Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-09-10


festabli shments Of civil governments, and
has Influenced many OF the insurgents
against accepting the liberal terms Of
amnesty offered by Gen. Macarthur UNI
der my direction. But for these false
hopes considerable reduction could
have been had in our military establish
ment In the Philippines and thesrealiza-
ton of a stable government would be
already at hand.
The American people are asked by our
opponents to yield the sovereignty of
the United States in the Philippines to
a small fraction of the population, a
single tribe out of eighty or more inhab-
itfng the islands, a faction which wan
tonly attacked the American troops in
Manila while in f.ghtful possession I'M
der the protocol with Spain. awaiting
the ratification of the treaty of peace
by the senate, and which has since been
IN active, open REBELLION against the
United States. We are asked to trans
fer our sovereignty to small majority
and to abandon the largest portion of
the population, which has been loyal to
gus, to the cruelties Of the guerrilla in
ssurgent bands.
More than this. NE are asked to pro-
stectthis minority in establishing a gov
eminent, and to this end repress all OPP
position of the majority. We are re-
quireG to set up a stable government in
the interest of those who have assailed
our sovereignty and fired upon our SOL
oilers. and then maintain it at any cost
or sacrifice against its enemies within
and against those having ambitious de-
signs from without.
This would require an army and navy
far larger than is now maintained in
the Philippines and still more in excess
or what Will be necessary with full rec
osnition of our sovereignty. A military
support of authority not our own az
thus proposed. isAtlle very essence OF
mliitarisn1. which our opponents intheir
platform oppose but which by their poll
ICY would of necessity be established In
its most offensive form
me American people will not make
the murderers of our soldiers the agents
OF the republic to convey the blessings
OF hbertyaand order 10 the Philippines
They will not make them the builders
of the new commonwealth Such a
course would be a betrayal of our sa-
cred obligations to the peaceful Fill.
pinos. and would place at the mercy OF
dangerous Adventures the lives and
property of the natives and foreigners
1t would make possible and easy the
commission of such atrocities as were
secretly planned, to be executed on the
END of February. 1899, in the city Of
Manila, when only the vigilance of our
army prevented the attempt to assas-
mate our soldiers and all foreigners and
pillage and destroy the city and lis sur
roundings.
In short, the proposition of those OPP
posed to US is to continue all the obli-
cations in the Philippines which rest
upon the government, only changing
the relation from principal. which now
exists, to that of surety. Our response
bility is to remain, but our power is.
to be diminished. Our obligation is
be no less, but our title is to be sur
rendered TO another power. which is
without experience or training. or the
ability to maintain a stable government
at home and absolutely helpless to per-
form its International obligations with
the rest Of the world.
To this We are opposed. We should
not yieid our title while our obligations
last. In the language of our platform,
Our authority should not be less than
our responsibility, and our present re-
5sponsibility is to esta blish our author
ity in every part of the islands.
No government can so certainly pre-
serve the peace. restore public order,
establish law, Justice and stable condi-
lions as ours. Neither congress nor the
executive can establish a stable govern
nent in these islands except under our
fright of sovereignty, our authority and
our flag. And this we are doing.
We could not do it as a protectorate
power so completely or SO successfully
as we are doing il now. AS the SOW
Sereign power we can initiate action and
shape means 10 ends. and guide the
FAlipinos to seli-develoment and self
government. s
AS a protectorate power wescould not
Initiate action, but would be compelled
Ito follow and uphold a people with no
capacity yet to go alone. In the one
case We can protect both ourselves and
| the Filipinos from being involved in
1 dangerous complications. in the other
we could not protect even the Filipinos
Iunti after their trouble had come.
/ Besides, if we cannot establish any
/ government of our own without the
Icpnsent of the governed, as our oppo-
Isnents contend, then we could not es-
/ tablish a stable government for them
sor make ours a protectorate without
Hike consent, and neither the majority
Iof the people nor a minority of the pso-
sIple have invited us to assume it. We
j#coud not maintain a protectorate even
i with the consent Of the governed with
i out giving provocation for conflicts and
possibly costly Wars.
Our rights in the Philippines are nov
free from outside Interference and vii
continue SO in our present relations
i They would not be thus free in an,
other relation. We will not give up oul
own to guarantee another sovereignty
Our title is good. Our peace commits.
sioners believed they We're receiving q
i good title when they concluded the
treaty. The executive believed it wa.
a good title when he submitted to the
senate of the United States for its rati.
4 ficaion. The senate believed it was {
4 good title when they gave it their con
Institutional assent, AMI the congress.
I#seems not to have doubted its complet:
ness when they appropriated $20,0O0,00'
provided by the treaty.
i If any who favored Its ratification be
}lieved it gave US bad title they wer,
not sincere. Our title is practically
4 identical with that under which we holt
4 our territory acquired since the be
+ Fl . 4t-- ~ Y = n.