Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-06-06
tabTlsh a precedent for control of the

tabIish precedent for control of the
Filipino.
1t would stagger the sense of justice
| OF the American people if they were
suddenly informed 1t was the purpose
| OF the Republican party to hold ten
million people in bondage forever; that
1t was intended to enact laws to benefit
our factories at the expense of their in
dustries, to crush down their labor that
! the wages OF our operatives might be
| maintained. to put such restrictions
upon their trades as would enable us 20
FIX cur own price upon their products.
! BNSLAVTNG THE FTLIPINOS.
But it is thought that having swal-
| lowed the gnat they will not strain at
the camel. Having committed lit
| tie sin against the Porto R!can,
the people can be induced 10 com
| nit IL greater one against the Fill
! Pine; having taken the Porto RicLn
under the flag and denied him
fifteen er cent. of citizenship we
can take a Filipino and deny him L
hundred per cent. without offending the
American Conscience.
What has been the Fllipino's crime?
He has committed the heinous oiIense
of believing that Washington was a pa
ttidt and jefferson Il statesman. He
thought liberty was 4 birthl'igat and
had not discovered that the Deciara-
| tion of Independence was a glittcring
generality. lie has been guilty. OF the
folly OF reading the story OF the Ameri-
can Revolution and dreumed in his
jungle of the time when he could stand
erect free man among bhe nations of
the world.
He was so lost to reason he dared to
organize a government after our model
To raise an army of thirty thou
sand men to defend it. to shut
up every Spaniard in Luzon with
in the two cities of Manila and Iloilo,
to conduct elections, 10 maintain order,
and enforce the law in every village of
the island until we had 20 send sixty
thousand American soldiers to convince
him he was not capable of selfgovern-
mcnt and shoot into him the blessings
OF civilization.
1t is the shume of all the centuries
that this Republic, whose government
has been a model for the oppressed peo-
pie of the earth and whose sympathy
and example has liberated one-half OF
the world. should now be using its
mighty strength to conquer the people
whose only crime consists in emulating
our example.
SHAME AND INDIGNATION.
we dare not even raise our voice in
sympathy while the mightest nation in
Europe brushes the last republic in Al
RIGA and fastcns it's shackes on n poo
pie who have made the most gallant
and pathetic fight for freedom the
world has ever known. The American
who thinks of his own country in such
Il situation hangs his head in shame.
but when he turns 1t towards Cuba his
cheeks burn With indignation.
We began the war with Spain with
the solemn pledge to all the world that
we disclaimed any disposition TO exev-
else sovereignty or control over the
island OF Cuba except for Its pacifica-
ton, and that we would leave the gov
errment and control of the island to
it's own people
For two years now we have held it
under military rule; we have levied and
collected taxes and spent the money
as we pleased. During 1899 we coll ected
I'm taxes from the impoverished and
war-ridden people of that little island
more than ST., 900. 600
If you would judge how economical
such an administration has been you
have but to remember that Cuba Is
hardly as large as an average Congress
sional district in Missouri, and that the
total exense Of our State government
last year was less than 81. 100000. How
was this money spent? ! call your at
tention to the record which shows the
administration allowed the Governor
General. in addition to his salary OF
$500. an additional $500, to be paid
out OF the revenue of Cuba, and $1,000
more for house rent. giving to the mill
tary governor. to be imposed unwilling
ly uron that island, an official salary
exceeded in this country only by that
OF the President of the United States.