
and the Jurisdiction TO make an absolute
alienation of IT, We bought them, and
now we propose TO hold the power to sell
them. according to the resolution
Precisely. And the time at which we
shall ALLEVIATE or sell them. II, indeed, the
resolution obligates us to ALLEVIATE or sell
them at all, IS very indefinite. Make
such disposition of said islands as Will
best promote the interests of the citizens
Of the United States" leaves big loop
hole. Reduced TO its last analysis. the
resolution is meaningless as binding us
against Imperialism. We can well under
stand why the Imperialists should he
willing 10 keep their pledge. The end is
not yet, and the passage of the reso!u-
lion might prove very useful in the et-
fort 10 stay the tide Of rebuke 10 annex
alton that is rising among the masses. 1t
might also prove very useful in weaken
ng Democratic efforts to give impetus to
hat tide. 1t would give the Imperialists
wide latitude for tcmporizing until they
could bring about conditions that would
make permanent retention Of the islands
almost unavoidable.
As we said the other day. there is hard
" any doubt that the war we have
bought I'm the Philippines will be so
worked as to secure the passage of the
Hull army bill by the Senate In our
view, a clean cut reputation Of imperial
SIN and unqualified opposition TO mill
.arism should be made prominent issues
n the Democratic campaign Of 1909 Win
The passage of the McEnery resolution.
which is neither fish, flesh. fowl, nor good
red herring" the Democracy would go
INTO the canvass handicapped as 10 both
Of these issues. The Herald's correspond
emit above referred to also says that ut
S probable the resolution will not be voted
on at this session Of the Senate" In the
lights before us we hope II Will not be.
The Republicans have all to gain and
nothing to lose, and the Democrats have
all 10 lose and nothing to gain by its
The action of the Senate Mon
day removed the question of imperialism
and all II involves from legislative halls
TO the hastings, and i'm order to the tri-
umph i'm the fighting out thereof of right,
justice, and patriotism, it were better
that there should be no further senatorial
with it. SO, we see that Demo-
cratic opposition, so far from being evil
dence of insincerity. is proof of sincerity.
Moreover, ii is proof of common sense.