Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-06-23
FILIPINO FALLAcIEs EXPOSE

FILIPINO ~FALLACIES EXPOSED.
Charles DENLY, one Of the former
Philippine commissioners. makes the
following argument In tho current At
lantic Monthly:
Recently, with graceful rhetoric and
In q distinguished forum, it has been
argued that the Fillpinos were our Ill
lies against Spain, and the conclusion
drawn is that honor requires us to ac-
knowledge their. independence. The
charge has been often refutcd, but now
It comes Ia such a formidable gulse
that II must, In the interest OF historic
truth, be answered again.
1t would appear that a majority OF
the Filipiros are friendly to US. If that
be 80, how far shall the doctrine that
we must have the consent OF the gov
elned be construed to extend? Does 1t
mean hat we must have the consent OF
all the governed, or does II mean the
majority OF the governed? In either
case at least a little time ought to be
conceded to the administration TO as
certain what the wish of the people
really Is.
II this doctrine means that every
Tagalo must become loyal before we
can lawfully annex Luzon, 1t Is prob
ably true that there never can be a
lawful annexation. Under such con
ditions no government In the world
would stand a minute, not even our
own. Under such a construction no
gun could have been lawfully nred
against the people OF the south In
1861. To require absolutely, and lit
orally, that every person shall consent
TO q form Of government before IT can
operate on him is simply anarchy. To
this complexion the auti-imperialist Is
rapidly coming. He Is initiating his
French predecessors, and, In his love
OF abstract freedom, he Is rushing In
to q carnival of license unbridied by
law. .
What mocushine Is this doctrine!
Let MS give back to France the Louis
Iapa purchase, TO Virginia the north
west territory, California to Mexico,
Alaska to Russia. There Is not a re-
corded line In any OF the treaties max
ing concessions of territory to us, or to
any nation I'm the world, which pro-
yides for the consent OF the occu-
pants thereof. Evidently such a thing
Is impracticable. II France had In
sisted on such a theory there woul
! have been no cession OF AlSace ana
Lorraine. IL Is quite doubtful, also,
whether, II the people of the louisa
ma purchase had been polled, they
would have ever given up allegiance
TO their adored France. There cannot
be much doubt that II our brethren or
the South had been accorded the priv
| ilege "of the consent OF the governed, y
there would be here o four repub-
lies. or monarchies, instead OF one
great and indestructible Union, which
honorably and rightly and justly-in
spite Of all this OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
pinned together by bayonets.
Again, we hear that Spain could not
r~ightfully sell sovereignty to us, and
that we could not rightfully buy 1t
from her. Why not? Presumably be-
cause by our prestige, by our arms,
| Spain had been rendered powerless
apd Aguinaldo had roamed at Will over
Luzon. All that was done while the
war was on. Every act done by the
rebels and ourselves was an incident
in the great drama Of war, whose end
and solution did not come until De
cember 10, 1898.
In this particular case, II we grant
that native insurgents may rise
against the power which has owned
and governed them for 500 years, may
hold a small part of tho Archipelago
without any acknowledgment by any
nation of their independence, and may
on the ground of occupation only,
claim territory as their own-still
what becomes of Manila? Aguinaldo
never held that city. What becomes
of The islands whose names are here
inbefore cited? IL the doctrine of utl
possidetis Is to prevail, we should still
hold the chief city ADD one-half OF the
islands.
II, after all the lighting, we an
nounce that we are beaten, we shall
be considered as trespassers and in
truders, and such we shall be, because
II we are not going to hold the islands
we have no business whatever there.
| understand individual charity, but |
do not understand why the people Of
this country should be taxed to sup
port a great army and navy to create
for an alien people a government in
which we are to have no share.
II Is curious that, amidst all this
war of words, no member Of Congress
has been found brave enough to in
troduce a bill resembling the Treaty OF
Paris. declaring the Tagalos free, and
propos!Eg to withdraw our troops. Let
that be done. Let us find out whether
the political party that wins In No
vember will declare either for imme-
diate evacuation, or for n tutelage ex-
tending over a short period Of years.
Such a platform would no doubt rally
to it's support many eloquent dream
ers, but 1t would be condemned by the
great body Of the practical people.
other propositions announced by the
anti-imperialist orators go over again
the doctrine of non-interference by
the European powers, and are simply
amplifcations Of what has been al
ready commented 90.