The Saint Paul globe., 1899-02-10
Fixing Responsibility Where
it Belongs.

| Whether or not more diplomatic policy
| could have prevented the collision which
| marks the transfer lof the Philippines to the
| United States, it will scarcely be denied that
| the course which the administration has
| taken in dealing with the situation has been
| irritating. 1t will not do, then. to say that
| the senator's who have been holding back
| the ratification Of the treaty to blame for
| the lamentable strife which has broken out
| at Manila These senators have simply in
| sisted on their right and performed their
duty. They believed that the treaty ought
not to be accepted without modifying or
amending the sections relating to the dspo-
sition Of the Philippines and they would
have been unworthy senators had they not
striven earnestly for such modification or
amendment as would have overcome their OBJ
| tectons.
Responsibility for the recent occurrences
at Manila cannot justly be shifted upon the
opponents OF the treaty. II it belongs any,
where-besides upon the deluded followers of
Aguinaldo-the administration must b ar it
Detroit Free Press
Denounce the natives as much as you like.
but you cannot escape the fact that for every
drop Of blood that has been shed in this fight
at Manila. and that will be shed in this con-
test between the Americans and ,the Fill
p1nos our government Is to blame because 1t
should have given the Filipincs and the
world assurances ,long ago that 1t did not
contemplate any forcible acquisition of the
islands. Grant that the natives are hot
headed rash. ignorant If you please, and
you simply give the greater reason why wa
should not needlessly excite their suspicion
and distrust 1t cannot be denied that the
course of President Mckinley has occasioned
dlstrust OF his purposes, even among the sem
ators oil MS own party.-Indianapolis Senti-
mel.
This newspaper yesterday contained an in
tcrview with Oscar King Davis. who was
passing through the city on his way from
Manila to New York No man has had q
better opportunity than he of observing tho
situation in the Philippines, and his utter
ances cleared up many of the obscurities
which had hung over recent events in our
Oriental possessions. He emphasized the fact
that thus far no one in Manila, not even
Dewey or Otis, has been able to give anv
answer to the question which has been asked
for months: What is America going TO do
with the Philippines The indecision at
Washington has bred indecision at Manila.
and this indecision has given rise to dis
trust. contempt and, finally revolt-Chicago
Inter Ocean.
Since the destruction of the Spanish power
in the Philippines the Filipino leaders have
peen- waiting quietly for formal declaration
OF the purposes of the United States in re-
gard to the islands. The conclusion of the
peace negotiations at Paris, when Spain
agreed to treaty ceding its sovereignty In
the Philippines to the United States was
doubtless great shock to the natives and
their leaders, and from their standpoint it
may be conceived that they feared they were
exchanging King Log for King Stork The
refusal of the administration to allow ,any
modification Of the peace treaty must have
proved an added grievance to them, and,
consequently. IL they feel that independence
is as far off now when they were fighting
against SPAIN. they may, in their despera-
ton. continue the warfare to the bitter end.
Baltimore SUM-
1t will be unfair and silly to assume, as 1t
VIII be assumed in many criticisms, that
what came to be classed as opposi-
ton to the peace treaty opposi-
tion to that instrument rof itself 1t is with
In the facts to say that the treaty could have
been promptly ratified II it had b en- ,consid-
cred compatible to precede the ratification OF
it by the passage of some resolution embody-
ing declaration of policy similar to that
summarized for the case of Cuba.
There were Republican senator's who did
not concede the necessity of refraining from
making that kind of a declaration before rat
flying the treaty.-Pttsburg Commercial Ga.
zette.