The Washington weekly post., 1900-09-11

be a betrayal OF our sacred obligations
TO the peaceful Filiptnos. and would
ttlrers The lives ana properly OF the ma
tives and foreigners. IL would maze
possible and easy the commission of such
atrocities ss were secretly Planned e
be executed on the "a Of FeSruaFy. ~,
vigilance OF our army prevented the at
tempt to asssssinate our soldiers ard
all foreigners and pillage and destroy
the city and It's surroundings
Seeessit, Of American Sovereignty.
In short. the proposition Of those opDos-
ed 10 US is 10 continue all the Obligations
in the Philippines which now rest upon
the government. enly changing the rela-
ton from principal. which now exists, 10
that OF surety, Our responsibility is TO
remain. but our power is to be diminish
ed. Our obligation is 10 be NJ less, pet
our title Is TO De surrendered TO another
power, which Is without experience or
training or the ability 70 maintain
stable gcverns.ent at home and absolutely
helpless 10 perform It's international obli-
cations with the rest OF the world. To
this we are opposed. We should not yield
our title while our obligations last. In
the language OF our platform, 'our su-
thority should not be less than our re-
sponsibtlity." and our present responsi-
b:iity Is 10 establish our authority In
every part OF the islands
No government can so certainly preserve
the peace. restore pubic order, establish
law, justice. and stable conditions as ours.
Neither Congress nor the Executive can
establish stable government IN these
islands except uEder cur right of sOver-
eighty. our authority. and our dag. And
this we are doing.
We could not do II as q proteetorate
power so completely OF SO successfully ss
We are doing Il now. As the sovereign
power We can initiate action and shape
means TO ends and guide the Ftlipinos 20
self-development and sef-gOvernment-
As a protectorate power we could not ini-
tiate action, but would be compelled to
follow and uphold a people with no ca
pacity yet 20 go alone In the one case
we can protect both ourselves and the
Filipinos from being involved In DANGER
Gus complications. in the other We could
not protect even the Filipino until after
their trouble had come. Besides. II we
cannot establish any government OF our
own without the consent OF the governed
as our opponents contend, then We could
not establish a stable government for
them or make ours protectora,e without
the Ike consent. and neither the majority
OF the people nor a minority OF the peO-
pie have invited US To assume It, We
cOulu not matHlhln pFptsCtofdte even
with the consent of the governed without
giving provocation for conflicts and posSt-
bly, costly wars. Our rights in the Phil
ippnes are now free from outside inter-
ference, and viii continue so in our pres
ent relation. They would not be thus
free in any other relation. We win net
give up our own to guarantee another sov-
ereignty.
Our title is good. Our peace commits
| sioners believed they were receiving a
good title when they concluded the treaty.
The Executive believed il was a good title
when he submitted IL 90 the Senate or
| the United States for Its ratification. The
Senate believed IL was a good title when
they gave IT their constitutional assent
| and the Congress seems not 20 have
doubted its completeness when II ap-
propriated S20.ooo,000 provided by the
| treaty. IL any who favored its ratification
believed 1t gave US a bad title. they were
not sincere. Our title Is practically identi-
cal with that under which we hold our
| territory acquired since the beginning OF
| the government. and under which we have
exercised full sovereignty and established
government for the inhabitants.
Title Not Disputed by Any Other Power.
! II IL worthy CT note that no one outside
OF the United States disputes the fullness
| and integrity Of the eession. What. then.
| Is the real Issue on this subject7 Whether
| IL is paramount to any other or not IL is
| whether we shall be responsible for the
government OF the Philippines with the
sovereignty and authority which enable
| US to guide them 10 regulated liberty. law,
safety, and progress. or whether We shall
be responsible for the forcible and srbi-
| trary government OF a minority without
| sovereignty and authority on our part,
and with only the embarrassment OF a
protectorate which draws US into their
| troubles without the power OF preventing
| them.
| There were those who two years ago
were rushing US on to war with Spain
| who are unwilling now 10 accept its clear
| Consequence, as there are those among
US who advocated the ratification of the
treaty of peace but now protest against
its obligations. Nations which go 10 war
must be prepared to accept It's resultant
obligations, and when tfey make treaties
must keep them.
| Those who profess to distrust the Hb-
eral and honorable purposes OF the ad-
| ministTation In It's treatment of the Phil
| ippines are not Justified. Imperialism has
! no place In Its creed or conduct Freedom
| is the rock upon which the Republican
| party was builded and now rests. Lab
/ erty Is the great Republican doctrine for
which the people went 10 war and for
| which million lives were offered and
billions OF dollars expended 10 make II the
| lawful legacy of all without the consent
OF master or slave. There is strain OF
| ill-concealed hypocrisy In the anxiety to
| extend the constitutional guarantees 10
| the people Of the Philippines, while their
| nullihee ton is openly advocated at home.
| Our opponents may distrpst themselves,
but they have no right to discredit the
! good faith and patriotism of the majority
OF the people who are opposed TO them;
| they may fear the worst form Of imperial
| Ism with the helpless F1lipinos In their
hands: but IL they do, 1t i because they
, haNs orfa "A xsTfeh he. sEfR = nj fafs ff
! the fathers, and have lost the virility OF
| the founders OF the party which they pro-
! fess to represent
The Republican party does not have 10
| assert its devotion TO the Declaration OF
Independence That immortal instrument
1 or the fathers remained unexecuted until
| the people. under the lead OF the Repub-
| lican party, In the awful clash OF hattie
| turned its promises into fulfillmsnt. IL
| wrote into the Constitution the amend
ments guaranteeing political equality -
| American citizenship. and Il has never
| broken them or counseled Others In
breaking them. IL will not be guided in
its conduct by one set OF principles al
| home and another set Ia The new territory
belonging to the United States.
The Doctrines q: Abra akan LIsesIs.
II cur opponents would only practice as
well as preach the doctrines OF Abraham
| Lincoln, there would be no fear for the
safety Of our institutions al home or their
rightful influence in any territory over
which our flag floats.
Empire has been expelled from Porto
Rico and the Philippines BY American
freedom. The flag OF the republic now
floats over these islands as an emblem OF
rightfuI sovereignty. viii the republic
stay and dispense 70 their inhabitants ;he
blessings OF liberty. education. and free
institutions. or steal away. leaving them
10 anarchy or Imperialism?
The American question Is between duty
and desertion-the American verdict will
Se for duty and against oesertlon. for the
republic against both anarchy and I'm
peTialisM.
The country has been fully sdyised cf
the purposes OF the United States ia
China and thev will be faithfully adhered