Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-09-26

emit What would be more natural
than for Americana ir1b ued with ideas
of liberty and freedom, even though
those old-fashioned things be no longer
in high repute at Washington, to ex-
press taeir sympathy with a struggling
people? 1t would not be the first or the
fifth time that Americans have dared
to expires sympathy with nations and
peoples in danger of conquest. The
sympathies, earnest and profound, of
many of our people went out to Greece,
to Poland, to Italy, to the Dutch Beers,
and even to Mexico and sundry South
American republics fighting for free
dom. Why not to the Filipino? 'Oh,
butt" Major Norton will say, the Fill
were rebels against Spain, if you please,
but not against the United States of
America. The definition of rebellion is
something very different from the sta
tus of the Filipinos. Before people can
rebel" they must have been subjects
of the government against which they
rise. The Filipinos never were and are
not now subjects of the United States.
They never occupied the position to-
wards the United States that the ORR
ginal thirteen colonies did towards
Great Britain. The American patriots
of 1776 were rebels against King George
and his government, just as the Fill
pinos were rebels against the authority
of Spain for years before our war with
the Spanish. But to assume or argue
that, because we made criminal bar
gain with Spain, after she had lost title
to the Philippines, we can thereby
a Kingdom which had at best NOM
inal control for three centuries to a re-
public which never had any right or
pretense of control, and which, if 1t had,
should be above that sort of thing from
the mere fact that we are the leading
republic in the world and the country
which ought now, as in the past, TO
point the way to self government TO
all peoples, is going little too lar, and
will not meet with approval.
Another phase Of Major Norton's
letter deserves some consideration.
He assumes that those who differ from
him or who dare to criticize him, do so
from partisan motives What motive
could be fairly presumed more partisan
than that to be attributed to Major
Norton himself, when he took the Ia
mentable and lamented fact of the
death of a soldier who happened to be
cuse for public letter designed to win
support for an administration engaged
in a business which every American
ought to be ashamed of, and of which
most of them are ashamed Major Nor
ton is as unfortunate in seeking a mo-
tive for the criticism he has brought
upon himself as he was in his determin
alton to break into print with almost
unlimited denunciation, of those Who
of right carry their sovereignty under
their hats. and who dare to not only
think for themselves, but to give ex-
preston to their thoughts. And, by the
way, speaking of sovereignty, Major
Norton curiously and noticeably omits
from his very long letter any reference
to the views of the late A. w. Camp
bell, with which views Major Norton
was, at one time, very strongly inclined
to agree.
The Register has no quarrel with Ma
jor Norton, personally. He is entitled
to his views, even though they be ex-
IRENE, but he ought not to complain
if, expressing those views publicly,
some one may point out that he is not
willing to give others that freedom of
speech or thought which he holds for
himself as right.