Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-09
BRYAN SAYS RATIfY TREATY
Opponents of Imperialism Should Make Their
Fight Afterward.
Government Should Make n DecInra-
ton as to Its Policy i'm Cuba
and Philippines.

In signed article in the New York Jour
nal this morning, Col. W. J. Bryan gives
his views regarding the peace treaty with
Spain and the future policy of this govern
ment regarding the former colonies of
Spain. In brief. Col Bryan advocates the
rati61 alton of the treaty and then making
night on the future policy in Congress.
He says in part: The opponents of inn
periaiism have an opportunity to choose
the ground upon which the battle is to be
fought. Why not oppose the ratification
of the treaty?
First, because a victory won against
the treaty would prove only temporary If
the people really favor a colonial policy.
THAT a victory won against the treaty
would depend for its value entirely upon
the sentiment of the people is evident A
minority can obstruct action for a time,
but a minority. so long as II remains a
minority, can only delay action ard en-
force reflection; it cannot commit the ma
ton to policy.
Il suggest below a few reasons in sup
port of a resolution declaring il to be the
eminent in Cuba and the Philippines and
then to give the inhabitants independence
under an American protectorate, viii IN
will guard against molestation from with
out.
First such course is consistent with
national honor. Our nation owes ii to the
nations with which We have dealings as
well as to the inhabitants of Cuba, Porto
Rico and the Philippines, to announce i'm
mediately what 1t intends to do respecting
the territory surrendered by Spain.
The President has said that the only
purpose our nation has in taking possess
sion of Cuba is to assist the Inhabitants to
establish a stable and independent govern
harm
reafflrm this purpose, and ii may do much
good. The Cubans, having fought for in
dependence for many years and against
great odds, are naturally jealous of the
liberty which they have won. and no doubt
should be left as to the sincerity and good
faith of our government in its dealings
with them. Such a declaration will not
only be harmless, but ii is almost made
necessary by the fiippant If contemptuous
tone in which some United States officials
speak of the intelligence of the Cubans and
of the remoteness of their independence.
The duty of declaring our national pol
icy in regard to the Philippines is even
more imperative. The Filipinos were fight
ing for independence when the United
States declared war against Spain. In the
formal protest filed with the peace com
missioners in Paris the representatives of
Aguinaldo assert that they received friend
ly assurances from United States officials
and acted upon these assurances in CO.
operating against the Spaniards. Whether
or not such assurances were given, frank
ness and honesty should characterize our
dealings with them.
IF We announce to the world that we
hold the Philippine Islands, not for pc
cuniary profit, but in trust for the inhab-
itants; if we declare that our only purpose
is to assist the Filipinos to establish a
stable and Independent government, friend
ly relations will be maintained, and there
will be little need of troops. If, on the
other hand. the Filipinos are not to have
independence, but merely change of mas
ters, We should break the news to them at
once and send over a large army TO in
struct them in the principles of a govern
ment which in one hemisphere derives its
just powers from the consent of the gov
erned, and in the other derives its au-
thority from superior force.
While our nation is not prepared to
draft a complete code of laws suited to
the peculiar needs of the Fflipinos we
ought to be able to decide at once whether
we intend to deal with them according to
the principles of our own government or
according to the customs prevailing among
European monarchies. Even a republican
Congress ought to be able to choose with
out hesitation between policy which es-
tablishes a republic in the orient and a
policy which sows the seeds of militarism
in the United States.