The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-02-18
MIR. M'KINLEY on THE pHlIlpprNEs

President MuKinleys speech at the
Home Market clubs banquet in Boston was
an iteration and reiteration of the idea
that Destiny" has got us into a serious
scrape in the Far East and that it was our
duty to take UP the white mans burden
and get out of the trouble as best we
could-intimating, however. that 1t would
require century or two to mould our
Asiatics into proper form,
One of the most striking features of the
presidents talk was the lofty Pharisalsm
with which he ignored any possible rights
or natural preferences which the Phll-
! pinos might have. and outlined our duties
| in the premises. If Emperor William,
with his mailed fist" and conviction of
| the divine right of kings. had been TALK
| ing he could not have more completely
| developed the doctrine that might makes
| right than did MIR. Mckinley in that por-
| ton of his address, He said
! Did we need their consent To perform a
! great net of humanity? we had II IN every
| aspiration Of thor minds, in every hapc of
| their hearts. Was It necessary to ask their
/ conrent to capture Manila, the capital OF
| their Islands? Did we ask their Gems mt 10
| liberate them from Spanish sovereignty or 20
/
sea power thorog We did not ask tn So: W.
| were obeying a higher moral Obligation which
| rested ON ua and which did not reduil .
| anybody's consent. We are doing our duty
! by them with the consent of our own CON
! sciences and with the approval Of civilization.
| Every present obligation has been met and
fulfilled In the expulsion of Spanish sovcr-
| eighty from their islanns, and While the war
that destroyed II was In progress We could
not ask their own views, nor can we now ask
their consent
Here is the doctrine of conquest under
the guise of humanity and superior en-
lightenment. We are forcing our oivlt-
| cation upon them at the point of the bay
onet--we are saving them by violence! It
may be absolutely correct TO assume that
our government In time would elevate
and improve these Aslatics in every way
that fifty years hence under American rule
they would be happy. enlightened and
prosperous. But suppose that they do not
now see matters as we do. that they
yearn for n larger degree of independence,
that they insist that they can not In right
and justice be bought and sold as chat
tells. that they are entitled TO some voice
| in the selection OF thor masters. II mas
tiers they must have--can the American
iSaAiuhb TO hNtH'A'' f'hN'fAN 'As''
governments derive their just authority
| from the consent OF the governed, ignore
| all these pleas and proceed, as Mr.. Mokin-
ley suggests. to ram our ideas, our civiiiza-
tion and sovereignty down them by brute
force. without stultifying ourselves2
The president declares again that no
thought OF territorial or commercial greed
has influenced the government III retain
ing the Philippines. Mr.. Mckinley caa
only speak for himself in that particular.
The expansionist press and syndicate in
fuences. which have legged" him on in
the premises. boldly place the retention OF
the Philippines upon commercial consider
atlons--the rights OF the natives are Moth
ing 10 them, the possibilities of trade
everything.
Mr.. MeKinley's address was a speclcus
but labored argument to veneer policy
! OF bald conquest II is chiefly interesting,
however, as an intimation that this ad-
| ministration has no other purpose than a
| permanent rstention Of the islands, There
| is no suggestion Of treating the Philip-
n