The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1899-05-27
VOL. XXXIV.--NO. 81.
Backbone of Imperialism Broken.
From the National watchman.

Public opinion is omnipetent in a republic
Until after popular government is displaced
by mllltarlsm, no administration can stand
against an enlightened public opinion. At
last President Mckinley realizes that he has
blundered and is seeking to cover his retreat
in such a way that the people generally may
not discover it. Surrounded by a small CO.
terle of moneyed men, whose instincts are
those of the pirate, but whose success both
financially and politically, has been phenom-
email, he mistoOk the cravings of their de-
praved natures for the sentiments of the
American people, and entered upon course
OF criminal aggression, disregarding our ma
honal traditions and trampling under foot cur
national ideals Public opinion condemns
his pohcy of conquest and Imperialism as
treason against the genius and spirit of our
institutions.
-. The censored dispatches which reached US
from Manila last week announced that Agu-
naldo had sued for peace, but an analysis of
the situation based upon all reliable informa-
ton that Is obtainable leads to the conclusion
that Mckinley rather than Aguinaldo, is the
author OF the peace proposal.
| The first dispatches that we're received
stated that General Otis rejected any proposal
for peace until after an unconditional surren-
! der was made by the Philippine forces to the
| tOrcS of the L. ). and the sovereignty of the
| United States acknowledged by the Philippine
leaders. The later dispatches inform us that
! negotiations are under way, and that an
agreement upon terms of peace may be
reached within two or three days. This last
statement that negotiations are in progress in
no wise comports with the Dragging, bullying
announcement that was first herald through
out the land that an unconditional surrender
WIS all that would be considered by the
American authorities.
| 1t must be constantly borne in mind that
all the avenues of information and commun-
cation between the American people and the
! hilippines..are. .under strict military CEN
sorship; that Otis rules in Manila with as
much absolutism as the rule of the Car in
Russia, and that the American people are
poweress To acquire any information in re-
| gard to the situation in the Philippines except
such is doled out to them by the govern
ment censor at Manila aud the President of
! the United States at home.
! 1t must also be borne in mind that public
| opinion in the United States has changed
/ with great rapidity during the past two months
until there Is no longer any doubt that an
1 overwhelming majority of the American peo-
\ pie are opposed to a colonial or imperial poll
\ cy by this government in the Philippines or
| elsewhere. We must also remember that the
/ scandals growing out of the administration of
/ the War Department, particularly that which
referred to the embalmed and worthless
/ canned beef that was supplied to the army as
ratlous, together with the attempt of the ad-
( miuistration to whitewash the beef trust and
| the Commissary Department, and not only
! prosecute the general commanding the army
! for making complaints, but to discredit the
/ testimony of our officers and soldiers, has
/ gone long way to make it diffcut for the
( government TO secure volunteers, particularly
| TO 90 to Manila to wage war of conquest.
/ The attempt of the administration to snub
I the general commanding the army and at the
same time confer undeserved honor upon
/ Shafter. together with its efforts to deprive
/ Admiral Schley of his lust merits and confer
underseryed honors upon Sampson, has weak
ened the power of the administration and
dampensd the ardor of citizens who would
1 o herw'se eagerly seek to serve their country
/ IN either army or navy.
The mistake that the American nation was
( ready to abandon its ideals and enter upon
/ policy OF conquest and imperialism has at last
dawued upon the politician in the White
| House, who now realizes that his rash course
( is liable 10 cost him denomination by his
party in 1900. The payment of twenty mil
lion of dollars to Spain for the privilege OF
entering upon war of conquest and subJu-
CATION, abhorent to all true Americans, was
not blunder but q crime. The President
/ discovered that the American Congress dared
not defy the people and furnish him with
, permanent army. He made the discovery
that the opposition to his course in the Philip
pines made il hazardous for him TO call for
volunteers for that purpose which Congress
PROVIDED for. Hence the only course left for
him was 10 hold unlaEfully the volunteers
that entered the war against Spain, rush them
TO the front and flood the country with ac-
counts o. great victories and stir llate national
/ pride at the same time Ly presenting vivid
pictures Of the heroism and gallantry of our
soldiers. This being done, the next move is
10 make It appear that Aguinaldo and has
forces are discouraged and are SUING for peace
as means of eNtricatlng himself from ditfl-
cult and unpopular position.
Why should Aguinaldo sue for peace? 1t
is not mouth since General Lawton pro-
claimed that the sovereignty of the United
States could not be established in the Philip
pine Islands with less than one hundred
thousand soldiers. Foreign military experts
pronounced the attempt to subdue the Phil
ippiues with the handful of soldiers we have
on the Island Of Luzon as ludcrous and i'm.
posib'e. 1t was not necessary to rush our
volunteers whose terms had expired and who
were entitled to be returned to their homes
into the lungled under tcrrid sun unneces-
Sarily sacrificing life and health because there
was no question of the ability of General Otis
to hold the city of Manila indefinitely against
the Filp;ros with the aid of Dewey's guns in
tie .ha-bor. Congress had provided for
sufficient number of soldiers for period of
two wears running beyond Mr. McKinley's
term of office. Then why this rashness and
ha so suddenly followed by the startling
announcement that the Filipinos are whipped
and are suing for peace In view of all the
information obtainGble there is every reason
to beliye that the overtures for peace originated
with the Americans rather than with the FIJI
ipinos That the FiipinoS are able TO per-
manently resist the small army we have on
the Island of Luzou is the only conclusion
warranted by expert opinion.
Great is the powe: of censored press in
the hands of a politician. 1t Is plain that a
call for troops would have been issued i'm
mediately after the passage of the army bill
if il was believed to be popular move that
would meet with ready response. Who can
doubt that fresh troops would have been en-
listed and forwarded to the Philippines and
our brave soldiers whose terms had expired
relieved from duty and returned to their homes
ifsuch a move oredMckinley politics? Who
believes that any President would hold an army
against the wish of the soldiers and their rela-
tiyes and friends and rush them into action
sacrificing life and health besides making the
I nlteu states laDle Tor neaNy damages 1Of
this unlawful procedure, except an exigency
existed.
An exigency did exist, but the exigency eX-
isted in the United States. 1t was a POLITICAL
exigeney. Public opinion condemned an un-
righteous and unnecessary war of conquest,
and President Mckinley found himself driven
to the position where he must make a virtue of
necessity, acknowledge that the backbone of
imperialism is broken and treat with the Fill
ipinos for an independent local government.
The American people will welcome the
close of hostilities and rejoice that the wicked
schemes of the imperalists have failed. We
confidently look forward to a complete back
down by the administration to be followed by
an attempt to seek praise for itself and make
political capital for the Republican party
through claiming that they ever contemplated
doing; that it was their purpose from the
beginning to accord the Filpinos the largest
possible measure Of self government.
The public, however, cannot be deceived in
regard to what their real purposes were. The
failure to secure permanent army is the
cause of their failure. The snapper on the
imperialism whip is u standing army. The
government must ever remain amenabie to
public opinion until after large permanent
army becomes national fixture. The people
must not be lulled into repose or inaction by
any false sense of security because of the
imperialistic program. The trusts and COM
| bines are ms much determined rs ever that a