The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1900-06-30

even for a moment. the question Of giving
up or Of abandoning these islands.
I'VE are actually owners of the Phil
ippines by an undisputed and indubitable
title. We are there as the necessary and
logical outcome OF our victory over Spain.
There are upward of a thousand islands
sprinkled upon that southern sea. peopied
by more than so tribes OF differing race
and language. and each having absolutely
nothing In common with each other.
Most OF these tribes welcome our COM
ing and are grateful for our protection.
The Tagal tribe. hostile not only to us but
to most of the native tribes. are In insur-
rection against our authority. They have
neither government nor the capacity to
conduct one. and are waging a predatory
guerrilla warfare which would be turned
against the other native tribes II we let
them alone. What would democracy have
us do? Give them up to rapine and
bloodshed. and leave the islands as fiot-
sam and Jetsam on the face OF the wa
tiers? There are parallels in our own his
tory. We purchased Florida from Spain
In 1871, when II had 1000 thousand white
settlers. for $5.000.00O and other valuable
considerations. The Seminoles, natives of
the soil. brave resolute having far great
er intelligence and character than the
Tagals, disputed our possession. We sent
Andrew Jackson down to fight them. and
Ii took us q years to subdue them and
send what was left Of them west of the
Mississippi. II the anti-everythings' had
lived then they would, I suppose have
urged US to turn over Florida to Osceola,
the Aguinaldo of the Seminbles! Would
you, after the war with Mexico and the
Gadsden purchase. have given the great
area south and west Of the Arkansas to
the red Apache? Not SO did our fathers
construe their duty, and, as they built,
so shall we, their sons.
THE instruction against our legiti-
mate authority, which for the time inn
pedes our efforts to establish a govern
ment for the Filipinos, involves US in q
sacrifice of lives and of treasure. The
difficulties we encounter In the island of
Luzon are many, but the chief inspira-
ton and encouragement of the Tagal in
surrection come from the democratic
headquarters in the United States. Par
tisanship has proved stronger than patri-
otism, even while our soldiers are being
murdered by marauding bandits. and II
1t were not for the hope held out to
Agunaldo by American sympathzers the
insurrection in the Philippines would long
ago have ended.
1.-The obstacles to the establishment OF
n civil government in the islands are
many, but we shall overcome them. Mis-
takes will undoubtedly be made, but we
shall remedy them. We shall in time eX-
tend over the archipelago the aegis of our
protection and of free government, and
we shall gradually, but surely, lift these
alien and savage races into the light Of
civilization and Christianity. Meanwhile
American enterprise and ingenuity and
push may be depended upon to develop
the resources of the islands and make
them an added source of wealth to our
country. The wise craftsmanship of the
president and our able secretary of state
has already brought from the countries
of Europe recognition of our right to
L., h. toll IxEsa
which will follow the opening OF the Chi
nese empire to foreign trade; the Mic
araguan canal will be soon constructed;
Hawaii, with its valuable harbor. Is ours;
we possess the best of the Samoan is
lands, with its magnificent roadway; the
Philippines are almost at the door OF
China. and II counsels of fear do not pre-
vail this generation will see the Amer
lean nation girdling half the globe with
its flag. extending its foreign commerce
to the uttermost parts of the earth and
taking its place among the great world
nations, a power for good. for peace and
for righteousness.
Never since "a, when the voters OF the
country were called upon to determine
whether the efforts of Abraham Lincoln
to preserve the union should be contin-
ued. or whether they should be aban-
doned and other measures attempted.
have questions so vital been presented to
decision must determine the maintenance
or the degradation of both our national
credit and our national honor. A demo-
cratic president could paralyze the oper-
alton of the new currency law as effect
lively as IL 1t were wiped from our stat
ute books. A democratic victory would
infuse new life into the Tagal insurrec-
ton, cost us the lives of thousands OF
our gallant army in the Philippines, i'm
pair or destroy our prestige, IL not our
power, in the islands, make us a byword
among the other great nations of the
world and obliterate our influence in the
settlement of the vital questions certain
to arise when China shall be opened to
foreign commerce.
There Is little room for fear. The
farmer and the artisan in their day OF
prosperity still remember the impoverish-
ment and blight of democracy, and the
Chicago platform has no allurements for
them.
"Our national honor Is equally secure.
THE American people are neither poll
troons nor pessimsts, and they Will not
signalize the dawn of the new century
by the surrender of either convictions or
territory. Every soldier back from the
islands, and they are in almost every
hamlet In the land, returns an advocate
of their retention. Our dead are buried
along the sands of Luzon, and on Its soil
no foreign flag shall ever salute the dawn.
whatever may be in store for us In
the new and unbeaten track upon which
we are entering. we shall not b. found
with the unlit lamp and the ungirt loin.'
Our way Is new, but II Is not dark. In
the readjustment of world-condItions,
where we must take our place with the
other great nations of the earth, we shall
move with caution, but not with fear. We
seek only to lift up men to better things,
to bless and not to destroy. The fathers
of the republic accepted with courage
such responsibilities as devolved upon
them. The same heavens bend over US.
and the same power that shielded them
will guard and protect us, for what we
seek is to build still more firmly, always
upon foundations of probity and OF virtue,
the glorious edifice of the republic.
I'VE stand at the dawn Of the new CEN
fury. Before II shall have reached Its
meridian the youngest here will have
passed beyond this life or beyond the
sphere of usefulness. New recruits Will
step into the ranks as we fall out. This
very year thousands of young men will
for the first time exercise the right of citi-
zenship and cast their ballots at the ma
tional election. The safety Of this re-
public must ever rest In the courage OF
young hearts and the vigor of noble
manhood Youth Is buoyant and hope
full. No snarling criticism. or gospel OF
a little America. or prophecy Of despair.
will find response from hearts that beat
full and stronQ with courage and with