The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1900-01-12

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and before he would advance an
opinion on the subject, made a
visit to the Philippine islands and
investigated the conditions per.
sonally. This man was Senator
Beveridge, of Indiana, and after
a thorough investigation of the
situation, he has given to the sen.
ate his conviction that the right
and only proper thing for the
United States to do is subdue
the insurrection and establish a
permanent government for the
benefit of the Filipinos them
selves. In his presentation OF
the subject he said:
Mr.. PRESIDENT address the senate
| at this time because senators and
| members Of the house on both sides
| have asked that | give to congress
and the country my observations in
the Philippines and the far east, and
| the conclusions which those observa-
tions compel: and because of hurtful
| resolutions introduced and utterances
made in the senate, every word of
which will cost and is costing the
lives of American soldiers.
Mr.. President, the times call for
candor. The Philippines are ours
forever, territory belonging to the
United States,' as the constitution
calls them. And just beyond the
Philippines are China's illimitable
markets. We will not retreat from
either. We will not repudiate our
duty in the arhipelago. We will not
abandon our opportunity in the
orient. We will not renounce our
part in the mission of our race--trus-
tee, under God, of the civilization Of
the world. And we will move forward
to our work, not howling out regrets
like slaves whipped to their burdens,
but with gratitude for task worthy
of our strength. and thanksgiving to
Almighty God that he has marked us
as his chosen people henceforth to
lead in the regeneration of the world.
The island empire is the last land
left IN all the oceans. If it should
prove mistake to abandon it, the
blunder once made would be irretriev-
able. If it should prove a mistake to
hold it, the error can be corrected
when we will: every other progressive
nation stands ready to receive us.
AS to the question of self
government for the islands SEN
ator Beveridge said:
But, senator's, it would be better to
abandon this combined garden and
Gibraltar of the Pacific and count our
blood ond treasure already spent a
profitable loss than to apply any aca-
demic arrangement of self-govern-
ment to these children. They are not
capable Of self-government. How
could they be? They are not Of a
self-governing race. They are orien-
tails, Malays, instructed by Spaniards
in the latter's worst estate. How
shall they, in the twinkling of an eye,
be exalted to the heights Of self-gov-
erning peoples, which required a
thousand years for us to reach, Anglo
Saxon though we are?
Savage blood, oriental blood,
Malay blood, Spanish example, are
these the elements of self-government?
The great majority simply do not
understand any participation in any
government whatever. The most en-
lightened among them declare that
self-goyernment will succeed becaus {
the employers Of labor will compel
their employees to vote as their en-
| ployer wills. and that this will insure
intelligent voting. was assured
that we could depend upon good men
always being in Office because the
officials who constitute the government
| will nominate their successors, choose
those among the people who will do
the voting and determine how and
where elections will be held. The
most ardent advocate Of self-govern-
ment that | met was anxious that |
should know that such government
would be tranquil, because, as he sale
if anybody criticised it the govern
ment would shoot the offender.
Better abandon this priceless pos.
| session, admit ourselves incomplete
to do our part in the Notwithstanding
work Of our imperial race; better now
haul down the flag of arduous deeds
for civilization and run up the flag o1
reaction and decay than to apply
academic notions OF self-governmen,
to these children or attempt their gov.
ernment by any but the most perfect
&sA