The Irish standard., 1899-07-01
FIT FOR SELF-GOyERNmENr.

No doubt any longer exists as to the
ability OF the Filpinos to govern them
selves. More than year ago Admiral
Dewey declared that the natives OF LII
zon were better able to assume the re-
sponsibilities OF self-govemment than
the Cubans. General Reeve, of the Min
nesota regiment, substantially said the
same thing, and now comes General
Charles King, who has recently returned
to San Francisco, and bears the
same testimony as to their capabilities
He says if they are given fair start
they can manage their own affairs in
hnitely better than the American people
suppose. In letter written at the re-
quest OF the Milwaukee Journal, General
King says:
"The capablity OF the Filipinos for
government cannot be doubted.
Such men as Arellano, Aguinaldo, and
many others whom l might name, are
highly educated; nine-tentls OF the peo-
pie read and write; all are skilled ar
tisans in one way or another; they are
industrious, frugal, temperate and, given
a fair start, could look out for them
selves infinitely better than our people
imagine. In my opinion, they rank far
higher than the Cubans, or the uncdu-
Gated negroes to whom we have given
the right OF suffrage"
But it makes very little difference, as
far as the present administration is con-
cerned, whether the Filipinos are able
to govern themselves or not. Mark
Hanna and his merry men OF the trusts
and corporations care not fig whether
they are educated or ignorant, fit or I'M
fit for self-government. They want the
islands for all they are worth and will
use the poor natives OF the Philippines
as the slaveocracy OF the South used
the negroes before the war. The less
intelligence the Filipinos possess the
better the plutocracy Of this country will
like it, for the more easily can they
govern them for their own selfish ends.
The war now going on is for their sole
use and benefit, and already some OF the
expansionists do not hesitate to say what
the war is really for. In recent speech
at a banquet in Seattle, ]. ]. Hill, the
railroad magnate, proclaimed himself an
expansionist and bluntly and plainly
said:
81 believe in calling a spade spade
The other fellows began this thing, and
we are going to throw all the response
bility on them. We desire to use the
Philippines. Let us say we want TO ex-
tend our comemrce to all the world. We
need the islands as base of operations.
We may have to pay more than money
for our possessions. We will leave many
OF our boys on foreign soil. We fought
the Mexican war and left many heroes
behind. Yet we are not sorry we fought
the Mexican war"
J. J. Hill is considered a philanthro-
pist by unsophisticated people in the
| Northwest, but he has an eye to business
and has no compunctions OF conscience
in robbing people OF their land and
liberty to promote the interests of COM
merce. "The other fellows began this
thing" he exclaims. By that he means
that the Filipinos began the war by fir
ing on the American outposts at Manila.
1t makes no material difference who
fired the first shot. A conflict was in
evitable, for the Filipinos who bad
fought Spain so long would not lay
down their arms and surrender uncon-
ditionally to the Americans. The class
of men to whom ]. ]. Hill belongs ex-
pect to gain everything and lose moth
ing by the seizure of the islands. They
want the laboring and producing classes
to bear the burdens OF subjugation for
! their exclusive benefit, and little they