La Junta tribune., 1900-09-15
SOME INCONSISTENCIES OF THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE

treaty tuat mi. ofyuu ulIuSetI Oecl3teO
We ought 10 rntify? IL Mr.. Mckinley
should take this alternative course.
and give up the campaign early In
NoveInber-thus In the only practical
way conceding Independence TO the
filipinos-by what means would Mr..
Bryan break his way again into those
Islands in order 10 estnblish the sta
BILE government" which he says II
would he his drst task TO set up?
The OaIy Practical Way 70 0s.at I.As-
psn1eaee.
Is 1t not time to come down out Of
the clouds OF theoretical reasoning
about the inalienable rights OF man, In
order TO look piainly at the actual sit
uation! We have been fighting In the
Philippines for II year and a half; and
We must deal with the situation as we
nnd II In the end, rather than at the
beginning OF thar period. In contests
OF this kind, 1t Is customary for one
side or the other to win. We can ad-
nit ourselves worn out, and therefore
practically defeated by the Filipino
Insurgents. and in pursuance OF such
confession we can acknowledge their
Independence and withdraw exactly
as the British Withdrew from this
country In 1888. In that case. nothing
could he more absurd than to make the
condition that we should stay by, es-
tablish a stable form of government,
withdraw when we saw fit, keep per-
manent possession Of the principal har-
Dor. and then maintain a permanent
pro'ectorate. George Washington did
hot deal with the British ON any such
basis as that. II. indeed, We hare
made n huge mistake in the Philip
pines. and II we have no right or bust
ness to be there. and II Aguinaldo Is
another George Washington, and II the
'Filipinos are eminenrly capable OF self
government. then Mr.. Bryan reasons to
a most unsuitable conclusion. We
should acknowledge our position In the
Philippines TO be morally and physical
iy incapable OF maintenance. and
should make a treaty OF peace under
which we should withdraw complete
ly. acknowledging the independence OF
the Filipinos, giving them as their due
aud proper right the public property
that we took from Spain. and claiming
nothing whatever from them In return.
We should leave the Philippines as
Spain has left the West indies.
The Propra~ties Of the Case.
Under those circumstances, to ask
them to give us harbor and coaiing
station would be as impertinent as 1t
would be for them to ask MS TO give
them Honolulu. And 1t would be still
more impertinent for us, after our be-
havior to them and our inglorious at
tempt to defeat them ON their own soil,
TO offer TO be their sponsor and pro-
tector In the face of the world at large.
The English fought us In the Reyoiu-
tionary War until they thought the
game was no longer worth the candle,
and then they acknowledged our inde-
pendence. They had their grave doubts
about our ability to form a stable gov
ernment; and they looked on while we
fionndered through our wretched ex-
pertinent with the articles Of confeter-
alton before we established our sound
and stable framework OF government
under the constitution OF 1850. But
they did not propose to establish our
government for us while ackn0wletlg-
ing our Independence. nor yet to exer-
else protectorate over us In perpet-
nifty. Let us have the manlIness to do
the one thing or the other In the Phil
ippines. II the Fiiipinos have won
their Independence and deserve II, let
us eschew metaphysics. recognize facts
and come home. If they have a moral
title to their Independence, hacked up
by military prowess and the evidence
Of political capacity. then II follows
that we are the last people In the
whole world To have a right to take
from them a port or a coaling station.
And 1t would he ridiculous in. the ex-
trefhe for us to introduce the new sister
into the international family.
The Other Alternative.
That Is one straightforward alterna-
tive; and we for our part should ad-
vocate with all our might IL we
thought the facts justified 1t. But we
do not believe Aguinaldo In George
Washington, or that there exists any
such thing ms a great and promising
Filipino nation moved by the spirit OF
political progress and fighting intelli-
gently for Independence and q place in
the family OF nations. What We do be
lieve Is that there In q large population
in the Philippine islands that needs
peace and order; and that, as matters
now stand. the only outlook they can
possible have for those ordinary condi-
flons that make life worth living lies
In the suppression Of the warfare maIti-
fained by guerrilla bands Of Tagals.
and 4 chance for American administrn-
tion to show what It can do. We have
zone 20 far In this effort that true
economy Of human blood. effort, and
treasure lies in our going little farth-
er and completing our work. The best
way out Of the woods IL to press
straight on to the other border. which
does not seem 80 very far distant. II
there ever In to be an independent and
sovereign Philippine nation, It can rest
only upon the basis OF considerable
historical period OF experience In self
g0yefnment with limited sovereignty
under strict American auspices. Two
methods have not fitted the Philippine
iaianda for immediate emerRence as .
sovereign political entity. Perhaps NJ
II or hundred years OF American tu-
telage may complete the work OF evoln-
ton and, in that case, It Will b. en-
tirely safe to trust the Americans who