The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-08-10
OUR TITLE TO the ISLANDS.
Were the People Thrown in with the ORR
entail Real Estate?

We're the People Thrown in with the Ori-
entail Real Estate?
What Is our title to the Philippine
Islands? Do we hold them by treaty
or by conquest? Did we buy them or
did we take them? Did we purchase
the people? If not, how did we secure
title to them? Were they thrown in
with the land? Will the Republicans
say that inantnate earth has value,
and when that earth Is nodded by the
Divine Hand and stamped with the
likeness of the Creator 1t becomes
fixture and passes with the soil? If
governments derive their just powers
from the consent Of the governed 1t Is
impossible to secure title to people,
| either by force or by purchase. We
could extinguish Spain's title by treaty,
but IL we hold title we must hold 1t
| by some method consistent with our
ideas of government. When we made
allies of the Filipinos and armed them
to buy Spain's title we are not inno-
cent purchasers. But even IL we had
not disputed SPANS title she could
transfer no greater title than she had,
and her title was based on force alone.
We cannot defend such title, but as
Spain gave us quit claim deed we
can honorably turn the property over
to the party in possession. Whether
any American official gave the Fill
pinOs formal assurance of indepen-
dence Is not material. There can be
no doubt that we accepted and utilized
the services of the Filipinos, and that
when we did so we had full knowledge
that they were fighting for their own
independence, and l submit that his
tory furnishes no example of turpitude
baser than ours IL we now substitute
our yoke for the Spanish yoke.
Let us consider briefly, the reasons
which have been given in support of
an imperialistic policy. Some say that
1t Is our duty to hold the Philippine
Islands. But duty is not an argument;
1t is a conclusion. To ascertain what
our duty Is in any emergency we must
apply well settled and generally ac-
cepted principles. 1t Is our duty to
avoid stealing, no matter whether the
thing to be stolen is of great or little
value. Every one recognizes the obliga-
tion imposed upon individuals to OBJ
serve both the human and moral law;
but as some deny the application OF
those laws to nations 1t may not be out
Of place to quote the opinion of 9TH
CTS. JcutIsOH, tudu WHO'LL lueTe Is uO
higher political authority, said: 81
know of but one code Of morality for
men, whether acting singly or col
lectively." Franklin, whose learning
wisdom and virtue are part of the
priceless legacy bequeathed to us from
the revolutionary days, expressed the
same idea In even stronger language
when he said: "Justice Is as strictly
due between neighbor nations as be-
tween neighbor citizens. ="
Force can defend right, but force
has never yet created right. If II
was true, as declared in the resolu
tions of Intervention, that the Cubans
"are and of right ought to be free and
Independent" Language taken from the
Declaration of Independence, it 4:
equally true that the Filipinos "art
and of right ought to be free and indie
pendent" Who will draw {
line between the natural rights of thu
Cubans and the Filipinos? Who will
say that the former has right to lib
erty and that the latter has no right.
which we are bound to respect? An(
IL the Filipinos ''are and of right ough
to be free and independent" what righ
have we to force our government upor
them without their consent?