Free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1888-1908, 1900-08-18

them without their consent? Before our
duty can be 2: -ertained, their rights
rights are once determined, it is as much
our duty to respect those rights it
rights of the people of Cuba or the duty
OF England to respect the rights OF the
fliet: duties never clash. Can it be our
DUTY to usurp political rights which be
i ION 70 others2 Can it be our duty to
XII those who following the example
OF our forefathers, love liberty well
enough to fight for it?
some poet has described the terror
winch overcame a soldier, who in the
midst OF battle discovered that he had
are brethren" Let us hope for for the com
ing of the day when human life-which
when once destroyed cannot be restored
taken except when necessary to punish
a crime already committed, or to prevent
crime about to be committed.
II 1t is said that we have assumed be-
fore the world obligations which make
tain a government in the Phiiippine ISL
ands: reply first, that the highest OBJ
ngation of this nation is to be true to
Itself. No obligation to any particular
nations, or to all the nations combined,
can require the abandonment of our
theory OF government and the substitu-
ton of doctrines against which our whole
national life has been protest. And,
pinos, who inhabft the Islands is greater
than any obligation which We can owe
70 foreigners who have temporary resi-
trade there. u -
1t is argued by some that the Filfpinos
are incapable of self-government and
tIla a.. therefore We owe it to the world
20 take control of them. Admiral Dewey,
IN an o1lGiaI report to the navy depart
able of self-gOvernment than the Gu
bans and said that he based his opinion
upon knowledge of both races. But
Will not rest the case upon the relative
advancement of the Filipinos. Henry
Clay, in defending the right of the peo-
said: \
1T is the doctrine of thrones that man
is TOO ignorant to govern himself. Their
parusans assert his incapacity-il-r refer
ence to all nations; if they cannot com
| 1t Is then demanded to particular nations |;
| and our pride and our presumption too
IL IS to arraign the disposition Of provi-
dence himself to suppose that He has
created beings incapable of governing
themselves, and to be trampled on by
kings. Self-gOVernment is the natural
government of man.
Clay was right. There are degrees of
| proficiency in the art of self-govern-
ment, but it is a reflection upon the Gre
ator to say that he denied to any people
| the capacity for self government Once
| government and that others are not
and that the capable people have a right
| TO seize upon and govern the incapable,
and you make force-brute force-tha
| only foundation of government and invite
| the reign of a despot. I am not willing
| to believe that an ali-wise and an ALI
| then
| left them thousands of years helpless I'M
| III the islands attracted the attention OF
| european nations
| Republicans ask: 'Shall we haul down
Philippines The same question might
| have been asked when the American fiae
| hoated over Chapultepec and waved over
the dead who fell there; but the tourist
| who visits the City of Mexico finds there
| national cemetery owned by the United
States and cared for by an American
citizen: Our flag. still floats over ouI
t<0a han
| was signed, American authority with
drew to the Rio Grande and 1 venture
years the people of Mexico have made
more progress under the stimulus of in
dependence and self-government thar
they would have. made under a carpet
bag government held in place by bay
onets. The United States and Mexico
friendly republics, are each stronger and
happier than they would have been had
the former been cursed and the latter
crushed by an imperialistic policy dis
guised as benevolent assimilation
Can we not govern cOlonieS2" we are
asked. The question is not what we car
do, but what ought to do. This ma
ton can do whatever it desires to do
but it must accept responsibility for VIVA
the way, the people can amend the con
| stitution. l repeat, the nation can DE-
avoid the natural and legitimate result.
of its own conduct The young man upoI
reaching his majority can do what M
of his parents; he can trampIe upon al
| that he has been taught to consider
sacred; he can disobey the laws of thu
state, the laws of society and the laws
| of God. He can stamp failure upon hi.
life and make his very existence a ours,
| father and mother in sorrow to the
grave; but he cannot annul the sentence
1 t'The wages of sin is DEATH And 81
| with the nation. 1t is Of age and it car
| DO what it pleases; it can spurn tn
the principles upon which the nation
rests; it can employ force instead of rea
son; it can substitute might for right
| plot their lands. appropriate their prop
erty and kill their people; but it canno
| repeal the moral law or escape the pun
tshment decreed for the violation OF hu
Would we tread in the paths of tyrrany
| Nor reckon the tyrant's cost?
Who taketh another'ss liberty
His freedom is also lost
| Would we win as the strong have eve
Make ready to pay the debt,
| For the God who reigned over Babylon
| Is the God who is reigning yet
Some argue that American rule in tn
ter education of the FfIipinos. Be no
| deceived. If we expect to maintain
colonial policy, We shall not find it t
our advantage to educate the people. IN
| educated FiipinoS are now in reTol
| against us, and the most ignorant one
have made the least resistance to gu
domination. If we are to govern then
| without their consent and give them n
voice in determining the taxes whicl
them, lest they learn to read the Declare
ton of Independence and the constitu
| ton of the United States and mock us 70
| our inconsistency.
Tho principal arguments, however, ad
| Vanced by those who enter upon de
! Tense OF imperialism, are:
| First-That we must improve the pres
ent opportunity to become 4 world poWe
| and enter into international politics
| SecOnd-That our commercial interest
in the Philippine islands and in tn
Orient make it necessary for us to mol
the islands permanently
Third-That the spread of the Chr1Stla
religion will be facilitated by a coloma
Fourth-That there is no honrable re
treat from the position which the natlo
| has taken.
The first argument is addressed to tn
nations prize. and the second to IN
nations pocketbook- The third IS IT
tended for the church member and IN
fourth for the partisan.
1t is a sufficient answer TO the hrs
argument to say that for more than
century this nation has been a worl
power. For ten decades 1t has been tn
most potent influence in the world Nc
only has il been a world power. but
: has done more to affect the politics
= the human race than all the other na
tions of the world combined Becaus
our Declaration of Independence was pro
Tnuigated, others have been promulga tee
Because the patriots of 1776 fought fo
| liberty others have fought for it; be
| I'D 81