El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-10-05
Philippine Problem
PARALLEL CASES.
Written For the HERALD.


| war OF liberation against spain IN
favor of Cubs, the exigencies OF war
rendered it necessary to attack the
Spanish fleet in the Philippine waters,
mot only for the purpose of Gripping
the enemy, but for the protection OF
American interests on the high seas,
and of the Pacific coast. AS result OF
such actiOp,-and flowing therefrom,
our government became entangled in
the affairs of the Philippines. Such a
result was one of the evil consequences
of the Intervention in behalf of Cuba
and on the same ground that justified
such action we must abide the legiti-
mate consequences, the entapglements
in the Philippines. Therefore, justice
and honor require that we should dis
charge the Involuntary obligations
which were cast upon us in the Malay
archipelago.
| When we overturned the Spanish
authority in Cuba we we're confronted
with conditions, from tho
war and the previous state OF affairs In
the islands, which required that we
should maintain q strong military gov
eminent there until the Cubans were
placed In q condition to govern them
selves. Having interfered in the
Cuban cause at great cost of life and
| property, and incurred grievOus bur-
dens, good policy as we'll as justice re-
quired that we should render the in
terveDtion effective,-that is, by plac-
| ing the natives In position to govern
themselves. Had Gen. Gomez, or any
oLher Cuban leader demurred to our
action of maintaining military gov
eminent until the time were ripe for
the establishment of the independence
of the islands, and begun an 1nsurrec-
tion against US, we should have been
compelled in sheer self-defense, to
wage war against him,-or, criminal
hn iolI OF
term it, and assert the paramount
authority of our government in the is
land.
Now the conditions of affairs In Cuba
and in the Philippines are closely anal
ogous aud it would require subtle
mind to distinguish any real difference
between the two cases. We aimed q
blew at Spain in order to liberste
Cuba, and rs result OF such action
we virtually liberated not only Cuba
but likewise the Philippines. AS in
Cuba, our government has been oblig-
ed on account of the previous state of
affairs in the island, the distractions of
| war, and the lack of fitness OF the peo-
pie for self government, to maintain
military government there until Gu
ban government can be esta blished
upon a firm and stable basis, so on
precisely the same grounds it became
| our duty, after overthrowing the Span
ish power in the Philippines,
and de faeto giving liberty
| there q military government until such
| q time ss an Independent government,
or home rule, for the islands could be
established. But Aguinaldo and his
followers demurred to the action of our
! government and the present unhappy
war has been the result. Does anyone
of rational mind doubt for an instant
| r Arnipo16n 1ika Gnr1oAz ootad
the part of patriot and thrown the
weight of his influence in favor of our
| government, and waited the natural
course of events, plans for the esta-
blishment of an Independent govern
ment in the establishment of which
Aguinaldo would have been
consulted and given such re-
would be now under consideration as
in the case of Cuba today? Does any
one doubt that our government would
have set to work at once, but for the
insurrection of Aguinaldo. to relieve
itself as quickly as possible
of the burdens cast upon it
by the state of affairs in the Philip
pines? Does anyone capable of form
ing an honest opinion on such matters,
suppose for an instant that our presi-
dent would have deviated for an in
slant from the plain course OF duty, es-
tablished by the principles and prac-
tice evolved under our system Of gov
eminent, which required him as soon
as expedient, safe, and prudent, to |
place the affairs of the Philippines in I
the way of giving to the people q |
proper form of self-government, such |
as is guaranteed to all who come under |
the protection of the American flag? |
To think otherwise is to discard the |
teachings of experience, and cast re-
Election upon the honesty, the integri-
ty, and exalted purpose of our presi- |
dent.
Because our president is shaping his
course by the plain principles of just
ice, because he is reorganiZing the in
voluntary obligations cast upon US as q
result of the Intervention in Cuba, be-
cause he is trying to do for the Fill
pinos what the country demands that
he shall do for the Cubans. because he
is attempting with broad spirit of phi
lanthropy, to clothe the Filipinos with
the sacred mantle of liberty, and to
secure them in the eternal enjoyment
of that exalted privilege, because he is
trying to guide the country in the
pathway of justice and rig lin short,
because he is acting in accordance
with his honest conviction, and with
the Judgment that God has given him,
a certain class of people have the i'm
pudence to accuse him of waging a war
of "Crimins ii aggression" against the
Filipinos. Such an act, directed
against the chosen ruler of the people
and the representative of their dignity
and independence, is little better than
treason. And treason, as black, as
strocious, and as damnable as ever
blistered the lips of any man, 1 de-
nounce it,wherever; or by .whomsoever
uttered.
1t seems strange that man
any class of men, familiar with the