Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-30
Opposed to Retention of the Philippine
Islands.
CONSIDERED FROM AMERICAN view
Regards It as Injurious to the Re-
public.
EFFECT ON EASTERN TRADE

ate at length this afternoon in opposition
to permanently retaining control over the
Philippine Islands. He said:
Under these resolutions, If adopted, the
United States will do for the Philippines
practically the same as they have under
taken to do for Cuba.
1.-The question presented may be concisely
stated as follows: When the conditions are
ripe, when peace has been restored and the
authority Of the United States is no longer
resisted in the Philippines, shall the United
States then accord a free government to
the Filipinos, to be independently exercised
by them, or will the United States there
after retain the possession, dominion and
sovereignty Of the Philippine Islands with
the view to their permanent retention as a
part of the territory Of the United states"
After discussing previous acquisitions Of
territory Mr.. Bacon said:
In each of these vast acquisitions and IN
the uses made Of them there was expan-
sion, and great expansion; but 1t was not
simply expansion of the territory subject to
the jurisdiction of the United States. 1t
was also an expansion, or rather an extern
sion, Of the same political systems and po-
litical institutions which existed in the
original states-the expansion or extension
of system Of states inhabited by people
of our own race, people free and sell
governing, and with equal rights with the
people in the original states in the making
Of laws for the control OF state and federal
governments.
This in each instance was legitimate ex-
pansion 1t was legitimate and harmonious
growth. 1t was not revolutionary change.
1t subverted none of our institutions. 1t
did no violence to our political principles.
1t destroyed none Of our political Ideals.
Merely Territorial Expansion.
What shall be said of an expansion
which is simply expansion of territory,
which does not carry with it an extern
sion of our political system our political
principles and our political ideals? What
shall be said of an expansion by the ac-
QUESTION of territory where it is not in
tended that there shall be statehood and
where 1t is impossible that there can ever
be statehood, with the rights of citizen
ship in a state-where 1t is not intended,
and where it is not possible, that the in
habitants of the acquired territory shall
ever be equal participants with ourselves
in the making of the laws of the general
government?
THE conditions which now exist, and
which will undoubtedly exist hereafter II
we permanently retain the Philippines,
make it impossible that they can ever be-
come state; and to hold them as a sub
ject colony makes necessarily a revolution
in our system of government which should
not be aided by any one who is loyal to the
principles upon which that system is
founded. 1t is revolution which while it
denies liberty to other people, endangers
the liberty OF our own people.
vassala&e of the Filipinos.
1.-THE advocates Of the permanent re-
tention Of the Philippines do not like to
hear the term "vassal." Nevertheless one
who is subject Of a government in which
he has no voice, who only has such liberty
as the government may grant him, and
which itself may be taken from him at
the will Of the government, is a vassal.
And that is the only political relation the
Filipino can ever bear to the United
States. The advocates of permanent reten-
ton do not like the term imperialism
Nevertheless whenever republic owns
outlying provinces to be held permanently
dependent colonies, never to be adj
mitted as a part of the republic in the
control and administration of the govern
ment of that republic is to that extent i'm
perial And if held permanently. that is
the only relation which the Philippine Is
lands can ever bear to the United States.
In the nature of things there can be no
imperial republic. Under such a govern
ment the form of a republic may be pre-
served, but under 1t the spirit Of republic
canism must die. In the view which am
now presenting / am not pleading the
cause of the Filipino. l am pleading the
cause Of Americans that their government
may not be converted from a republic COM
posed of free states into imperial gov
eminent holding vassal and subject colo
MES, ruled and controlled necessarily by a
standing army in their midst. If our free
republic is TO be converted into this i'm
perial government 1t is not those who are
to be held and ruled as vassals in subject
colonies who will be the principal suffer-
ers.
Directing to Retention.
1.-The first feature in which this revolution
will definitely manifest itself to the injury
of our people will be in the immediate
growth of militarism. If 1t shall be final
ly determined to hold the Philippine Is
lands 1T Is safe nradirIjOO thar in less
than eighteen months from this date the
regular army Of the United States will be
100000 men.
Another certain consequence of this rev.
olution in the principles and structure of
our government will be the liability and
probability of disastrous wars, of which We
have not hitherto stood in danger"
Mr.. Bacon discussed at length the prob
ability Of war and the possibilities of re-
sistance and the annual cost of retaining
the Philippines in time of peace, and pro-
ceeded:
But it is said that all of these evils will
be compensated for in the fact that the
possession of the Philippines will open and
secure for us the trade of the orient. If
there ever was proposition absolutely
without argument to sustain it, it is this
one. If there could have ever been any ar
gument upon which it would rest, it has
been entirely removed by the agreement
which has been made by all of the Euro
pean governments that for US the open door
shall remain in China and that we shall
have equal privileges with all other nations
of our commerce there. What more than
this could we get if we owned every Pacific
island and harbor on the Asatic coast?
With this agreement, how much less of
the China trade would We get if we did not
own single island on the Asiatic coast?
Is there any room for argument on this
proposition?
And even If we Gid not have this open
door In China, the possession of the Philip
pines, peopled by an alien race would not
secure 1t for us. So long as we remained
at peace the possession of the Philippines
would not open the door of China for U.S.
THE pretense that the Philippines are
necessary to our trade in the orient is a
delusion and SNARE set to catch the feet
OF the hasty and the unwary. And those
who set the snare, like all others who set
snares. are seeking their own selfish ad-
vantage"