The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-12-08
HARVARD WINS THE DEBATE


Continued from First Page.)
ing themselves and this incapacity for
| lf-government was permanent. Yale
| introduced evidence to show that the
Filipinos were capable of self-govern-
ment, but the speakers failed to support
| the evidence in their reasoning. The
Ijudges-Hon. William B. Hornblower OF
New York, Judge Addison Brown of
the United States district court and Os-
car s. Straus, United States minister to
| Turkey-were in conference half an
hour before giving the decision in Har-
wards favor.
The first speaker Cor Harvard was
Mr. Murray Seasongood of the Law
school, of Cincinnati, Ohio, who was on
the debating team which defeated Yale
last wear at New Haven, and is now
treasurer of the University Debating
club. He was ivy orator on class day,
1900, and last years commencement
speaker. He is an editor of the Harv-
ard advocate, and also OF the Harvard
Republican He prepared for college at
Woodward high school in Cincinnati
and also at Edgeboro, Guilford, Eng
land and was graduated from Harvard
last June, entering the Law school this
| fall
1.-Two years ago the United States rose
in war against Spain's misrule of Cuba.
AS an unsought result of that war we
find ourselves possessed to-day of an
archipelago in the far Pacific. The
Philippines are made up of 100 islands,
| lying wholly within the tropics and ex-
tending as far as from Maine to Flori-
da,' began Mr.. Seasongood.
| After speaking of the inhabitants of
the islands. their diversity Of utiliza-
| ton race, language and size Of tribes,
Mr. Seasongood pointed out that three
centuries of Spanish rule had added to
their race traits. as Malays, political
| inexperience, rudimentary eduction, lit
| tie intercommunication and scarcely
any knowledge of affairs beyond each
one of his own particular island. He
said in further disproof of any Filipino
nation, that there had never been more
than tribal rlsings against Spain, and
that the last and most successful had
been quelled and it's leaders exiled with
no word concerning independence.
Despite these facts" he continued
''it has been said-and not always by
politicians on paramount issue-that
we are crushing people DESTROYS of
liberty. Yet, the great islands of Cebu,
Negroes, Panay and Mindanao are
peaceful. On the authority of both
commissions and of the two military
governors, this is an Instruction Of
part of one tribe, not even the largest,
in difficult ,frty Ut
through fear of murder and plumber.
THE United States interposed not to
take, but as the only means of giving
to the majority, liberty and security.
All that is history now. The question
is not, shall we go, for we did that two
years ago-but shall we get out? The
negative must show some cogent and
incontestable reason for the unprece-
denied step of alternating United States
territory and some practical plan con-
sistent with our obligations to our
selves, to the people we have taken as
charge, and to the civilized world to
which we are part If congress Iegis-
lates for this new territory as she has
for New Mexico or Hawaii that will be
permanent retention If not, she must
promise independence for the near fut-
ure.
THE United States will not suffer in
the performance of its duty The is
lands will be source of wealth. Their
chief use, however, will be to protect
our growing interests in China, and as
a point of strength, naval base and a
large possession near the seat of trade
to make the United States a factor in
maintaining now precarious equality
of opportunity. One island would not
serve. 1t would forfeit control Of i'm
portant trade routes, would be as diff
cult to protect according to naval ex-
perts and would cause complications,