The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-01-07

the ground that we shall find a
pecuniary profit in the policy. The adj
vantage which may come to n few in
diyiduals who hold offices or who Sc
cure franchises cannot properly be
weighed against the money expended in
governing the Philippines, because the
money expended will ebe paid by those
who pay the taxes. We are not yet in
a position to determine whether the peo-
pie of the United States after while will
bring back from the Philippines as much
as they send there. There is an old
saying that it is not profitable to buy a
lawsuit. Our nation may learn by eX-
perience that it is not wise to purchase
the right to conquer a people.
"Spain, under compuson, gives q
quit claim to the Philippines in return
for $20,000.000 but she does not agree
to warrant and defend our title as
against the Filipinos. To buy land is one
thing: to buy people is another. Land
is inanimate and makes no resistance to
transfer of title; the people are
animate and sometimes desire a voice in
their own affairs. But whether meas
ured by dollars and cents the conquest
of the Philippines would prove profitable
or expensive it will certainly prove en-
harrassing to those who still hold the
doctrine which underlies republic.
Military rule is antagonistic to y our
theory of government. The armaments
which are used to defend it in the Philip
pines may be used to excuse it in the
United States. Under military rule
much must be left to the discretion of
the military governor. and this can only
he justified on the theory that the gov
ernor knows more than the people whom
he governs: is better acquainted with
their needs than they are themselves; is
entirely in sympathy with them and is
thoroughly honest and unselfish in his
desire TO do them good.
Such Il combination of wisdom, integ-
rity ard love is difficult to find and the
Republican party will enter upon a hard
task when it starts out to select suitable
military governors for our remote pos
sessions. Even if the party has absolute
confidence in it's great political manager,
Senator Hanna. it must remember that
the people of Ohio have compelled him
TO serve the in the United States and
that inferior men must be intrusted with
the distribution of justice and benevo-
lence among the nations dark-skinned
subjects in the Pacific.
when the discussion of fundamental
principles is attempted in the United
States, if Il member of Congress at
tempts to criticise any injustice perpe-
trated by government official against q
helpless people he viii be warned TO
keep silent lest his criticism encour-
age resistance to American authority
in the Orient. If sse gator on ths
able rights or refers with eommanla1 zion
to the manner in which our forefdthers
resisted taxation without reocaSentatisa.
he will be warned IL keep silent lest his
utteranccs excite rebellion among Gis-
tant subjects. If we adopt colonial
policy and pursue The course which eX-
cited the Revolution of j116 we must
muffle the tones IF The cid Liberty Ben
and commune in whispers when we
praise the patriotism of our forefathers.
I'VE cannot afford to destroy the
Declaration of independence; we cannot
afford to erase from our Constitutions,
State and National, the Bill of Nights;
we have no time TO examine the libra
ries of the nation and punge them of
the essays. the spec cehes and the hooks
that defend the doctrine that law is the
chystalization of public opinion, rather
than an emanation from physical power.
But even if we eolld destroy every
vestige of the laws whicl are the out
growth of the immortal law penne1 ty
Jefferson; if we could obliteraie every
written word that has been inspired
by the idea that this is "a government
of the people, by the Lcopie and fer ihe
people, we could MT tar I''s'in the
heart of the human race the hope which
tie American republic has planted there.
The impassioned appeal, Give me liberty
or give me DEATH still echoes around the
world. In the future, lis in .he pass,
the desire to be free will be stronger
than the desire to enjoy Il more physical
existence. The conflict between right
and might will continue here and every
where until day is reached when the
love of money will no longer scar the
national conscience and hypocrisy no
longer hide the hdeous features of av-
arice behind the mask of philantrophy."