Willmar tribune., 1900-08-22

government In the Philippine Islands.
reply, first, that the highest obligation of
this nation is to be true to itself. No obi
| cation to any particular nation, or to an
nations combined, can require the abandon.
ment OF our theory of government and the
II against which
fpnes Who inhasit G3Ssdsaans the islands to a9e she
greater tnan any obligations which we can
residence In the Philippines or desire to
| trade there. Z ~
| Capacity Of Se1f-Government.
1t Is argued by some that the FIlipinos
that therefore we owe it to the Word and ID
take controlof them. Admiral Dewey. in an an
ofhcial report TO the navy department., de-
government than the .Cubans, and SAID
that he based his opinion upon a knowi-
edge of both races. But will not rest
Of the Filipinos. Henry clay. inie@ad. in defend.
| ing the rights of the people of Somth
America to self government, said:
to so%ern 0f thrones that
partisans assert his incapacity in refer
ence to all nations: If they cannot COM
it is then remanded to particular nations:
and our pride and our presumption to-,
often make converts Of us: contend
Providence Himself, to suppose that Ha ~
has created beings incapable of govern
Ing Ing themseiyes: as5 and to be trampled on by
government Of man." o.
clay yaev,as.r was riSht I; Tho There are degrees
bSs It Is IN aea of Spon t5ss
tor to say that He denied to any peon1e
the capacity of self-government. Once
fha5 some PeoRs Ss are capable
and that the capable people have a right
ITO seize upon and govern the incapable,
e snS nHe only
| reign of the despot. I am not will
ing to believe that, an ,au-Wise and an an
then LETT them thousands Of years helpless less
until the islands attracted the attention
of European nations:
Republicans ask: Shall we haul down
Philippiness:' The same o Question n m m,eht eht
have been asked when the American flag
the dead who fell there: but the tourist
q national cemetery owned by the United
citizen. Our nag still floats over Over our our
dead. but when the treaty with Mexico
was signed American authority withdrew
| to the Rio Grande, and I venture the
opinion that during the last 50. years the
Ipeople of Mexico have made more progress
under the stimulus of independence, and
in % place BY 6ayonets. The sns Tnitea statea aeaa
and Mexico, friendly republics are each
have been had the former been cursed and
| the latter crushed by an imperialistic pol
tsSn.:! Icy; disguised as benevolent assimila-
Responsibility of the Nation.
Can we not govern colonies?" we are
asked. The question Is not what we can
| do. but what we ought to do. This nation
can do whatever it desires to do. but it
If the constitution stands in the way, the
people can amend the constitution. I re-
peat, the nation can do whatever it desires
legitimate results of its own conduct. The
young man upon reaching his majority
can do what he pleases. He can disregard
pie upon all that he has been taught to
consider sacred; he can disobey the laws
Of the state, the laws of society and the
his life and make his very existence curse
to his fellow men,. and he can bring his
| father and mother in sorrow to the grave;
Wages of sin is death And so With this
| nation. It Is of age, and it can do what it
pleases; 1t can spurn the traditions of the
which the nation rests; it can employ force
| instead OF reason; 1t can substitute might
TOR right; it can conquer weaker people
property and kill their people; but it cannot
| repeal the moral law or escape the punish
ment decreed for the violation of human
rights.
Would we tread in the paths of tyranny,
Nor reckon the tyrant's cost?
Who taketh another's liberty,
His freedom is also lost.
would we win as the strong have ever won,
Make ready to pay the debt,
For the God who retgned over Babylon
Is the God who is reigning yet"
Some argue that Ia, American rule in the
Of the Fiji Fipnos ssa n Be ene not der
celVed. If we expect to maintain a colon
ial policy we shall not find it to our ad-
cahtass catad eo; 70 educate the people: The edu-
US, and the most ignorant ones have made
tne Inc least resistance to our domination. If
snat we are S TO govern them without their con-
sent ana give them no voice in determining
the taxes which they must pay, we dare not
educate them. lest they learn to read the
de;Glaration af;ta1;a Of independence and the con-
US Tor our Inconsistency.
Inc principal arguments, however. ad-
vanced va need BY those who enter upon defense
FIRST, That we must improve the present
opportunity to become a world power and
enser INTO International politics.
second, That our commercial interests in
the Philippine islands and in the orient
MAKE 1t necessary for us to hold the is
aFdh TSirdR dRe!TBRSPfe5St,y FRET fSa :nread of tho
religion will be facilitated by a colonial
Fourth, That there is no honorable re-
=
The first argument is addressed to the
aRa n He S9S is to the
1p 1pr the church member and the fourth for
the partisan.
Growth or a Principle.
Ill. IL IS sufficient answer to the first argu-
men ment TO say,that for more than century
ten decades it has been the most potent
influence IN the world. Not only has it
peen < WorM power, but it has done more
than e tb fhe 6tni pGtics Of the human
combined. Because our declaration Of in
dependence was promulgated, others have
@ fouSEt for berty oSerzp the 5%s
Iougnt lou aaf Tor It; because our constitution
bee been II adopted. The growth of the princi-
ican soil. has been the overshadowing
political fact of the nineteenth century.
II mas made this nation conspicuous
HimGnE al Ststo the nations and given it place
eyer enjoyed Nothing has been sa AL able TO to
check the onward march Of this idea. I
aside the ornnipotent weapon of truth to
seize again the weapon of physical war
fare. l would not exchange the glory of
ni1s, 1n1s rebp1b,ie for the glory Of all the EN-
| began.
The perma hent chairman OF the last re-
publican national convention presented
the pecuniafy argument in all its bold
/ ness. when he said:
I'VE make no hypocritical pretenses of
| being interested in the Philippines solely
on account pf others. While we regard
the welfare iof these people as a sacred
trust, we regard the welfare Of the Amer r..
| lean people first. We see our duty to our
selves as well as to others. We believe
| means within the province of government
and constitution, we mean to Stimulate
the the, expansibn es s;E Of our trade and open
This is the commercial argument It
Is based upon the theory that war can
be rightly Vaged for pecuniary advan-
tage: ana an thtt it IS profitable to purchase