La Junta tribune., 1900-09-22

dens as either of these.
/ Now word specifically as to the
Philippines. 1t Is in connection with
the Philippines that Mr.. Bryan has
chiefly harped upon the consent OF
.Ae governed theory. As matter Of
fact we cannot clearly keep in mind
that the success of the Aguinaldian
rebels would mean not liberty for all
Filipinos, but liberty for q certain
blOodthirsty section to opprees great
majority OF their fellow-countrymen.
Under Spanish rule the Filipinos were
treated with intolerable cruelty. The
Aguinaldian leaders have, wherever
their power has extended. continued q
system almost as bad. The chief vic
| Tins of this system have been not the
Americans. but their fellow-Filipinos;
| for their hatred ana cruelty have been
exhibited chiefly ut the cost Of their
1 fellow-countrymcn, who have had the
good sense and genuine patriotism to
realize that the true interests OF the
| islands lay in the American govern
ment So far as am aware, not one
competent witness who has actually
known the facts. believes the Filipinos
capable OF self lfgovernment mt present.
or believes that such an effort would
result In anything but a horrible con-
| IuSlOu OI anu Juu&0
Taft, President Schurman, Professor
Worcester. Bishop Potter and all our
army officers are a unit on this point.
ale institutions of free republic can
not at q leap be transplanted Into who'll
ly alien soil among people who have
not the slightest conception OF liberty
and self-government as we use those
words. You might as well try to trans
plant full-grown oak into alien soil.
| Remember that to surrender the Phil
ippines now to n little band Of military
usurpers would be to surrender the
islands to bloodshed and misery. Our
stay in the islands IL the condition
precedent OF peace. With US expansion
means. rs 1t always has meant. peace.
When we took New Mexico 1t meant
...at we gave to that territory peace.
and saved It from the quarter Of GEN.
tury Of bloody fighting which followed
for old Mexico. When we expanded
west Of the Mississippi It meant that
we put stop to the tribal warfare
which had endured for ages among
sioux and Crow, Cheyenne and Paw
nee. 80 now the establishment Of our
rule In the Philippines means to give
the inlands peace, and II u the only
chance they have OF getting peace or
| Of getting good government. To con-
| tract instead OF expand means cruel
war, cruel despotisn for the islands
| which we would abandon.
We have a right to ask the support
Of every lover Of peace, of every be-
liever In peace, for the righteous poll
cy we have pursued in the Philippines.
!, No statesman worthy Of the name. no
patriot or philanthropist who is en-
titled to moments hearing before the
bar Of mankind will maintain that the
principles of the Declaration Of indie
pendence mean that any man through
out the world, no matter what his
crimes or his limitations, Is excused
from the observance Of law and order
II he happens to think that lawlessness
and disorder suit him best. As has
been shown again and again. neither
Jefferson, the author OF the Declaration
OF Independence, nor Lincoln, the man
who did most TO make the facts Of our
national life correspond with that
same doctrine, ever dreamed for q mo-
ment Of giving 1t such Interpretation.
Lincoln, in one of his great speeches. at
Springfield, June 20. 1857, thus allud-
ed to the trainers OF the Declaration Of
Independence: "They did not mean to
were then actually enjoying equality,
nor yet that they were about to confer
1t Immediately upon them. In fact.
they had no power to confer such n
boon. They meant simply to declare
the right, 30 that the enforcement Of 1t
might follow NJ fast as circumstances
would permit. They meant to set mp a
| standard maxim for free society which
should be familiar to all and revered by
all; constantly looked to, constantly in
bored for, and even, though never per-
fectiy attained, constantly approximat-
ed, and thereby constantly spreading
and deepening Its influence and aug
menting the happiness and value Of
life to all peoples"
sl.adsr OF the sosdisrA
received the other day . letter from
Captain Moffett Of the First Dakota
volunteers, giving his experience with
the prisoners In Manila prison when
| that city wins captured. OF the 1,6OO
prisoners, 1,10O were released. It ap-
peared that they had been tortured and
wronged in the most terrible way, and
most OF them had not even been tried
for the crimes they were alleged to
have committed. Over half Of them
were probably entirely innocent. I can
uaIly used by the Spaniards to these
Filipino prisoners, and when read
such letters as these Of Captain Mof-
fett and such letters a. that shall
quote from the gallant SON Of gallant
Confederate officer, my blood boils at
the foul SANDERS OF the men who dis
honor the name Of America By attacks
,, ON our policy and our soldiers IN the
Philippines. The simple truth u that
we rescued those Islands from the hide
Gus tyranny of the Gpaniaryls ana the
anarchy Of the corrupt and bloody In
Burgent chiefs. We arc now rapidly
establishing q stable government, and
whereyer We have succeeded In e.
tablishing that government we have Al