The Springfield herald., 1900-09-07
SELF GOVERNMENT
WHO ARE ENTITLED TOT AND
WHO ARE NOT.
An Able Analysis of Mr.. Bryan's Theoreti-
cal Doctrines. and Practical Proposals
by the Editor of the American Monthly
Review of Reviews

Mr.. Bryan's unqualified exposition
of the doctrine of the right of self-gov-
eminent goes infinitely further than
the states rights doctrines entertained
! by the most extreme of the Calhoun
| and Jefferson Davis school before the
! war. For Mr.. Bryan's dotcrine would
allow any group of men. whether in
1 county, in town. or in school district,
| to set themselves up as an independent
| government. The states rights men at
least understood the fact that sover-
eighty had to reside somewhere, If
! there was to he any government at all;
and they went no farther back in their
analysis than the states which were
the constituent members of the Fed
eral Union. 1t does not seem to us nee
cssary to attempt to set the American
people into contending camps over the
mere metaphysics Of the Inherent
rights of man. When one takes indi-
viduals and cross-eXamines them. one
finds that there Is not II shade of diff
ference between Republicans and Dem
the desir;Lbility of intelligent self-gov-
eminent everywhere 1t Just happens.
however. that nj the present moment
Mr.. Bryan's friends throughout the
South are engaged in the practical task
of depriving of government nearly
half of the entire Southern population,
on the ground that participation in gov
eminent is not, in fact. an inherent
human right. but that the object of
government is the high and true well
fare of the community. and that only
those people should participate in the
tasks of government who are suli-
GENTLY intelligent and responsible. 1t
does not seem TO us that The real ques-
ton at stake in the Philippines is met,
or even approached. by eloquent expo
sitions based upon gli,tering general
tiles about the innlienIble rights of
man.
As to Getting IA philippine Iarbor.
The real and practical question Is.
What is best to do, for everybody con
cerned. in serious and critical situa-
ton? Mr.. Bryan devotes many col
umns to abstract and lofty argument,
with impressive quotations from Amer
lean statesmen of an earlier day and
from the holy Scriptures. He gives
only Il few lines to telling us what he
would really have done in the Philip
pine matter If he had been in author
ity. In the first place, he says: "A
harbor and coaling station in the Phil
ippines would answer every trade ana
military necessity; and such Il conces-
sion could have been secured. mt any
time. without difficulty" This could
hardly mean anything except the har-
Dor of Manila. the one important cen
ter of Philippine trade. If we could,
without difficulty" have secured this
from the Filipinos. il surely would not
have been because the Filipinos were
at heart willing to give away their
best possession. If they We're to be
allowed real freedom of action rs an
Independent government. who is there
that supposes for Il moment that they
would have given us the harbor of
Manila? Mr.. Bryan in this speech, as
well as in others, constantly likens the
attitude of the American people to-
ward the Filipinos TO that of high
wayman committing robbery with vio-
lence. But his descent from the ideal
to the practical is not altogether feliclt-
Gus. His suggestion is, to quote ms
exact words that "a war of conquest
is as unwise rs it is unriShteous.' The
unwisdom lies i'll the fact that we do
not need the whole thing. and that we
might have got the valuable harbor,
which is all we need for commercial
and naval purposes. without entering
upon war of conquest. In other
words, the wise highwayman would
make II gentlemanly compromise with
his grateful victim by accepting his
gold watch as Il present, and would al
low the traveller to pass on with his
horse. his poclietbook and his loose
change. If Mr.. Brynns suggestion
means anything ut all, it would seem 10
mean this and nothing else.
Mr.. Bryan's solution.
Toward the end Of his speech Mr..
Bryan comes to what he calls IAN easy,
honest, honorable solution of the Phil
ippine question" 1t involves three
points;
.'rirst. to establish stable form of
government in the Philippine islands.
Second. to give independence to the
Filipinos.
Third, to protect the Filipinos from