The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-07-31
The Thinkers.
TWO VIEWS OF THE PHILIPPINE PROB
LEM.

Whether one be in favor Of or
against expansion he must feel that
he owes Henry Cabot Lodge a dis
tinct debt of gratitude for the plain
ness of speech employed in his ad-
dress before the Republican national
convention last week in referring to
his party's designs in the Philippines.
He made no other pretense than that
he was an imperialist, that is, that
he believed in the holding of subject
peoples without permitting them to
enjoy the benefits and privileges
afforded by the constitution, and at
once put the whole question Of the
future policy we should follow be-
fore the people in such a frank light
that it may be considered upon it's
merits. He declared plainly we were
not in the Philippines for philan-
thropy, but for business. He said {:
eve do not mean that the Philip
pines shall come within our tariff
system or become part Of our body
polite. We do mean that they shall,
under our teaching, learn to govern
themselves and remain under our flag
with the largest possible measure of
home rule. We make no hypocriti-
cal pretense of being interested in
the Philippines solely on account of
others. While we regard the welfare
of those people as a sacred trust, we
regard the welfare Of the American
people first. We see our duty to our
selves as we'll as to others. We be-
lieve in trade expansion. By every
legitimate means within the province
of government and legislation we
mean to stimulate the expansion of
our trade and to open new markets.
Greatest of all markets is China.
Our trade there is growing by leaps
and bounds. Manila, the prize of
war, gives US inestimable advantages
in developing that trade"
It is something of a coincidence
that about the very time Mr.. Lodge
was delivering his address at Phi1a-
delphia, e a letter written by William
Jennings Bryan to a Knoxville,
Tenn, paper, setting forth his
views as to the rights of the Fill
pinos, was published. In that letter
Mr. Bryan said 81 believe that the
rights of the Filipinos and the rights
of the Cubans are identical. The
recognition of the rights of the Gu
bans by resolution did not create
those rights. They existed before. IF
the Filipinos have a right to their in
dependence, the fact that they fought
for it does not justify us in carrying
on a war of conquest. It is no more
humiliating for a nation to recognize
the rights of an opponent than for
an individual to do so. We would
have had the same trouble in Cuba
if we had treated the Cubans the
same as we have the Filipinos. We
would have. had no trouble in the
Philippine islands if we had treated
the Filipinos as we have treated the
Cubans. If we are going to give the
Filipinos their independence we
ought to say so at once, and thus
avoid further bloodshed. How can
justify the sacrifice of American
soldiers and the killing of Filipinos
merely to show that we can whip
them? The Bacon resolution re.
ceived the support of nearly every
Democratic Senator, and was adopf-
by a Democratic caucus in the
house. This resolution promised in
dependence. If it had been accented
and acted upon when it was first in
troduced there would have been no
F1llplno war. If ithad been adopted
at tne Time the vote was taken it
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