The Bemidji pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Beltrami County, Minn.) 1896-1917, 1900-10-04

HEIGHTS. WHEN HE COMES TO
LAY DOWN A PROGRAM OF HIS
OWN HE is LESS ELUSIVE. LESS
STARTLING, AND APPROACHES
REPUBLICAN GROUND NEARER
THAN HE APPREHENDS.
In his Philippine program he would,
first, establish stable form of gov
eminent That is exactly what the
Republican party aims to do. But
this implies that there is no such gov
eminent there now, not even Agui-
naldo's government. What Mr.. Bryan
admits by implication we assert
as positive fact, and we further as
sert that the first step in the establish
ment Of a stable form Of government
is to suppress the existing insurrec-
tion and insurrectionary government,
and that a stable form of government
can not we'll be established before
this is done. r. rs,
Different in Case of Cuba.
Even this Mr.. Bryan admits by
implication, for he says we should do
as we have done in Cuba. And what
have we done there? When our forces
went to Cuba there was a Cuban re-,
public and Cuban army. There was
no Filipino government nor Filipino
army when Dewey entered Manila bay.
In Cuba, through orr efforts, and aid
ed by the good sense Of Gomez and his
chiefs, the Cuban republic has been
permitted to expire and the Cuban
army has long ago been disbanded.
and by the aid and cooperation Of the
Cubans we are engaged in the effort
Of establishing de novo a stable gov
eminent there. Had Aguinaldo and
his chiefs followed the example of
Gomez and his chiefs we should before
this have been long on the way to-
wards establishing stable govern
ment in the Philippines. Under the
circumstances we have not, as Mr..
Bryan contends, been dilatory In es-
tablishing such a government. In
1886 our armed forces took possession
Of California, and continued to hold 1t
pending the Mexican war, the ratifica-
ton OF the treaty OF peace, and untp
it became state in 1850. California
never had territorial form OF gov
ernment but remained under the COM
troll Of the amy from 1916 until 1t be-,
came state. There was no insurrec-s
ton in California and yet,for upwards
OF two years after the treaty OF peace,
1t was governed through the military
department of the government, and
this was held by our supreme court
to be valid and constitutional gov
eminent, nor were we accused OF be-
ing ydilatory in giving California
state government. But 1t is asserted
that the Filipinos are entitled to abso-
lutte independence, and that we have
no right to govern them without their
consent.
Our Duty q Sacred One.
II this is true, what right have we
to imposee any form Of government
upon them?
,, They may insist that they have the
right to establish just such form OF
government as they see fit and that
it Ia not our business to establish any
form for them. What then? Are we
| to abandon the scheme or are we to
watch, wait and pray for their con-
sent, or are we to go on regardless or
1t. And in case we do go on to estab-
lish stable government without their
consent, and they see fit to resist and
to 20 into an insurrection--as they
are now doing against our present
efforts to establish stable govern
ment. and we resort to arms to repress
such resistance and insurrection--as
they are now doing-against our pres
| ent efforts to establish stable gov
eminent, and we resort to arms TO
repress such resistance and lnsurrec-
| ton and insist upon establishing a
stable government at the point OF the
bayonet. will not this bring us back
| into the slough OF Imperialism with
the ghost Of standing army In the
| background? There Is only one sure
escape from such gloomy outcome.
1t Is to leave 1t to the Filipinos to say
what constitutes stable form OF gov
eminent But il we do that there Is
really no occasion for our giving any
consideration at all to their form
of government There is no need or
giving them any form Of government
at all. That should be left wholly to
/ themselves.
| As tn Protectorae.
| Having given the Filipinos a stable
form of government, Mr.. Bryan would
give them their absolute independence
and then protect them from the inter-
| ference Of other nations. II 1t Is our
duty to establish stable form OF gov
eminent, it follows that it is our
duty to see that such a form OF gov
eminent Is maintained, for without
It we cannot afford them adequate
protection against other nations. II
we assume protectorate over the
islands. foreign governments would
expect and require, and would nave a
right to expect and require that we