The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-05-27

pines" AS Mr.. Mckinley went toward
Omaha, on this Western trip, he deter.
mined on annexation, and yet the country
was in doubt as to what annexation
might mean. It would have been entirely
consistent with his words, for example.
If he had subsequently favored the re,
lnquishment by Spain of her sovereignty
and the recognition of the Agunaldo gov
eminent, whose virtues have been so
frankly acknowledged and so sympa-
thetically described by Mr. John Barrett.
When the peace commissioners were ap
pointed they were finally instructed to
demand the ceSsion of the archipelago.
so that in the course CT three or four
months we find that the official mind
having once come under the influence o.
the war spirit, and having abandoned the
idea that public annexation was, in. the
American code of morals - criminal ag>
gression," had first contemplated the TAX
ing of coating station, then the holding
Of Manila, then the annexation of Luzon,
and finally the annexation of the WhC3e
archipelago. This last determination was
reported to have beer officially announced
on Sept. Is, 1898, at a dinner given by the
president to the cabinet and the peace
commissioners, the latter being about to
West had convinced the president of its
popularity. 1t was said, also, that Mr.
Mckinley had been deeply impressed by
the appeals which had come from com,
mercial sources for the retention of the
entire group" 1t is well to note the full
significance of this statement for it IS
true that the influence which finally set
tied this matter was purely commercial
The money power, trade, and the protect
81 toto
large part of his party away from the
moral considerations which had weight
in 1888 They were commercial consid-
erations, then, which led Mr.. Mckinley ia
contemplate and finally to adopt this
course of action. Aiding the commercial
eXploiters was the jealous and enterpris-
ing missionary, who seems to balk al
nothing to gain his ends, so that event
ually We find the politician assuming that
Providence had placed the Filipinos IN
our hands to be enlightened, elevated.
civilized. ard incidentally made profitable
While it was settled at this eventful din.
ner that Mr.. Mckinley had determined
on conquest, it was to be year later be-
fore he admitted to the country his in.
tention to retain the islands permanently
The mission of the commission was car
ried out, and the title to the islands, ac,
cording to Judge Day, ex-secretary of
state and the head of the commission,
passed by purchase, the government
agreeing to pay to Spain $29, 0O0, 900 for the
Philippines.
Before tn treaty was ratified the presi-
dent issued a proclamation claiming SOW
ereignty, and promising the people of the
Philippines a certain character of gov
eminent. They were to become citizens
of the United States through benevolent
assimilation" Gen. Otis also issued a
proclamation early in January. This was
the next step toward the eventual asser-
ton of the policy of retention This as
sumption of sovereignty, and this ig-
noring of the native people, were resent
ed by Aguinaldo, and war broke out.
1t has been much more difficult and
bloodier than the war with Spain. About
the time Of its breaking out-on the 18th
of February, 1899-the senate gave evil
dence of the still unsettled state of the
political mind by adopting a resolution
declaring that it was not the intention
of the United States ito permanently an
mex said islands as an integral part of
the United States" The vote on this res