The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1900-08-18

THE War IN The enlllpplhC5-
The Baltimore american, of Wednesday,
said the Philippine insurrection was beng
kent alive by the sympathy the insurgents re-
oe;ve from anti.imperiaisis and Democrats in
this country.
The statement is true, but not in the sense
the american views it. The Democrats OF
the United States set the world an example oil
heroic devotion to freedom, liberty and self
Government in casting oil British rule III
was n Democrat who penned the Declaration
of Independence, and it was a Democrat who
o,;ded the men when the Constitution was
written. These two documents are revered
by liberty loving people in all lands. Ihey
have been the beacon-lights for all peoples
struggling foY self government for century.
They are as well understood by the Fiipinos
as by the american When the Mckinley
Commissioners received the Filipino repre-
seniatives the latter spoke fluently aad inteili-
gently about both. The republic OF the
United States was their ideal government.
They had studied it and knew it well. For
wears they had rebelled against Spanish rule
and two years ago Joined hands with the
United States forces against the Spanish at
Manila, in the full belief that people who
declared ''that all governments derive their
Just powers from the consent OF the governed
would not undertake TO deny self-government
To them, and that deliverance and freedom
we're at hand.
There is no instruction in the Philippine
Islands Whatever war there is there, is
war waged by the natives against foreigners
bent upon appropriating their territory and
setting up an alien government. We are not
there by Conquest, because Mckinley de-
cIared that .lorcible annexation would be
criminal aggression and Congress declared
TO the world that the war with Spain included
no purpose of territorial ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. We
are not there by purchase, for Spain had no
title to the islands and no jurisdiction.
The war upon the Filipinos is, as Presi-
dent Mckinley said it would be, terminal
aggression" and the blood of the slain is
upon the hands of the Imperialists. The
Filipinos were our friends and allies against
the Spanish. Had we set about to aid them
in establishing II government for themselves
and protected them in the meantime, they
would still be our friends and our trade rela-
tons been much better than they ever will be
with the FiIipinos as a subject race. We are
the aggressors, the invaders; and we have
changed them from friends to enemies. The
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for freedom and elfgovernment, such as was
waged by the patriots of 1776 against British
rule.
The love of liberty and self-governnent in
the Filipinos has no doubt been quickened
and diffused by the example of the people of
the American colonies and by the splendid
government erected by them. The example
of the Democrats, who formed and nurtured
the republic, no doubt has been inspiring to
them. 1t has been inspiring to all subject
peoples-to the Irish, the Poles and the Gu
bans, with all of whom the people of this re-
public sympathized in their struggles for free
dom, and in the case of the latter actually
went to war in order that they may govern
themselves. Aud the Filipnos will be free
and independent and have selfgovernment,
too, if the Democrats win in November and
control the Executive and Legislative branch
es of government We do not want any col.
onies, with subject peoples and continu al
wars, as have all other governments with col
onial possessions. We do not want subject
peoples, because all people are Of right free
and equal. We do not want to exercise i'm
perial powers abroad, for it would be but a
short step to imperial power at home. The
government cannot exist half republic and
half empire.
Yes, the Democrats sympathize with the
Filipinos in their struggle, just as they have
sympathized with every other people strug-
glinga gainst oppression. That does not
mean, however, that they are against and de-
sire the overthrow of our own soldiers, not
one of whom enlisted to fight against the
Filipinos, but were sent out of the country by
the Hanna Mckinley Administration to furth-
err their scheme of making the United States
world power, with colonial possessions
around the world as bases for military and
except the salaried officers, in the Philippines
today who does not dislike the conflict there
and would gladly return, as is abundantly
shown by the letters they write home. The
Democrats have clearly shown their sympathy
for the youth ofthe country by opposing their
presence in tropical country aud exposure
to death and disease in a war waged without
Congressional sanetion and in defiance of
every principle held and maintained by the
fathers of the republic and embodied in the
Declaration of Independence, the Constitu
ton, Washington's Farewell Address and the
Monroe Doctrine.
The Imperialists may find pleasure in charg-
ing the war in the Philippines to Democratic
sympathy with the Filipinos, but they will
have difficulty in convincing anybody that
such is the fact. That struggle is in example
of the struggle of the patriots of l776, with
the hope Of creating such glorious republic
rs the United States.
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