The Irish standard., 1899-03-11
A DIFFICULT PROBLEM TO SOLVE.

| &c
That the problem OF the Philippines is
veritable elephant to Mark Hanna and
his merry men is evident to the most or
binary observer of passing events. The
bright dream of Oriental empire has
turned out to be a heetng phantom oil
the imagination. There is every indica-
ton that the puppet of the plutocracy
who sits in the chair OF Washington
Jefferson, Jackson and Lincoln, has un-
dergone a complete metanorphosis in his
policy OF expansion and conquest in the
Far East. He undertook to bite more
than he could masticate without entering
into entangling foreign alliances; and
fearing the wrath of the American people
at the ballot box he is trying to wriggle
out OF complications into which he was
entrapped by the persuasive politicians Of
England when he was elated with victory
over decrepit Spain. Spurred on by the
trusts and syndicates, Mckinley started
out as conquering hero and theatrically
told the people that the American flag
would always float wherever it was raised
and dramatically asked, "Who dares to
haul it DOWN." AT that time the nation
was flushed with victory, its blood was
at the boiling point, and the pride and
circumstance OF war" inhamed the minds
OF the people to an enthusiastic degree.
The imam OF destiny" went to the South
and addressed the hot blooded ex-rebels
OF that section in the most hatterinp
manner, and his war-like utterances were
vehemently applauded when he informed
them that the time had come when the
graves OF the Confederate soldiers should
be decorated and cared for by the govern
nent which the dead men attempted to
destroy.
| But times have changed since then and
public sentiment has changed with them.
The war with Spain in the cause of hui
mainly has been officially settled, and a
war for conquest in the cause of plutoc-
racy has been inaugurated by William
Mckinley in the faraway islands of the
Eastern hemisphere. 1t takes money and
men to carry on war OF indefinite length
1000 miles from home. Mckinley asked
for both. He got an appropriation to
prosecute the war Of subjugation, but he
cannot easily get the men. They will not
volunteer to fight people struggling for
liberty and independence after the man.
ner of their fathers, and there is no other
way of enlisting them for foreign service
except as mercenaries, unless recourse is
had to CONSUMPTION. Mckinley and his
selfish supporters realize the situation and
hence their sudden change of front. The
youth of America now in the Philippine
islands want to get away from there as
quickly as possible, and the brave you'll,
at home have no ambition to seek graves
in the jungles OF a foreign land to help
the rich grow richer and the poor grow
poorer, and place the shackles of slavery
upon the limbs of patriots struggling for
their God-given rights.
The Minneapolis Journal recently pub
lished letter from Prof. Clay MacCau-
ley, formerly of this city, who had visited
Manila, and he deliberately gives it as
his opinion that the United States with
its army and navy can hardly vanquish
the Filipinos. He says: "The physical
conditions are such that it is folly for
Americans to think OF a war OF conquest.
In sixty days the climate would put hors
de combat sixty out of hundred SOL
diers in the field. The country around
Manila is flat and swampy, covered by
bamboo thckets and tropical jungle ex-
cept little clearing here and there.
There are no roads over which army
wagons could be taken. The Filipinos
would resort to guerilla warfare, with
hundreds Of miles of thicket and Jungle to
fight, over. The loss of life and expense
in such war would be terrible. The
weather is extremely hot even in mid
winter, making exercise in the middle OF
the day intolerable. The hot season be-
gins in March and lasts until July. The
heat is then intolerable."
Such reports as this are not calculated
to make recruits for military service.
Even the missionaries have lost the zeal
for evangelical work among the natives
that characterized them few months
ago. and are more anxious to remain
nearer home to carry the glad tidings to
the Cubans and Porto Ricans.
The question before the administration
is how to deal with the Filipinos in arms
and get out OF the trap with some sembl-
ancc OF national dignity and honor. John
Bull and his "open door" are directly re-
sronsible for the misstep taken by the
administration, and the sooner the willy
suggestions Of that pudgy curmugeon are
ignored by Uncle Sam the better will it
be for this republic. If this country gets
embroiled in Chinese complications it will
tue the day when it sent its conquering
legions to enslave the Philippine islands
at The behest of England.