The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1900-08-16
Title to the PHILIPPINES.

| political influence This Is the evil OF the
! IL is applied
Title to the Philippines.
/ what is our title ID the Philippine is
lands Do We hold them by treaty or by
G feh tbd Diq d., We BUY them or dtd w, We
| pie? If not. how d.d we secure
! title 70 them? Were they thrown
I licans say that in-.niIn1te earth mas value.
and when that earth i nodded by me
| ness of the Creator = becomes a fixture
I and passes with the soIin L governments
sent o. the governed. II Is impossible 10
secure title To people. either by force or
| by purchase. We could extingu5sh SPANS
ute py Jfestty. but II W mold title We
must hold Il by some method consistent
with our ideas Of government. When We
made allies Of the Filipinps and armed
them to fight against spain. we disputed
are not innocent Dur,i.qSers Fs:lt even
II we had not disputed SPANS rtIe. she
could transfer I'D greater tiyIe than she
had. and her title va. based on force
alone. We cannot defend such z title. but.
as Spain gave Us a quit claim deed. we
can honorably turn the property over To
American onicia! gave the Fitptnos for
NAL assurance Of independence = not
El1tertal acre san De no o9lht that W
accepted and utilized the services o. the
Ffiipinos. and that when we did We had
full knowledge that they were fighting
for their own independence. AMI 7 Submit
that history furnishes no example OF
turpitude baser than ours if We now sub
stitute our yoke tor the Spanish yoke
Let US consider briefly the reasons
which have been given in support %
'mperialistic policy; Some say that il Is
but duty is not an argument. Il is j con-
cIusion- To ascertain what our duty Is,
settled and generally accepted principles
1t is our duty to avoid stealing. no matter
or little value Il Is our duty to avoid
killing human being. no matter where
the human being lives to what race
or class he belongs Everyone recognizes
the obligation imposed upon individuals t.
observe both the human and moral laws
but, as some deny the application Of those
place TO quote the opinion Of others JEFF
ferson. than whom there Is no higher pO-
Htical authority. said
Il know Of but one code Of morality for
men, whether acting singly or collec-
Franklin whose learning. wisdom and
virtue are part 81 The priceless legacy |
days. expressed the same idea in even |
stronger language when he said:
Justice IS strictly due between |
neighbor nations as between neighboT !
citizens a highwayman j. much a |
robber when he plumbers in q gang a !
when stnglys and the nation that makes /
an unjust war Is only a great gang
Force Creates No Right.
Men may dare to 60 IL crowds what they /
would not dare 10 do as individuals, Dut /
termined by the number OF those who join /
in II. Force can defend right, but force |
has never Yet created right. II = was
teryenIon, that the CUbaus are ard OF
right ought 10 be free and Independent
Independence. il Is equally true that the
Fllipinos are and OF right ought 10 be free
TO freedom was not based upon their proN-
unity to the United States. nor upon the
the race or races to " iSch they belonged
Congress by practically unanimous vote
y ~ Lies co a
applicable to the Cubaus-
Who viii draw a line between the naturai
TiSnts OF the tubans and the F'HipinOs
VINO VIII say that the former has d right
70 liberty and that the latter has no rights
which We are bound TO respect And, II tht
Filipinos ARE and OF rI5ht ought TO b. |
free and Independent" what rig 1T have We
to force our government upon them with |
out their consent Before our duty can b.
mined, and when their rights are one de- |
termned. it is much our duty 70 respect
those rights il was the duty of Spafr |
TO respect the rights OF the people Of China
or the duty Of England to respect tn. |
rights of the American colonists. Rights
never conflict: duties never clash. Can
It be our duty to uSurp political rights |
which belong to others? Can it be our iuty
70 Kill those who. following the example
to fight for it,
Some poet has described the terror which
overeame soldier who, in the midst OF
battle. discovered that he had slain his
brother; 1t is written: ''Au ye are breth-
rem Let US hope for the coming of the |
day when human life-which. when once
destroyed. cannot be restored-will be 50 |
sacred that it viii never be taken exceDt
when necessary 70 punish a crime ALREADY
committed. or 70 prevent a crime about
to be committed
II it is said that We have assumed before
the world obligations which make II neces-
gary for Is to permanently maintain a
government il the Philippine islands III
reply, first. that the highest obligation OF
this nation is to be true to itself. No obi,
Gation TO any particular nation. or to all
nations combined. can require the abandon
nent Of our theory Of government and the
our whole national lire has been protest
Ard, second, that our Obliga tions TO the |
F1!lplnoS. who inhabit the islands are
grt alter than any obligations which we car |
owe 10 foreigners who have a femnorsrv
residence in the Philippines or desire &c
trade there.
Capacity of Self-GOyernment.
1t is argued by some that the FiIipinos
are inca abIe OF self-government and
.l;a therefore We owe IT, 10 the world Il
take control of them Admiral Dewey. in an
o1Hclai report TO the navy department de-
claFed the FfhDinOs more capable of self.
government than the Cubans, and said
mat ne based his opinion upon a knowi-
edge Of both races. But l VIII not rest
he case upon the relative advancement
OF the Fflipinos- Henry Clay in defend
ing the rights OF the people of south
America 10 self-g0vernment. said:
IL Is the doctrine Of thrones that man
- - TOO ignorant to govern himself Their
partlSans assert his inca pacity in refer
ence TO all nations. If they cannot com
Inaud universal assent 70 the proposition
II Is then remandsd 10 particular uarious-
and our pride and our presumption roc |
often make converts Of US [ contend
that II Is to arraign the disposition of
has created beings incapable Of govern |
ing themselves. and 70 be trampled on by
Kings. seIt-governnent is the natural
Clay was right There ara 5a.-zo- |