The Atlanta constitution., 1900-03-26

4
mercial interests will be better conserved
by such policy than by n declaration for
| colonial administration a permanency.
Whether or not the republicans declare
openly for the permanent retention of the
Philippines and the administration of their
affairs as a vassal possession. they must
defend such n policy I'm the approaching
campaign. just as its representatives in
congress have defended the theory of
permanent possession I'm antagonism to
the democratic contention for ultimate
independence.
Around these two contentious the ma
tional campaign of 1900 will wage. All
other issues will be of secondary inn
portance-the trust question. the currency
and the tariff-excepting in so far as the
| Porto Rican tariff brings up the whole
question of protection as an incident
To the main issue.
'If the republicans succeed I'm Novem-
Der I'm electing their president, return
ing republican house of representatives
| and guaranteeing q republican admins
| tration to succeed the one now in power
| there can be no other possible alterna-
| tive to the conclusion that IL Will mean
| that we are to keep the Philippines as a
permanent possession, maintaining our
hold on the 100000 people of the islands
| by the same process of colonial admnis
| lTdtlOn On winch lS tIl'tDltu
| To hold India; that our government is TO
| he committed to the establishment of a
large standing army. n half hundred
thousand of which must be retained in
the Philippines To insure our supremacy;
that we must keep across the Pacific
1000 miles from our own shores, a for
midable armada ready to cope at any
time with the feet of any nation with
which we may havS cross-purposes; that
we must make a sweeping change in our
system of government for the purpose
of adjusting 1t to this newly created con-
dition, and that the taxpayers of the
country must be prepared to go down into
their pockets to indulge their demand for
this luxurious departure. It may de-
velop into a profitable investment, and
the taxpayer may ultimately revel in the
expenditure, but the assurance IS. TO
say the least, rather vague and unin-
viting.
IF. on the other hand. tho democrats
should win the fan elections-if they
should elect their president. or. failing
in that. should capture the house of
representatives. the verdict would be
susceptible of only one construction, ard
that would be that the American people
are unwilling to commit their govern
ment. be strength of which has been
proved ~ century of crucial tests to
a new departure IN the ltdiIl hl tploilltti
administration. the basis of which is
government without the consent of the
governed, authority maintained by force,
subiection without devotion, ana Subms-
sion without patriotism. Governments
have been so administered and people
have been so held. but not until tins day
has il been established that such a sys-
tenn Of government is best either for
those who govern or for those who are
governed.
PERSONALLY, ! am inclined To think
that the American flag now i'm Cuba and
I'm the Philippines will never be substi-
tuted by any other | think it is there
to stay and that rs 1t was put there
by the hand of God. so will IL be kept /
by divine direction. I believe. however, |
that IL is not force which will shape this |
end but that it will come about as the |
act of the people of Cuba and |
of the Philippines. Like the republic of |
Texas. Cuba. if il ever attains independ- !
ence will instinctively turn for admis- |
sion to the American SisterhoOd of STATES: /
it is inevitable. AS to the Philippines, |
when we have put down the insurrection,
the end of which is now apparently in
sight: when we have established our
sirhctruu. eNea 60 .''s~ ""rl of recon
Aguinaldo himself; when peace ana o.
der shall prevail and the people of the |
islands shall have turned once more into |
the almost forgotten paths OF prosperity |
we will bring to their hnrthstOnes Such /
a practical illustration of the benefits TO /
accrue to them from our system of gov |
50 strikingly in contrast with /
the oppressive methods of Spanish ty- |
ranny under which they have bowed |
for centuries. that. rather than risk
return To old conditions. they will invite |
the perpetual domination of American /
ideas by insisting upon the permanent /
f..,. 70 Fl,.. 4 mi. Nas
at will take time to bring III this
perhaps-maybe decades. In
the meantime we should deal fairly Gnd
frankly with the people of the islands.
holding before them. as a guarant - Of
cur good faith. assurances of ultimate in
dependence when. in the opinion OF this
goVe rnment, they are able To maintain n
government of their own. They will ac-
cept this guarantee. and had IL been
made by the last congress the rebellion
against which we have contend,.d for
mere than year would never have be-
gun. Millions OF dollars would have
been saved. not To speak of thS>thousands
of lives which have been lost the hcat Is
which have been broken and the homes
which have been darkened. Ii is never
too late la do right. and it is not too late
now TO declare our purpose. ana when
this is done. To work to that end.
Along these lines the forces for the
great battle of 1900 have been formed,
the bugles have been sounded. and the
smoke from the picket lines already an
nounces that the fight is on"