The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-08-09
what a Colonial Policy Means.

| and an army large enough to support the
authority of a small fraction of the peo-
pie while they rule the natives.
If we have an imperial policy we must
have large standing army as Us natural
/ and necessary complement The spirit
which will justify the forcible annex
alton of the Philippine Islands, will jus
tify the seizure of other Islands and the
| domination Ct other people, and with
wars of conquest we can expect certain,
| If NOT rapid growth of our military es-
! Enlistment. That a large permanent In
crease in our regular army is intended by
The Republican leaders is not mere
matter of fact. In his message of De-
cember 5, 1898 the President asked for
| authority to increase the standing army
90 10000. In 1896 the army contained
! about 5000 men. Within Two years the
! President asked for four times that many
! and a Republican House Of Representa-
tives complied with the request after the
| Spanish treaty had been signed and no
| country was at war with the United
| States II such an army is demanded when
| an imperial policy is contemplated but
/ not openly avowed, what may be ex-
| pected If the people encourage the
Republican party by indorsng its policy
at the polls? A large standing army is not
only peculiar burden TO the people and
| IL accompanied by compulsory service. a
|
a menace to a republican form of govern
ment. The army is the personification of
! force, and militarism will inevitably
! change the ideals of the people and turn
the thoughts of our young men from the
! arts of peace 70 the science of war. The
/ government which relies for its defense
! upon its citizens, is more likely to be just
| than one which has at call large body
! of professional soldiers small stand
i nj ual1
| disciplined state militia are sufficient in
ordinary times, and in an emergency the
nation should in the future, as in the
| past, place its dependence upon the volun-
teers who come from all occupations at
their country's call and return 10 produc-
tive labor when their services are no long
ger required-men who fight when the
country needs fighters and work when the
country needs workers.
Future Status of Filipino.
The Republican platform assumes that
| the Philippine Islands will be retained I'M
der American sovereignty. and we have a
right to demand of the Republican leaders
a discussion of the future status of the
Filipino. Is he TO be a citizen or sub
| ject? Are we to bring intot he body polite
eight or ten million Asatcs? SO different
from us in race and history that amalga-
nation is impossible? Are they TO share
with us in making the laws and shaping
the destiny Of this nation? No Republican
of prominence has been bold enough to
advocate such proposition? The McEnery
resolution. adopted by the Senate imme-
diately after. the ratification of the treaty,
expressly negatives this idea. The Dem
ocratic platform described the situation
when 1t says that the Fipinos cannot be
| citizens without endangering our civiliza-
ton. Who will dispute IL? And what is
| the alternative? If the Filipino is not to
| be citizen, shall we make him subject?
| On that question the Democratic platform
| speaks with empha sis. 1t declares that
| the Filipino cannot be a subject without
endangering our form of government. A
republic can have no subjects. A subject
| is possible only In a government resting
| upon force he is unknown in a govern
ment deriving its just powers from the
| consent Of the governed. The Republican
platform says that The largest measure
of self-government consistent with their
welfare and our duties shall be secured to
them Ghe Filipinos) by law" This is a
strange doctrine for a government which
owes its very existence to the men who Of
| fered their lives as a protest against gov
| eminent without consent and taxa
| ton without representation. In
what respect does the position
of the Republican party differ from the
position taken by the English govern
me MT in 1776? Did net the English govern
ment promise a good government to the
colonists? What King ever promised a
lad government to his people? Did not
the English COVE nment promise that the
colonists should have the largest measure
of self-government with their welfare and
English duties? Did not the Spanish gov
! eminent promise to give the Cubans the
largest measure of self-government con.
| sistent with their welfare and Spanish du-
ties? The whole difference between a
monarchy. and a republic may be summed
| up in one sentence. In a monarchy the
king gives to the people what he believes
to be a good government; in a republic the
| people cure for themselves what they
believe to be a good government. The Re
publican party has accepted the European
idea and planted itself upon the
ground taken by George III, and by every
ruler who distrusts the capacity of the
eople for self-sovernment or denies them
voice in their own affairs.
Pledge UnfuIflled.
The Republican platform promises that
some measure of self-government is to be
wen to the Fiipinos by law; but. even
this pledge is not fulfilled. Nearly sixteen
months elapsed after the ratification of
| tie treaty be fore the adjournment of Con-
gress last June, and yet no law was pass
ed dealing with the Philippine situation.
| The will of the President has been the
only law in the Philippine Islands wher-
ever the Ame rican authority extends Why
does the Republican party hesitate to leg
slate upon the Philippine question? Be
cause a law would disclose the radical
departure fro m history and precedent con-
tcmr lated by those who control the Re-
| publican party. The storm of protest
which greeted the Porto Rcan bill was
an indication of what may be expected
| when the American people are brought
| face to face with legislation upon this sub
| ject If the P )rto Ricans. who welcome
annexation, are to be den ed the guaran-
| tees Of our constitution, what is to be the
lot of the Filip'nos who resisted our au-
| thority? If secret influences could COM
| pei disregard of our plain duty toward
| friendly people, living near our chores,
what treatment will those same influences
provide for unfriendly p ople 1000 miles
away? II, in this country where the peo-
pie have tho right TO vote, Republican
II aders dare not take the side of the
people against the great monopolies which
have grown up within the last few years.
bow can they he trusted to protect the
| Fiipinos from the corpora lions which are
waiting to exploit the islands?
Is the sunlight OF full citizenship to be
enjoyed by the people of the United
States, and the twilight of semi citizen
ship endured by the people of Porto Rico.
| while the thick darkness of perpetual vas
salage covers the Philippines? The Porto
Rico tariff law asserts the doctrine that