The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-03-09

the Republicans to go into the election
with this last unsettled needs no pro-
phet to point out.
Inquiry into the rumors that Otis
would soon be recalled has lead to the
disclosures that within the past few
days the secret news from Manila has
been exceedingly disturbing, and has
has caused grave doubt in army circles
as to the ability of the present force to
cope with the insurgents. 1t is no lon
ger denied by officials cognizant of the
situation that one or two things are GER
tain-either the campaign has been mis-
managed, or the troops, enervated by
their long soiourn in the hot climate,
as the anti-imperialists have all along
pointed out that they would be, are no
longer capable of the physical activity
required to push the war to a successful
conclusion.
1t is practically admitted that the
present force in the Philippines, al
though as large as that of the British
actually engaged in South Africa, is
inadequate, and that the president will
probably be forced TO petition to con-
gress for more men, although he will
strain every nerve to postpone this ne
cessity till after the election. 1t is true
that it will not be long before our troops
in Cuba will be ordered from that is
land, but they are already in somewhat
the same plight as the Philippine SOL
diers and would scarcely be available
for the vigorous campaign needed to put
down the insurrection there. The two
year term of enlistment of volunteers
will endJuly, 1901, so that it will be nee
esary for this congress to act if more
men are to be called out.
Joined with the admission of the ina
bility of the present force to put down
the rebellion comes talk among Repub-
lican leaders of the possibility of aban-
doning the policy of holding the Philip
pines. The Porto Rican debate and
Senator Foraker's sensational speech
have shown some of the difficulties in
the way of expansion, demonstrating
the necessity either of holding the new
colonies as subjects without rights or
of breaking down the protective system
of the United States.
The treaty with Spain provides that
Spain shall enjoy for a period of ten
years the same commercial privileges |
in the Philippines as are enjoyed in the
United States. Moreover the favored |
nation clause is contained in all or |
nearly all of our commercial treaties |
with other nations and it might be in-
sisted upon by them that under this
clause they are entitled to whatever
privileges in the Philippines were ac-
corded to Spain. Under these circum-
stances, If the supreme court decides
that free trade must exist between the
Philippine Islands and the United States
t might be equivalent to the establish
nent of free trade with all the world
'or a period Of ten years, the Philip
'ines being the open door to the United
states.
In the debate on the Porto Rican bill
several Republicans announced that
hey would be opposed to the retention
# the Philippines if to retain them
meant that they must be permitted to
njOy all the privileges of territory to
he United States. and that if the su-
RENE court decided that the constitu-
ion of necessity extends to these is
ands and that they must be given the
anne privileges as other parts of the ter
itory of the United States, there must l
e a change of policy, the purpose to re- :
ain the Philippines otherwise than un- /
er a protectorate being abandoned. !
IGHT TIE WRONG NOW OR PEPENT