The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-05-21
raIk Of The Gown
Items Gathered IN
UaIks and Calks.

ROULETTE OF CIRCUMSTANCES.

One of the leading attorneys of Wichita,
and one of the best known Democrats in
Kansas, writes the following 10 the Eag'e.
emitting it Manifest Destiny or the
Roulette of Political Circumstance
The Spanish war, though entered upon
with the del;beratfon of IAN act OF Con-
gress,' was after all but the Fermentation
OF an impulse; the incident at Manila was
n0t from any design. StaJesthansh;p ,--
| deavors TO formulate a plan and cast a
| horoscope for the end. The far eastern
| possessions in which sour sovereignty IS
being upheld by the army and navy are
being subdued without any definite policy
so far as the people Of the United States
have any information.
Expansion is not yet def lei as 10 what
| is intended; nou-expansionists condemn.
and yet no plan is formulated as TO :low
we shall let go of the tiger" There is
some reason in the expansioniscs demand
| ing, that in politics as in religion, d feast
| BILE scheme of final redemption should be
put out before condeming present con-
ditions In short, no one sh2Sl3 destroy
who cannot rebuld-Fe-ereate.
a firm believer in the. doctrine that the
United States is big enough at home and
has wor kenough at home 20 engage the
| ripest judgment and enlist the best brain
| in the country, the existing cond jicns
| tend to convince the writer that earth
is akin to letting a tiger smell blood and
| hunger as expressed by an Englishman
then demonstrating with him for wanting
| the whole carcass.
Condemnation of the past does not solve
problems Denunciation of the policy or
| want of definite policy in the past year
may be a pleasure bur the fact remains
that st told you So is not statesman
ship. Craftsmanship accepts the past at
tempts TO improve the present, and formu-
lates a plan for the future No man who
does not cover these three ideas IS ell
titled to be listened to.
New England is supposed to be opposed
to expansion New England, however,
was not the promoter of the Louisiana
purchase" ''the Mexican war" or AN
nexation of Texas and yet many be-
United States sovereignty are all there is
of the United States worth mentioning
hence millions in the west from pure pre-
JUDGE will advocate whatever New Eng
land opposes. Party lines are not yet
marked out on expansion. 1t is yet
matter Of individual thought No Ameri-
can desires the defeat Of our army At
Manila, no matter what his views on ex-
pansion are, The Twentieth Kansas IS
making new converts to expansion every
day General Funston could speak to
thousands. where two years ago he only
had few hundred in his audience.
There are three courses open in the
United States in regard to Manila:
F'irst-Back out, quit. and become a
laughing stock OF the world
Second-Conquer and establish power,
form a government with the aid of other
powers; guarantee law and security TO
property; provide for an Independent gov
eminent in time TO come under certain
conditions.
Third-Unconditional surrender Of all
antagonistic forces; establish military
power for the present; declare the SOW
eign power of the United States over all
the land; create a territorial form of gov
eminent: exercise dominion over all the
lands not occupied, and cause the same 10
be surveyed by the surveyor general; in
duce the soldiers not in the regular army
to accept lands and civil offices: offer &C.
cent inducements in the way Of -ranspor-
tation, and bounty 70 actual homestead
ers TO go there and make a home, and by
these means place a hundred thousand
Americans out there in the r:St few years;
extend the laws of the tJnited States over
the territory as in other territories; re-
place the money system with our system;
have a form of local government; permit
a number of delegates TO seats in congress
as advisory TO shaping legislation, and
provide for a time when all legal pro-
ceedings shall be conducted in our Ian
guage.
There is no use TO procrastinate, The
roulette Of circumstance points to the
third view as the only rational view that
can be adopted with safety. There is no
sense in proclaiming that our conduct Will
give lie to our benevolent professions
one year ago.
The majority Of Kansans are now in IA
vor Of keeping Manila and all eastern pos
sessions The west is in favor OF holding
all possessions. Statemanship may con-
denim the past year; error may have been
committed. The present contains duty.
and that duty is TO formulate i plan &c
take care of tomorrow and the years %
come. Yesterday, last year, are gone,
goneforever. Their errors. triumphs. sor-
rows. glories are alike entombed. The fu-
ture IS before Us.
Fate destiny, the roulette Of political
circumstance. hath decreed that the
United States viii hold the Philippines.
Unknown TO Dewey the morning he de-
stroyed the Spanish fleet at Manila, he
annexed the territory 20 the United
States.
Nations IS well as men ara governed oy
Impulse. and that impulse turns the cur
rent of national life as L does the ind.-
vidual
The American people as unit demand
"a war with Spain. Prudence dictated the
cap,ure Of Manila. \ condition has pre-
sented itself that must be worked out
with honor.
We demanded war, Therefore the nat
uraI results must be accepted
CONTRIBUTOR
ABOUT Il. & EVAN
\ number Of the ex-Union soldiers tank
Henry clay Evans should be fred Nj
: E4ar7i-+ NJ -ais city submits the fol