Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1900-02-01
AMERICAS GOOD WORK.
Senator Beveridge's Report on Exist-
ing Conditions in the Phil
ippincs.


Kinley himself, the most impressive
spoken utterance that has been made
about the Philippines was the speech
of Senator Beveridge, of Indiana, in the
United States senate chamber. 1t was
the senator's maiden speech. Though
a young man, his reputation as
an orator had become national. More
over, he had qualified himself by re-
cent visit to the Philippines to speak
with a knowledge which could not be
gainsaid nor scoffed at. And the time
was ripe in the senate for just such a
declaration as Senator Beveridge made.
rhe speech, which was delivered in
the rhetoric and with the graces of an
orator, may be divided into four parts
of special interest to the American peo-
pie: The discussion of the character of
the F'ilipinos, of the immense possibili-
ties in the possession of the Philippines,
of the duty of the American govern
ment, and of the obstacles pat in the
way of the performance of that duty.
To those who romance without any
knowledge concerning the character of
the Malays of the Philippines, may be
commended the following description
by one who has seen the Filipinos and
who has travelled among their island
homes:
"They are a barbarous race, modified by
three centuries of contact with a dccadcnt
race. The Filipino is the South Sea Malay,
put through process of so years of SUPER
stition in religion, dishonesty in dealing,
disorder in habits of industry and cruelty,
caprice and corruption in government. 1t
is barely possible that loo men in all the
archipelago are capable of self-govern-
mcnt in the Anglo-SaXOn sense. My own
belief is that there are not 100 men among
them who comprehend what Anglo-Saxon
self-goVcrnmcnt even means, and there are
over 100000 people to be governed.
They must be dealt with as children, by
a strong and simple government"
About the stategic and commercial
Importance of the Philippines Senator
Beveridge said:
To-day we have one of the three great
ocean possessions of the globe, located at
the most commanding commercial, naval
and military points in the eastern seas
within hail Of India, shoulder to shoulder
with China, richer in its own resources than
any equal body of land on the entire globe.
and peopled by a race which civilization
demands shall be improved"
Our duty:
This war is like all other wars. 1t needs
to be finished before it is stopped.
"It is not to serve the purposes of the
hour. It is not to salve a present situa-
tion that peace should be established. 1t
is for the tranquility of the archipelago
forever 1t IS for an orderly government
for the Filpinos for all the future. 1t is
to give this problem to posterity solved and
settled, not veXed and involved. 1t IS to
establish the supremacy of the American
republic over the Pacific and throughout
the east till the end of time.
The ocean does not separate us from the
field of our duty and endeavor-it joins us,
an established highway needing no repair
and landing US at any point desired
There is not now, ard never was any
possible course but ceaseless operations in
the field and loyal support of the war at
home. The news that GO0GO American SOL
dicrs have crossed the Pacific: that, if
necessary the American congress will
make it GOO or 100000 men, that, at any
cost, we will establish peace and govern
the islands, Will do more to end the war
than the soldiers themselves. But the re-
port that we even discuss the withdrawal
of a single soldier at the present time and
that we even dcIate the possibility of not
administering government throughout the
archipelago ourselves, Will be miSunder-
stood and misrcpresented, and will blow
into a flame once more the fires our SOL
ulGIS D4OOi has dlLIUsl IutHCIItu
The senator clearly and without
mincing words showed where the re-
sponsibility lay for continuing resist
ance to the brutal dictator whose plan
to massacre all the Americans in Ma
Mia was luckily frustrated by the blum
dcring haste of one of his followers.
Said Senator Beveridge:
american opposition to the war has been
the chief factor in prolonging it. Had
Aguinaldo not understood that in America,
even in the American congress, even here
in the senate, he and his cause were sup
ported: had he not known that it was pro-
claimed on the stump and in the press of
a faction in the United States that every
shot his misguided followers fired into the
breasts of American soldiers was like the
volleys fired by Washingtons men against
the soldiers of King George. his insurrec-
tion would have dissolved before it entire
ly crystallized."
There was a solemn stiffness in the
senate chamber when the Indiana sena-
tor said:
"To those whose voices in American have
cheered those misguided natives on to
shoot our soldiers down. | say that the
blood of those dead and wounded boys of
ours Is on their hands and the flood Of all
the years can never wash that stain away"
The issue is one of humanity against
inhumanity. of civilization against saw
agery. The American forces have
treated the Filipinos with the utmost
kindness and assassination has been the
return. The Malays should no more be
given unlimited control of the Philip
pines than should the Indians be given
control of this country, as the senator
pertinently observed.
The administration is doing Americas
work in the American way, and deserves
and will receive the appreciation and
support of the people.-Troy Times.