, 1900-09-27

and by the aid and cooperation OF the
Cubans we are engaged in the effort
of establishing de o 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 a 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
1876 our armed forces took possession
of California. and continued to hold 1t
pending the Mexican war. the r~atiica-
ton of the treaty of peace, n until
1t became a state in 1850. California
never had a territorial form of gov
eminent, bu remained under the com
troll of the amy from 1876 until 1t be-
came a state. There was no insurrec-
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 a valid and constitutional gov
eminent. nor were We accused of be-
ing dilatory in giving California a
state government. But It 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 n Sacred One.
II this is true, what right nave we
to imposee any form of government
upon them?
They may insist hat they have the
right to establish just such a form OF
government as they see fit and that
1t is 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 OF regardless OF
it. And in case we do go On to estab-
lish a stable government without their
consent, and they see fit to resist and
to go into an insurrection-as they
are now ~doing-against our present
efforts to establish a stable govern
ment, and we resort to arms to repress
such resistance and insurrection-as
they are now doing-agatnst our pres
ent efforts to establish a stable gov
eminent, and we resort to arms to
repress such resistance and insurrec-
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 a standing army in the
background? There is only one sure
escape from such a gloomy outcome.
It is to leave 1t to the Filipinos to say
IT,. -.,.G.-ta, - -taLiN f-.
eminent. But If we do that there is
really no occasion for our giving any
consideration at all to their form
of government. There is no need OF
giving them any form of government
at all. That should be left wholly to
themselves.
As tn n Protectorae.
Having given h 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 it is our
duty to establish a stable form of gov
eminent, 1t 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 a protectorate over the
islands, foreign governments would
expect and require, and would nave a
right to expect and require that we
maintain a stable government there.
A government that would protect the
life, property and m of for
eigners to the same extent as amosg
the civilized nations of the world.
Without such a government we
would. before the world, have no more
right to say in foreign nations, you
must keep out of the Philippines.
thar we have to say to foreign ma
tons at this time, that you must keep
out of China.
The Protectorate Humbug
II we were to assume a p~rotectorate
over China 1t would be our duty 70 gee
hat China accorded ample protection
to the lives. property and buainess OF
foreigners. And recent events have
demonstrated what a task his would
be. And the Filipinos, in all their
entirety, with their more than eighty
different tribes and their varied and
inferior degrees of civilization, are far
less fitted for self-government than
the Chinese. who lave maintained an
organized government for centuries.
Aguiualdo and his chiefs represent
the most civilized and intelligent ele-
ment of the native races. and yet we
know it was their purpose to burn.
sack and loo Manila and to slaughter
all foreigners in the city. The indie
pendence the Filipinos would enjoy
under such leaders as A%guinaldo and
his chiefs would be such independence
as the people of Haiti and Santo Do
mingo enjoy-brute lawlessness. part
ly restrained by brute force. and revo-
luton succeeding revolution
The Work of an Oak.
A single oak of pood sfza life 100