The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-08-15
Our Duty in the Philippines.

Prof. Laughlln's discourse before the
Anti-Imperialistic League at Chicago the
other night reads like leaf out OF Mr..
BTyan's address to the students OF Ann
Arbor some two or three months ago. The
professor contends that we are greatly
wrong in demanding absolute and uncon-
ditional surrender froFa t!s> iusurgent
FilipInos, and that We ought to offer them
Independence under our protection. He
appears to think that this would put an
end 10 hostilities. OF course. the profess
sor knows that Independence under a
pEotectorate" is an absurdity. lie knows
that the prOtectorate relation would
make US responsible for the Filipinos in
the family OF nations. He knows. also.
that it would require US 10 take such part
in their government as might be neces-
ssry for the preservation of order and
the protection OF life and property. But
his chief blunder is that, like all mis- as
sociates in the Anti-Imperialistic League,
he assumes Aguinaldo and his followers
10 be the people of the Philippines. or at
least. 10 represent the millions OF inhab-
itants OF the hundreds of islands in the
archipelago. How can he know, what
reason has he 10 assume, that, II we were
10 send a flag Of truce to Agulnaldo and
offer independence under prUtectorate,"
the fighting would end? There are men
whose opinions are deemed far more val
liable than Prof Laughlin's who assert
that any concession made under existing
conditions would be regarded as a confess
sion of weakness. The conservative sem
timent of the country demands the sup
preston OF the rebellion against our au-
thority and the establishment of we'll
ordered government as conditions pre-
cedent TO any arrangement as 10 future
relations of the United States to the Phil
ippines. Even political leaders who are
not models of conservatism see and ad-
nit that we are bound to do this. cost
what il may. The acting chairman of the
Democratic National Committee declares
that surrender to the Philippine !nsur-
gents is impossible" John p. AlteeId. q
radical of radicals. says: Il think order
should be restored in the Philippines and
the people there given a good form of
government. We ought TO set that coun-
try going in the right direction and see
to it that no other power interferes with
them"
The Post does not ignore any of the IN
pleasant phases, nor minimize any Of the
difficulties of the situation. A more un-
welcome duty has never devolved on this |
nation-saving only our great internal |
confiict-than that which now confronts |
US on the other side of the world II is |
not in anger, but in sorrow, that we force
the inhabitants of Luzon TO submit TO |
our terms. 1t is not lust of domain nor |
greed for gain that impels us If the pres |
ent troubles had been foFeseen nending |
the negotiation of the treaty with Spain. |
we feel sure that neither the government !
nor the people of the United States |
would have cared to acquire sovereignty
over the Philippines. But while the en-
tightening influence of hindsight presents
sources of regret, II does not absolye us
from the obligations incident to that
sovereignty.
II may be that political issues will
grow out OF this matter but there is no
room for division among patriotic Amer
leans as TO the business we now have in
hand. Order must be restored in the
Philippines and the people there given a
good form of government" On that Dem
ocrats' Populists, and Republicans are
united. When that is accomplished. our
duty as TO the future may be more clearly
discernible than it is to-day.