La Junta tribune., 1900-09-15

Nr. bTti1 uHuuuiiueb eAposipVh va
the doctrine OF the right OF seif-govern'
Ment goes Infinitely farther than the
states rights doctrines entertained by
the most extreme OF the Calhoun and
Jefferson Davie. school before the war.
For Mr.. Bryan's doctrine would allow
any group OF men. whether In county.
In town. or In school district to set
themselves up as an independent gov
ernmcnt. The state rights men at least
understood the fact that sovereignty
had to reside somewhere, II there was
To be any government nj all. ana they
went no farther back In their analysis
than the states which were the coustit-
uent members OF the Federal Union
1t does not seem 10 rs necessary 10 at
tempt TO set the American people into
cuntending camps over the mere meta
physics OF the Inherent rights OF man.
When one takes individuals and cross
examines them, one finds that there is
not Il shade OF difference between Re-
publicans and Democrats on the theo-
reticai question Of the dcsiraDility Oh
Intelligent selt'goyernmeit every
where. 1t just happens. however, thht
nj the present moment Mr.. Brynn's
Democratic friends throughout the
South are engaged In the practical task
u
half Of the entire Southern population.
on the ground that participation In
government IL not. In fact, an Inherent
human right. bur that the object OF
government Is the high ana true wei
fare OF the community, and that only
those people should participate In the
tasks Of government who are suihcieht'
ly Intelligent and responsible. IL does
rot seem to us that the real question at
stake In the Philippines Is met. or even
approached. by eloquent expositions
bas ed upon glitteiing geDeralites about
the inalieDable rights OF man.
Mr.. bryan. solution.
Toward the end OF his speech Mr..
Bryan comes to what he calls IAN easy,
honest, honorable solution OF the Phil
ippine question" 1t Involves three
points:
First, to establish n stable form OF
government In the Philippine islands.
Second. to give Independence to the
Filiplnos.
Third. to protect the Filipinos from
outside interference while they work
out their destiny"
The first OF these propositions goes
hatly counter to the elaborate theo-
retical argument which occupies nearly
NIL the. space OF Mfr. Bryan's speech. II,
indeed the Fi.ipinos possess, as he ar
firms, the absolute right to govern
themselves. then we can have no busi-
ness to establish stable government,
or any other kind OF government.
among them. Aguinaldo and his sup
porters have asserted all along that
they are cminentiy capable OF estab-
fishing their own government, and that
our business Is simply to clear out. The
administration at Washington, and
Judge Taft's commission now In the
Philippines. made'up OF Democrats and
Republicans alike, are at this moment
doing everything In their power TO es-
tablish n stable government In the
archipelago Human motives can never
be wholly free from some faint or nl-
10y of earthly imperfection; but II does
not seem to us that anybody can very
well question the uprightness and sin
certify OF the motives of the Philippine
commission In attempting to frame and
establish n government that shall be
the best possible for the natives, and
that shall train and develop them in
the practice OF sclf-governmcnt.
As to G~,sing = Philippine Harbor.
The real and practical question is,
What Is best to do. for everybody con
cerned. In serious and critical situa-
ton? Mr.. Bryan dcvotes many columns
TO abstract and lofty argument. with
Impressive quotations from American
statesmen OF an earlier day and from
the holy Scriptures. He gives only
few lines to telling us what he would
really have done in the Philippine mat
ter II he had been In authority. In the
first place. he says: "A harbor and
coaling station In the Philippines would
answer every trade and military neces-
sity: and such a concession could have
been secured. at any time, without DIFF
iiculty" This could hardly mean any
thing else except the harbor OF Manila,
the one important center OF the Phil
ippine trade. II we could. without
difficulty" have secured this from the
t'ilipinos, 1t surely would not have
been because the Filipinos We're at
heart willing to give away their best
possession. II they were to he allowed
q real freedom Of action as an indie
pendent government. who Is there that
supposes for moment that they would
have given us the harbor OF Manilnl
Mr.. Bryan. In this speech, rs well AS
In others, constantly likcns the attitude
Of the American people toward the
Cilipinos to that Of highwnymnn
robbery with violence. But
his descent from the ideal to the prac-
lical is not altogether felicltous. His
suggestion is. to quote his exact words,
that "a war OF conquest is as unwisc
AZ II II unrighteous.. The unwIsdom
lies In the fact that we do not need the
whole thing. and we might have got
The valuable harbor. which Is all we
need for. commercial aud naval pur-
poses without entering upon a war OF
In other words. the wise
would make a gentleman
= comprosnise with his grateful victim
- SecSptinR his gold watch MS pres
md would allow the traveller to
~ with his horse. his pocket
nSd his loose change. II Mr.
o. = n1GGestion means anything ut
~ seem to mean this AMI