The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-06-10
SHALL WE EXPAND?

bourrow, correspondent of the Journal
who is with the Twentieth Kansas:
The war which is being waged in this
island is costing thousands of lives
good American lives-and millions of
dollars. What will this shedding Of
blood and this enormous expenditure of
money avail? Is the war a just one2
I answer, Much to the first query;
YES to the second.
When the Philippine archipelago
came into our hands by virtue of
SPANS defeat here, we became the
guardian of the inhabitants and it is
assuredly our sacred duty to look to
their best interests. They most de-
cidedly are unfit for assuming the great
responsibility of esta blishing them
selves as a free and Independent re-
public. Would it have been right for
the United States to have reinstated
the sovereign of Spain to authority
here? No one will venture to answer
in the affirmative. 1t was impossible to
have given the islands to England or
any other European power The Uni
ted States must hold them and govern
them, cost what it may.
While It is true that the cost is
great, is Il not true that history is re-
plete with tales of blood being shed by
the pioneers of every country and of
millions of dollars expended before civ
ilization could advance?
To study the history of modern Japan
is to learn much that will be decidedly
useful in settling the Philippine prob
lem. The two countries are alike in
many respects-archipelag volca-
mic, fertile, densely populated, unpro-
gressive for long centuries, now ambi-
tious to push ahead and ger into the
foremost rank of nations. But there
are also differences. Japan is in a
temperate climate and her sons have
unlimited energy and activity; the
Philippines are tropical and the people
as a rule seem irredeemably indolent,
both mentally and physically. There is
in the Japanese sturdy, stolid deter
minatiOn, a far seeing purpose and a
dogged, unwearying perseverance that
has not been shown so fOrcibly in any
other nation on earth.
Forty years ago Japan was a newly
discovered country, surrounded by
eager European land grabbers. She
had no friends outside and seemed to
be divided up among foreign powers.
In fact, at one point in her history this
fate was only avoided by the interior
ence of the United States. Narrowly
escaping from the fate which is over
taking China she is today a credit to
her godfather, Uncle Sam. The days
of the SwaSh bucklerS, who formed the
retinues of the semi-independent feu-
DIAL lords, the" daimiOS"of the provinces,
is past and Japan stands forth among
the foremost nations of the world.
Now, that is instructive for the Phil
ippines. The Filipinos wish for indie
pendence, and in the abstract 1 cannot
blame them. They are just like most
of humanity in that. Nobody but a
really very exceedingly highly develop
ed mental type can enjoy admitting the
superiority of anybody else. Men like
that Socrates, Emerson and Spencer
can afford to meekly submit to others
in certain cases. but such men are few
and far between. The vast majority
resent the control of others. So we
must admit the legitimacy of a desire
for freedom.
Although Japan is an Independent
nation, and has always been, yet it is
a
history that there can be a stage even
in the history of countries in the tenn
perate zone when freedom is danger
Gus and may even spell ruin.
An infant must ACCEPT its fond
mothers aid in learning to waIk-how-
ever unwilling. The child must be sub
jected to its parents guidance until it
has reached such a stage in its mental
and physical growth that it is capable
of attending to its own best interests.
Japan was unable to stand alone in
1S55-75, though she had had centuries
of independence. She has yet only an
incomplete form of autonomy, because
she is only just now becoming fit for
absolute independence. after 40 years CT
absolutely unparalleled hard work and
patient progress. Her population in
numbers ranks among that of France
or England and has four times the
number of inhabitants of the Philip
pines. She has cOnSidera BILE wealth, not
only in speculative, problematical or
undeveloped, but in actual coin she
ranks among the best nations Her
army and navy is fOrmida BILE enough
to be considered among the first-class
powers. Her credit is excellent-she
can get all the money she wants at 4
per cent in LondOn-and that is some
thing Russia cannot do. She has mer-
chant vessels on every ocean and the
extent of her tradings with all the con-
tinents is surprising This will show
the solid, hard work Japan has done in
40 years.
But it is not adequate. Even now
she has to be told by foreign countries |
what she may. and what she may not |
do with the alien residents in her ter |
ritory. Today japanese laws and Jap
aneSe Judges. japanese taxes and Jap
anese censors are not considered fit for |
foreigners, and the nations of the earth |
refuse to let Japan do as she pleases in !
her own country. She may in time be |
given full jurisdiction
How then, can there be talk of Phil |
ippine independence at present. Can
Luna, Palermo, Pillar and
that rabble of idiots do as much in a |
year as those grand old men Ito, mo
nye, Mutso and Saigo did in 40,and then |
with the very great material assistance
of American, English and French stu |
dents of politics, the science of govern |
ment? BAH AS well compare a nepa |
hut with the pyramids of Egypt.
To make a nation needs work, not |
buster and talk; verbosity won't build |
a nation. 1t requires silent, stoiid work |
and time-and the aid of a great nation |
outside.
This war will make of this country |
one of the most progressive of Uncle |
Sans territories and will within a very |
few years be of ineStimable value, both |
to the F'ilipinos and the people of the |
United States. Hence the war Will |
avail much and is just because it Will |
lift up for many years down trod-
den people of the islands and put them |
on a higher plane of living and give |
Christianity a chance to get at them.
ADDRESS BY MRS. EDDY.