The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-07-27

ditions were complied with. When Dewey
entered Manila bay Aguinaldo and his
| chiefs were at Singapore, living on and
| quarreling over the proceeds of the price
they had obtained from the Spanish gov
| eminent for abandoning the rebellion
| There was then no Tagal government nor
even Tagal insurrection, and Aguinaldo
| had by contract and for a price expa-
| triated himself
The Title of Spain
was as perfect as it could be. That title
| our country acquired by conquest
through Dewey at that time, and this
title. thus acquired. was afterwards duly
confirmed by the treaty of Paris. At the
| request of Aguinaldo and by the permits
sion of Dewey, Aguinaldo. returned to
Luzon and organized an army of his fol-
lowers to aid in expelling the Spaniards
And when Manila finally surrendered he
became angry and took umbrage be-
cause he and his army were not permit
ted to enter and loot the city. 1t was at
| this time he no doubt became possessed
with the idea of setting up a govern
ment hostile to the United States. The
United States acquired by conquest and
treaty a perfect title to Luzon and the
other islands, and the people therein be-
came subject to the authority of our
government, and had no more right to
set up government hostile to the United
States than the people of New Mexico,
Arizona or Alaska. We have never yet
in all our history, permitted the people
of any of our territorial possessions to
set up a government hostile to the Unit
ed States. Nor have we ever permitted
them to set up any government at all
without the express permission of con-
gress. And denying to the Tagals what
we have denied in all other cases can
never afford valid ground for com
plant.
Does Mr.. Bryan and his party mean
or contend that we should have relin-
pushed our possession and right in the
islands to Aguinaldo and the Tagals as
soon as the treaty of Paris was ratified?
Had we done so absolutely the islands
would at once have been seized by some
of the great powers of Europe or, if not
so seized, would have fallen into disin-
tegration, anarchy and chaos, for even
If the Tagals could, after a fashion, gov
ern themselves, they would be wholly un-
equal to the task of governing all the is
lands, with so many savage and semi
civilized tribes as are there found
But it is said we should allow the
Tagals to set up government of their
own, and then exercise a protectorate
over them. To exercise a proper protec-
torate we would have to be responsible
for their peace and good behavior, both at
home and abroad, and this would require
an army and navy of ours in that coun-
try, and we would find our task more diff
ficult by reason of the character of the
self-constituted Tagal government We
can much more easily exercise protecto-
rate and perform the function of guar
dian by retaining them under our direct
jurisdiction and by giving them such
government
Under Our Auspices.
as they are capable of digesting and fit to
use and enjoy There can be but three
courses to pursue: Total abandonment,
which would lead to foreign seizure or
suicide, and would be dishonorable before
God and man: a protectorate, which, be-
cause of the interest and desires of other
nations and the peculiar character and
status of the people of the islands and
their environment would be more bur
densome and more difficult task than
having direct charge of the people and
providing them a suitable government;
and third, pacification and the establish
ment of a suitable government under the
direct auspices and supervision of the
United States. The latter is the plan and
purpose of the Republican party. One
or the other of the two other plans
abandonment or protectorate-must be
the Democratic plan, if they have any
plan. and this is the gist of their anti
imperialism.
'The Democracy will find it difficult to
make a hero of Aguinaldo. They can
hardly be serious when they compare him
with George Washington and Simon Boil
var He stands before the world as a
double traitor. He was a traitor to the
Spaniards when, after having abandoned
his people and voluntarily expatriated
himself for a pecuniary consideration. he
again returned to Manila to join in a
war on the Spaniards He was a traitor
to the United States when, after having
returned to Manila by the permission Of
Dewey to aid in the expulsion of the
Spaniards, he organized an insurrection
against the authority of the United
States. 1t was the presence of Dewey
and our forces at Manila that made it
possible for him to return and to organize
his army. He came there under the pro-
lection of the American flag. He was not
invited by Dewey to foment an insur-
rection or set up hostile government.
And what was there of his so-called Philip
pine republic? 1t was a mere military
oligarchy. organized by Aguinaldo and a
few of his Tagal chiefs. and such as it
was it has already been scattered to the
four winds. The instruction has, in the
main, spent it's force and subsidized into a
petty guerrilla warfare by small isolated
bands in remote hills, swamps and for
ests, who live by plumber, End protec-
ton in the rainy season, and fondly hope
for Democratic success.
I'm the meantime our authorities are
maintaining peace and order, protecting
life and property, and establishing local
civil governments under the auspices and
direction of the able commission recently
appointed by the president. And by the
time the !des of November roll around,
the instruction will be only saga-a
mere relic of history, and Jaw and order
will prevail in Luzon, and the Tagals viii
awake to the fact-which they have beer
slow to realize-that there - N im-
hafx- 4l,n adv nv1iS fy