The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-06


The President has insisted all along that
he has no policy for the Philippines. He
stated IN the speech which he delivered
at the banquet Of the Home Market Club
in Boston that he had no policy for the
islands-that he expected Congress TO pro-
vide policy for the governments guild
ance. 1t looks, however, as if the Presi-
dent were not waiting for Congress to pro-
vide policy. The proclamation which the
commission ne sent 10 the Philippines
has issued contains the outlines of a very
definite policy In that proclamation the
FiHpinos are told very clearly what the
intention of the United States in respect to
them is
1t may be that the President meant when
he said he had no policy for the Islands
that he did not propose TO say whether
they should have military government,
territorial government or colonial gov
eminent. If that was what he meant
there is no ground for disagreeing with
him, but If he meant that he didn't in
tend TO do anything more than retain pos
session of the islands until Congress de
cided upon a course to pursue in regard
TO them, then he said a little more than
he meant
There is no doubt of course, that the com
mission expressed the sentiments of the
President in the proclamation which it has
ISSUED. In that proclamation the Fill
pinos are told what they are TO expect
from The United States. There is no mis-
taking the promises which are made 70
them If the Fiipinos surrender and ac-
cept our terms they win do so with def
mite understanding as to what is to be
done for the betterment of their condi-
ton. They are told how the revenues are
to be used, how the offices are to be filled
and what Improvements are to be made.
They are told not only these things, but
a great many more.
The fact is the President has taken hold
of the Philippines just as if he had re-
ceived Instructions from Congress in re-
spect to them. The only thing that Con-
gress villa have to do is to say what sort
of government the Islands shall have If
everything moves along in the groves
which the President is making it is not
improbable that Congress will have to
adopt the kind of a government recon-
mended by the President because every
thing viii be so arranged that no other
kind will be practicable,
We are not raising the question that the
President is doing more than he ought to
do, or that it would be wise to do less than
he is doing. The only point we are maxi
ing is that there are very good grounds
for thinking that the President has a pol
icy for the Philippines, a policy which
will be, in all probability, accepted by
Congress. If the promises made in the
proclamation of the commission are ac-
cepted Congress will not be free to legis-
late in any other manner than in harmony
with them. To repudiate the promises
would destroy whatever confidence the
Filipinos might have in our government.
That would mean endless trouble The
Filiplnos would think that we were 10
more to be trusted than the Spaniards
were. We would have to abide by the prom
ises, even though Congress might ques-
ton the wisdom of them If the war
comes to an end within the next two or
three weeks the Philippine question will
be practically settled before the meeting
of Congress, and settled in a way that it
viii not be advisable TO disturb 1t looks
therefore as if the President were deter
mining the course which will have to be
followed in dealing with the Philippines
Notwithstanding the fact that he has no
policy for the islands.