La Junta tribune., 1900-09-15


pices is what Mr.. Bryan demands. and
he asserts the demand without the
slightest reference to the question
whether or not the Filipinos them
selves want uS to establish a stable
government or take them In the future
under our care and protection. There
In no need to he mincing OF language.
Mr.. Brynn's program. reduced to prac-
. tice. makes the Filipino people the
wards Of this nation. irrespective Of
their will presumably for their good
And In our capacity MS guardian, Mr..
Bryan would liave us thriftily obtain q
transfer Of title from our comparative
ly helpless ward to an extremely valu-
able possessioD-which In his opinion
Is all that we happen to need OF our
wards property-an which in the In
ternationai market Is by all odds the
wards most important asset. And yet
Mr. Bryan quotes senator Lodges Phil
adeiphia speech with deep moral dis
approval because Senator Lodge was
frank enough to say that he believed
that the promotion Of our commercial
interests In the Philippines and the
far East was entirely compatible with
our treating the Filipino people both
honorably and benefciaily. and that II
WAS a distinctly proper object OF the
work OF our government In its diplo-
macy and external relations to promote
the expansions OF our trade.
The Philippines Necessarily Dep~ndent
The people OF the Philippine islands
could not possibly take their place as
member OF the family of nations
with no responsible hacker: because. if
for no other reason. they would not be
admitted TO the family fellowship The
American Nag as the symbol Of the
larger and external status Of the Phil
ippinc Islands does not mean anything
in any sense humiliating to the Fill
pinos. Their objection to the Spanish
flag rose solely from the most pro-
tractcd and colossal mlsgovcrnment on
Spaln's part. and not from any In
stinctive development. among the FIJI
ipinos. of the spirit OF national unity
and independence. There has never
been any evidence OF the existence Of
such spirit. DR. Rial. who was the
real head and inspiration of the revolt
that produced Aguinaldo as one OF it's
military chiefs. was merely contcnding
for the carrying out OF certain prom
ised reforms in the Spanish colonial
administration. As n matter OF recent
history Mr.. Bryan himself stouily de-
Tended the treaty agreed upon at Paris
Under which Spain WAS eliminated
from the Philippines by the process OF
transferring such title as she had to
us. Nothing could he more contrary to
the spirit of sincere criticism than the
fipIant assertion that we went Into a
slave market and bought the Filipinos
at $50 head, when. In point OF fact.
as the easiest way to settle certain
property questions-ihe ownership Of
various public buildings. and other
valuable property unquestionably be-
longing TO Spain-we paid the sum OF
S2O.OO0.OoG. The transaction was per-
fectiy honorable on both sides. and
did not In any way affect the future
political status of the Filipino people.
II that treaty of peace had been
promptly ratified, as II ought to have
been. the war between our troops and
those OF Aguinaldo which began n year
and half ago. would. In all human
probability. never have occurred. We
should have proceeded to establish
good government just as rapidly as
possible. and II would have been both
easy anh safe to have conceded to the
FiIipinos incomparabiy more than they
had ever asked from the Spaniards.
A Condition. Not Theory.
There Is not a human being In the
United States who has ever wanted
to hold the Filipinos III subsection or
vnssalage. But the events OF the past
eighteen months have at once iilustrat-
ed and brought about condition of
things under which 1t Is clear that
Filipino Independence would be i'm
possible for long time to come. As n
matter Of mere preference, most OF us
want neither colonies, possessions. nor
protectorntcs in the Orient: and least
OF ALL do we want military cam
paigns. whether In the Philippines or
In China. But in the Philippines. as
well as In China, no less than In Cuba
two years ago, we are merely doing
a part OF the ugly hut needful police
duty OF civilization. Our soldiers are
suffering In the Philippines because
Filipino guerillas decline to accept the
American amnesty proposals: and their
refusal Is said to be based largely upon
the theory that their position Is the
football OF American politics. aad that
the election OF Mr.. Bryan would mean
the triumph of their cause. III. then,
Mr.. Bryan should he elected In Novens-
ber, 1t Is to he inferred that the flames
of the insurgent cause would be re-
kindled everywhere. But Mr.. Bryan
would remain a private citizen until
the 4th OF next March, and Mr.. Nc
Kinley's administration would. for
four months, be In most difficult pre-
dicament Our army would either
have to give up what 1t now holds in
the Philippines or else face redoubled
insurgent activity with increased ef-
fort on our part. This would mean n
very fierce and bloody campaign, with
the loss OF many brnve American ofii-
GERS and men.
The Commander-in-Chicf Next March.
Under those circumstance, what
would Mr.. Bryan, ms cOmmonder- in
chief OF the American army. do on the
day after his Inauguration, early In
March? Would he dIscredit the work |
Of our troops. and order them to their
barracks to await their turn to EN-