Morris tribune., 1900-09-08

Aguinaldo in LuzoR originated IN an,
rests wholly upon military force, and la
| not, even In LuZon, to say nothing abOu
the many other important islands, COM
| INTO existence or continued by the fre,
| choice or voluntary consent of the peopI,
sought to be governed. Its scope and
authority is limited to the territory oc
cupied by it's armed bands and detach
ments in Luzon. The consent of ths
governed is neither asked, sought or ex
pected. The great mass of the people
are as helpless and where within reach
of the Tagal government under as abject
subjugation under Aguinaldo's military
oigarchy as they ever were under the
Spaniards inAthe years that are past.
1t is to such an insurrection and to
sHch government that our adver.
saries would have us lay down our
arms and surrender our control and
authority. 1T is this insurrectiou
and this government that we should
nave encouraged and set up as a
permanent establishment and have
made ourselves the protectors of
1t Is to this government of Agui-
naIdo's that we should retrocede the
title and authority we acquired
from Spain
When we ratified the treaty we should
have given assurances of all this, and
then all would have been well. It is be-
cause we have failed to do all this and
because we are suppressing this insur-
rection, bringing order out of chaos and
attempting to give the Filipinos a just,
safe and liberal ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS to
any they have ever had OF could possi-
h1y ann 4;
chiefs-that we are guilty of Imperialism
and guilty of threatening the liberties of
our own people by an increased standing
army
But it is only in his criticisms that
perial heights. When he comes to
lay down a programme of his own
he Is less elusive, less startling, and
approaches Republican ground
nearer than he npprehends.
. In his Philippine programme he would,
first, establish a stable form of govern
ment. That is exactly what the Republi-
can party aims to do. But this implies
that there is no such government there
now, not even Aguinaldo's government
What Mr. Bryan admits by implication we
assert as positive fact, and we further
assert that the first step in the establish
ment of a stable form of government is to
suppress the existing insurrection and in
surrectionary government, and that sta
BILE form Of government can not well be
established before this is done,
DIFFERENT IN CASE OF CUBA.
Even this Mr.. Bryan admits by implica-
ton, for he says we should do as we have
done in Cuba And what have we done
VIZ, Ht,,IS
there was Cuban republic and Cuban
army There was no Filipino govern
ment nor Filipino army when Dewey en-
tered Manila bay. In Cuba, through our
efforts and aided by the good sense of
Gomez and his chiefs, the Cuban republic
has been permitted to expire and the Gu
ban army has long ago been disbanded,
and by the aid and cooperation of the
Cubans we are engaged in the effort OF
de novo a stable government
there. Had Aguinaldo and his chiefs fol-
lowed the example of Gomez and his
chiefs we should before this have been
ong on the way towards establishing a
stable government in the Philippines. I'm
Ter the circumstances we have not, as
Mr.. Bryan contends, been dilatory in es-.
.ahlfshing such a government. In 1916 our
trnedJ forces took possession of California
md continued to hold it pending the Mexi-
san war, the ratification of the treaty of
peace, and until it became state In 1850.
California never had a territorial form of
government, but remained under the con-
ro1 Of the army from 1S46 until it became
/ state. There was no tnsurrection In
California, and yet, for upwards of two
rears after the treaty of peace, it was
Governed through the military department
If the government, and this was held
,y our supreme court to be a valid and
government, nor were we
accused of being dilatory in giving Cali
ornia state government. But it is as
serted that the Filipinos are entitled to
tbsolute independence and that we have
10 right to govern them without their
consent.
If this is true, what right have we |
% impose any form, even a stable
'orm, of government upon them:
They may insist that they have the
right to establish just such a form of |,
government as they see fit and that it is
lot our business to establish any form, 7
,Yen stable form for them. What |
hen? Are we to abandon the scheme or
are we " WdCS1lt WcAL anu u SIy IOA lAlO'1
consent, or are we to go on regardless of I
t. And in case we do go on to establish 7
stable government without their com I
sent, and they see fit to resist and to go
nto an insurrection-as they are now do
ng-against our present efforts to estab-
ish stable government, and we resort /
0 arms to repress such resistance and in |
,urrection and insist upon establishing a
stable government at the point Of the I
oayonet will not this bring US back into
he slough of imperialism with the ghost,
If standing army in the back ground?
There is only one sure escape from such
/ gloomy outcome: 1t is to leave it to
he Filipinos to say what constitutes a
table form of government. But il we do
hat there is really no occasion for our
giving any consideration at all to their
orm of government. There is no need Of
giving them any form of government at
I'll That should be left wholly to them
selves.
AS TO A APROTECTORATE.
Having given the Filipinos stable form
If government, Mr.. Bryan would give
hem their absolute independence and
hen protect them from the interference
other nations. If it is our duty to es-
ablish stable form of government 1t
ollows that it is our duty to see that.