Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-03-22
An INTERESTING PROBLEM.

AN INTERESTING PROBLEM.
Assuming that the editorial columns OF
! the impcrlalstic papers bear truthful tes-
tlmony TO current happenings ethnology
is to-day confronted with one of the most
/ interesting and difficult problems the au-
I fhorties I'm that domain OF study and
science have ever been called upon 10
solve This problem is the startling and
! sudden mctamOrphosis from good TO bad,
which American humaniiarianism has
| produced in millions Of people. There are
| Instances in which humanitarianism and
efforts at benevolent assimilation have by
! slow stages transformed job lots Of peo-
pie from degenerates into regenerates. but
now. for the first time in the history of
the human race. these benign innuences'
have operated to cause the reversal Of the
process. and that, too. on most stupen-
dous scale.
\ few short months ago. and so long as
the Fiipnos put faith in our promises
which seduced them into becoming our
virtual allies against the brutal Span
iards." the columns of our imperialstic
contemporaries teemed with praises of
their new love. According 10 these or
gans. the FlipinOs were patriots Of the
first water. and sweet-tempered, dOcile
Intelligent, attractive people, who only
needed an opportunity 10 illustrate the
grandest possibilities Of self-government
Aguinaldo their "heroic leader" was held
up prominently as type. The Filipino
phies saw IN him the naturalization of
the picture
Ills life was gentle and the elements
SO mixed in him, that nature might stand
up
And say to all the world, This was a
man"
So enamored OF the virtues Of our poly
othnic brethren of the Philippines became
the Imperialists. or the annexationists as
they then termed themselves, that they
never rested until we had bought the
whole assortment at g per head. Papers
that haC wept oceans of tears Of sym
pathy for the southern negro-crocodile
tears. perhaps. but tears all the same
and had spent a large part Of their OK
istence I'm denouncng the "unholy traffic
iE human flesh" forgot their first love and
advocated the purchase In their philan-
thropic zeal i'm their new cause. in the
ardor OF their affection for the FilipnOs.
I'm the intensity Of their yoarning TO vim
dictate the claim of "Americanism as syn
onymous with bumanitarianism and free
dom" they connived at the overlapping
of constitutional barriers, and Knocked the
warnings OF all the fathers of American
freedom.
But what a change. my countrymen, On
the evidence Of these same imperlaiisic
organ s, since the Fiipinos. have objected
TO being
Slaves turned over to the yictors
by the vanquished,'
they are no longer patriots. but brigands
and saerllas. Since they would have
solf-loyornment, they are utterly incapa-
bic of ruling themselves. Since we have
alte7pytcd TO apply practically to them our
policy of humanitarianism and benevolent
assimilation. with magical celebrity they
have developed into horde of semi
savages. savages. cut-throats and rebels;
and Aguinaldo. their chief, has fallen from
his high estate and become a devil incar-
nate. Not a virtue not an attractive
trait, not a lOvable characteristic, not
1.-THE of the intelligence the Filipinos pos
sosscd when Deweys guns were first
heard at Manila is retained by them. So
radical has been the metamorphosis that
the crstwhile Filipinophie organs feel
to favor carrying our human
itarian and benevolent assimilation pro-
gramme practically t. the point of eXter- !
our new wards. And really. de-
spite the roseate reports that come from |
Manila as TO the progress of our bench |
cent mission il begins to look as If TO 1
that complexion 81 must come at last-and |
at great cost Of blood and treasure 10 the |
American people on, yes indeed, in the
editorial columns OF the imperialistic
papers is there a great deal for the eth
nologists 10 scratch their heads over.