The morning news., 1899-12-21
SENATOR BACON's RESOLUTIONS.

| SENATOR BACON's RESOLUTIONS.
The resolutions which Georgia's senior
! senator has introduced into the Senate
| for the adjustment of the relations be-
| tween the United States and the Philip
! pines will be the subject of great deal
! of discussion, not only in the Senate, but
| outside OF it They contain the outline OF
a plan for giving the Filipinos their inde-
! peudence.
The resolutions present squarely the
question whether the Islands shall be held
by the United States as permanent pos
session or only long enough for the es-
tablishment in them of a republican form
of government. On this question party
lines have not yet been drawn, though at
present the Republican party is virtually
committed by its leaders to the permanent
possession idea, and the Democratic lead
ers are trying to commit their party to a
Philippine republic.
The general purpose of the Bacon resolu-
tons has strong supporters among the
Republicans, and It is certain that very
many Democrats, if not a big minority of
them, favor the position occupied by the
great majority of the Republican leaders
AS far as the Filipinos are concerned il
is probable that they would be much bet
ter off under the American flag than under
a flag of their own. Only a small portion
of them know anything about popular gov
ernment, and it would take half century
to educate them to a point where they
would understand it. Senator Bacon's res
olutions do not contemplate any such pc
riod of education as that. Indeed, 1t is not
clear that he wants the Filipinos prepared
for self-government and put on proba ton
before being given their independence. The
inference to be drawn from the text of
the resolutions is that he wants the work
of establishing an Independent government
begun as soon as peace Is restored in the
Islands. If he does not mean this he does
not mean that the F'ilipinos shall have con-
troll of the islands inside of the next half
century because If the Finpinos are not
to have their independence until the
United States are satisfied the government
established there Is stable, 1t will be many
a year before they will have it.
AS far as the institutions of the United
States are concerned 1t would be better
for them to be rid of the islands as quick
ly as possible. Permanent possession of
them would be source of corruption and
of perplexing political questions. From
the standpoint of commerce, however It
would be for the interest of the United
States 10 keep the islands. Under the
beneficent rule Of our government the Fill
ipinos would develop into a thrifty and
prosperous people, and the vast resources
of their islands would be developed. Their
trade would be of immense value to us and
the volume of it would increase immensely
under our encouragement and protection.
Besides. the possession of the islands
would assist US greatly in getting a share
of the vast trade of China.
It Is because of commercial advantages
that the South is beginning to favor the
permanent possession of the Philippines.
If 1t could be shown that these advan-
tages would be just as great If the Fill
pinos were given their independence 1t Is
doubtful If any considerable proportion of
the people, North or South, would favor
permanent possession. but 1t is doubtful
III that can be DONE
The argument advanced by Mr.. Hoar,
Mr.. Atkinson and some others that the
Filiplnos are entitled to their independ-
ence because they are demanding it and
are fighting for it, and because the United
States have no right to hold them in sub
lection, does not make much of an inn
preston. 1t is known that only portion
of one tribe, the Tagalos, who do not COM
prise tenth of the population, are insist
ing upon independence. The vast majority
of the natives are satisfied with American
rule. If Independence were to be granted
the Filipinos it would take as big an army
as we have there now to prevent revolu-
tions and to keep the different tribes from
killing each other The debate on the Ba-
con resolution will do a great deal towards
forming public sentiment as to the policy
that should be adopted in dealing with the
Philippines.