The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1900-06-28
FILIPINO FALLACIES EXPOSED.

Charles Denny, ouo VI Iu0 ioinCi
pbi,ippine commissioners, makes the
following argument In the current At
lantic Monthly:
Recently, with graceful rhetoric and
in distinguished forum, it has been
argued that the Filipinos were our al
lies against Spain, and the conclusion
drawn is that honor requires us to &C
knowledge their independence. The
charge has been often refuted, but now
II comes ia such formidable guise
that il must, in the interest of historic
truth be answered again.
II would appear that majority of
the Filipinos are friendly to us. If that
be so, how far shall the doctrine that
we must have the consent of the gov
erned be construed to extend? Does it
mean that we must have the consent Of
all the governed, or does it mean the
majority of the governed? In either
case at least a little time ought to be
conceded to the administration to as
certain what the wish of the people
really is.
If this doctrine means that every
Tagalo must become loyal before We
can lawfully annex Luzon, 1t Is prob
ably true that there never can be a
lawful annexation. Under such con-
ditions no government in the world
would stand minute, not even our
own. Under such a construction no
gun could have been lawfully fired
against the people of the south in
1861 To require absolutely, and lit
orally, that every person shall consent
to form of government before it can
operate on him Is simply anarchy. To
this complexion the anti-imperialist is
rapidly coming. He Is initiating his
French predecessors, and, in his love
of abstract freedom. he Is rushing in
to a carnival of license unbridled by
law.
What moonshine is this doctrine!
Let us give back to France the Louis
lana purchase, to Virginia the north
west territory. California to Mexico,
Alaska to Russia. There Is not re-
corded line In any of the treaties max
ing concessions of territory to US, or to
any nation in the world, which pro-
yides for the consent of the occu-
pants thereof Evidently such thing
is impracticable. If France had in
sisted on such theory there would
have been no cession of Alsace and
Lorraine 1t is quite doubtful, also,
whether, IL the people of the Louisia-
ma purchase had been polled, they
would have ever given up allegiance
to their adored France. There cannot
be much doubt that if our brethren of
the South had been accorded the priv
ilege "of the consent of the governed"
there would be here now four repub
lies, or monarchies, instead of one
great and indestructible Union, which
honorably and rightly and justly--in
spite of all this OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
pinned together by bayonets.
Again, we hear that Spain could not
rightfully sell sovereignty to us, and
that we could not rightfully buy it
from her. Why not? Presumably be-
cause by our prestige, by our arms,
Spain had been rendered powerless
and Aguinaldo had roamed at will over
LuZon. All that was done while the
war was on. Every act done by the
rebels and ourselves was an incident
10 the great drama Of war, whose end
and solution did not come until De
cember 10, 1898.
In this particular case, II we grant
that native insurgents may rise
against the power which has owned
and governed them for 800 years, may
mold small part of the Archipelago
without any acknowledgment by any
nation of their independence. and may
on the ground Of occupation only,
claim territory as their own-still
what becomes Of Manila? Aguinaldo
never held that city. What becomes
or the islands whose names are here
lnbefore cited? If the doctrine of uti
possidetis is to prevail, we should still
mold the chief city and one-half of the
islands.
If, after all the fighting, we an
nounce that we are beaten, we shall
De considered as trespassers and in
truders, and such we shall be, because
II we are not going to hold the islands
we nave no business whatever there.
l understand individual charity, but L
40 not understand why the people of
THIS country should be taxed to sup
port a great army and navy to create
Ior an alien people government in
which we are to have no share
IL is curious that. amidst all this |
war or words, no member of Congress
mas been found brave enough to in |
troduce bill resembling the Treaty of |
rarls' declaring the Tagalos free, and |
proposing to withdraw our troops. Let |
.hat be done. Let us find out whether
.ne political party that wins in No
sember will declare either for imme-
uiate evacuation, or for a tutelage ex-
sehalng over short period of years.
ouch platform would no doubt rally
70 its support many eloquent dream
ers, put 1t would be condemned by the
S.eat BODY OF the practical people.
otner propositions announced by the
imperialist orators 60 over again