The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1900-08-09

those rights as it was the duty Of Spain
TO respect the rights Of the people OF
cuba or the duty OF England to respect
the rights of the American colonists
Right never conflicts: duties never clash
Can it be our duty to usurp political
rights which belong to others? Can it be
our duty to kill those who follow the
example Of our forefathers love liberty
well enough to fight for It?
Some poet has de scribed the terror
which overcome "a sod er who in the
midst of battle discovered that he had
slain his brother. 1t is written "All
ye are brethren" Let us hope for tho
coming of the day when human life
which when once destroyed cannot be re-
stored-will be so sacred that it will new
or be taken except when necessary to
punish crime already committed, or to
prevent a crime about to be committed,
If it is said that we have assumed be-
fore the world obligations which make
1t necessary for US to permanently main
tain government in the Philippine is
lardS, / reply first, that the highest obli-
cation of this nation is to be true to IT.
se'f. No obligation to any particular ma
tions or to all the nations combined. can
require the abandonment of our theory
of government and the substitutions OF
doctrines against which our whole M
tonal life has been a protest And sec
ond, that our obligation to the Filipinos.
who inhabit the Islands, Is greater than
any obligation which we can owe to for
eigners who have a temporary res,denc7
in the PHILIPPINES or desires TO trad,
there.
INCAPABLE OF SELF-GOVERNMEN
1t is argued by some that the Filirinos
are incapable of self government ana
that therefore we owe it to the worlc
70 take control of them Admiral Dewey
In an official report to the navy depart
ment, declared the Fllipinos cared for nv.
American citizens, are more capable Of
If government than the Ciihars
and said that he based his opinion unon
knowledge of both races. But 7 will
not rest the case upon the relative ad-
Nancement Of the Filipinos. Henry CLAW
IN defending the right of the peonle of
south America to self government said.
IL Is the doctrine of thrones that man
Is TOO ignorant to govern himself Tbeir
Parusans assert his incapacity in refer-
ence 10 all nations; if they cannot COM
mand universal assent to the proposition
1t is then demanded to particular nations.
and our pride and our presumption too
o1ten make converts Of us. I contend
that 1t is to arraign the disposition of
providence Himself to suppose that He
mas created beings incapable of governing
themselves, and to be trampled on bv
kings. Self government is the natural
government of man"
Clay was right. There are degree. of
proficiency in the art of self government
but 1t is a reflection upon the Creator to
say that he denied to any people the ca
pacity for self government. once admit
that some people are capable of self gov
ernment and that others are not and that
the capable people have a right to seize
upon and govern the incapable, and you
make force-brute force-the only foun-
dation Of government and invite the reign
OF a despot. am not willing to believe
that an all-wise and an all-loving God
created the Filipinos and then left them
thousands Of years helpless until the ISL
ands attracted the attention Of Euro
pean nations.