The record-union., 1899-10-24
A MUDDLED LAWYER.

Bourke Cochran, the distinguished
New York lawyer and the well-known
orator, has developed as an anti-expan-
sionist, apparently by the force OF
partisan pressure rather than as the
result Of profound conviction. His
''antism'' goes no further than this
he would not surrender the Philippines
nor would he compel them to accept
form Of government repugnant to them.
He therefore objects to the policy of the
Government of the United States on
the ground that it is attempting to
force upon the people a form of gov
ernment to which they object" He
gives many reasons, however, why we
should permanently keep the Philip
pines under the shelter of our wing.
Here, now. is a man divided in his
own opinions. He is at once a reten-
zionist and an opponent of retention.
For it must be clear to any one that
II we retain control we likewise must
have to say, in large part at least, what
the government is to be which we are
to protect and guarantee. If the peo-
pie Of the Philippines are to nominate
their government system without re-
gard to our retention Of the islands,
they can make the latter farce and
valueless.
But unhappily for Bourke Cochran
and we read what he has to say on the
subject with exceeding care, he pro-
ceeds upon the assumption that the
Government of the United States has
attempted to force" upon the Filipinos
form Of government obnoxious to
them. That is untrue No such at
tempt has been made What we have
done, and will accomplish in all full
ness, is the suppression Of an insurrec-
tion wiokedly begun by a faction of the
people-not by all, nor by so many as
3 per cent Of them-before we had op-
portunity to even suggest to them what
a good form of government for them
would be.
In seeking to assert our authority
and suppress insurrection against it,
we are not forcing a form of govern
ment upon any one. A false assump-
ton by the eminent New Yorker is that
the Tagalos are the people of the Phil
ippines. They are outnumbered by at
least three other large tribes who are
at peace with US, and by a vast body
amounting to millions of human beinge
who are at least not in revolt against
US.
Mr.. Cochran assumes that there is a
form Of government proposed by Aguin-
aldo, even maintained by him, that
could be or should be recognized as
constituting a power with which we
can hold communion and negotiate. He
knows, as do all who wish to know the
truth, that there is no government in
the Islands recognized by the nations
in any form, save that of the United
States; no government but ours is there
capable Of contracting responsibility or
discharging obligations in the great
family OF nations.
The pretended Government is that of
a military dictator, one who has before
set UP a so-called form Of government,
sold 1t out for coin to its enemies, and
basely violated the terms Of the sale
The Los Angeles Times" remarking
upon this subject and Mr.. Cochran s
sfngularly Illogical attitude, has this to
say:
Granting Mr.. Cockran's broad gen.
era4 proposition that one people has
no right to force a government upon
another people, it follows logically and
as a matter of course that the Taga-
los ghave no right to force a govern
ment upon the other inhabitants of
the Philippine Islands. This is pre-
cisely what the armed Tagalos would
do were it not for the presence of the
United States flag and the men behind
it in the Philippines. We are there
as the conseryators Of liberty, not as
oppressors.
We are not forcing any form of gov
eminent upon the people of the Philip
pines, for the form Of government is
matter to be determined in the
future. Our sole and imperative duty
at the present time is to restore order
in the islands. After that has been
accomplished the form of government
will be considered and determined
upon by the American Congress. In the
meantime, we shall prevent the armed
Tagalos from forcing a government
upon the inhabitants of the Philip
pines which is obnoxious to them, and
shall protect all persons and interests,
so far as possible, in the enjoyment Of
life, liberty, and the pursuit of happi-
ness.