The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-07-14

the United States toward this alien PEG
pie. But before drawing inference
from this article it may be well to re
view, momentarily, the reasons why w
have assumed this guardianship.
Our claim to the Philippine Island
seems to be two-fold: First, they ar
the legitimate spoils of war which fel
into our hands as the result of a magnif
lcent victory; and second, the people ar
not capable of government; there
fore Uncle Sam must needs throw az
affectionate arm over their shoulder tt
curb their awakening ideas and to ware
off undesirable friends who might seel
the acquaintance of this precociouS in
FAINT.
What weight ought the first to claim
that of the legitimate spoils of war-tC
have with the most enlightened Chris
tian nation of the world, nineteen centu
ries after the angels sang Of peace ant
goodwill to their earthly listeners? II
would seem invalid, especially when the
war of which this is the spols, was en-
tered into in an avoWedly philanthropic
spirit to establish the independence of
our island neighbors. Would it not have
been magnificent crown to magniti-
cent victory in the cause of indepen-
dence to have unreservedly given indie
pandence to the Filipinos in the very
moment of achieving it for the Cubans
| Thus by an unparalleled stroke of fate,
could we have expanded our principles
| in a lofty, magnanlmous way, entirely
| worthy of the opportunity within our
| grasp. Such an act would have given
| the United States a prestige of honor,
and loyalty to principle, unrivalled In
the worlds history. This would be gen.
uine expansion only expansion
which we as a peaceful contented ma
ton, should wish to engage in-the es-
tablishment abroad Of our principles of
elf-government, not the establishment
of our arbitrary power in far-away "col-
onies' coerced against their will.
To claim the right to exercise s6ver-
eighty over the F'ilipinos-to claim con-
troll over eight millions Of people simply
because we have the opportunity to do
so, is then unworthy of us as a Chris
tian nation, and unworthy of us as VIC
tors (for we are not victors over them,
but over their oppressors) As this
claim Is so absurd and illogical for us),
the second reason for our exercise of
sovereignty over the islands has been
strenuously presented, and has doubtless
had much weight with people who
wished to be conscientious and who
wavered in their opinion as to the merits
of the case. To such this article in the
Review of Reviews will be especially
valuable, for while it is written in har-
mony with the policy of the government
it describes the people in a way which
entirely removes from our minds the
idea that they are unframed incapable
savages. The writer says that In jour
neying through the country he was i'm
pressed "above all things, by the hospl-
tally, generosity and good-nature Of
the people, whether came across them
in the towns or back in the country
Referring to the government organized
by Aguinaldo he says "By the middle OF
October, 1898, he had assembled at Ma
lolos a congress of one hundred men who
would compare in behavior, manner,
dress and education with the average
men of the better classes of other Asia
tic nations, possibly including the Japa-
nese. These men, whose sessions | re-
peatedly attended, conducted themselves
with great decorum and showed a |
knowledge of debate and parliamentary
law that would not compare unfavora-
bly, with the japanese parliament The
executive portion of the government |
was made up of a ministry of bright |
men who seemed to understand their
respective positions. Each general divi- !
sion was sub-divlded with reference to |
practical work. There was large force |
of under secretaries and clerks. who APP |
peared to be kept very busy with rou-
tine labor"
He refers to the Filipino Press and
saws. 1T must be remembered that the
Of the Filipino adults who re-
side in the great populous sections of
the north and south of Manila can read
and write, and that. according to the
statement of reliable members of Agui1-
aldo's staff, fully seventy per cent, OF
the men in the ranks of the Filipino
army could likewise read and write
And further TN the matter Of native
OF goVernm nD I am be-
lever that they are capable of much
larger degree of responsibility than that
for which they are commonly given
credit When I consider how well, in
view of all conditions, the Siamese are
governing their little country and are
really making decided progress, and
when again 7 see how prosperous the
Malay Protected States are, judging
rom my own personal study of these
countries, ! do not see any reason why a
arge proportion Of the responsible posi-
tons should not be held by the leading
1.-THE fact that a large num-
ser of Filipnos have fought against us
loes not mean that they may not possess
ome qualities of government, well
guided This fighting may have proved
'ather that they have an executive ca
)acty a power of organization, and a
consistency of effort for which other
wise we would probably never have Civ
N them credit. We must remember
llso the actual government that exist
d at Malolos While in many respects
he Filipino management of their af-
airs reminded one of child with a new
oy yet every observer, military, naval
r civilian, who went to MalOlos or who |
n the earlier days saw the development
f government at Cavite and Bakor, was
with the apparent order, sys-
EN- and formality with which every
hing was done"
Granting that the phrase "a child with
new tny'' NAV contain some truth |