Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-07

plotted for years to annex Cuba, which
have In our past acquisitions of territory
their one great and enduring monument.
Needless of their past and Of their best
traditions, careless Of their inconsistencies,
utterly regardless Of the obvious CONNER
cfal interests OF the south. which they con-
troll; totally Indifferent to the wishes and
beliefs of a large portion Of their member
ship. and to the advice and example Of
some Of their most patriotic, most loyal
and most courageous leaders, to whom all
honor is due, the managers of the demo-
cratic organization have decided to oppose
the retention of the Philippines and our
policy Of trade expansion in the east. for
which those islands supply the corner
stone. Their reason appears to be the
highly sagacious one that it Is always wise
to oppose whatever republicans advocate,
or to the circumstances which gave it
birth. As an American 7 regret that our
opponents should insist on making a party
question of this new and far-reaching prob
lem, fraught with great promise of good
both to ourselves and to others AS party
man Nnd a republican can only rejoice.
In 1904 the party which opposed expansion
went down in utter wreck before the man
who interpreting Alright the instincts, the
hopes and the spirit of the American peo-
pie made the Louisiana purchase. We
make the same appeal in behalf of our
American policies. We have made the ap-
peal before and won. we deserved to
win. We shall not fail now go 8
After saying that he had been unable to
discover what pOllCy us political opponents
proposed. Mr.. Lodge continued:
Want Promises Made.
I'VE have had presented to us, it is true,
the policy desired by Aguinaldo and his fol-
lowers, that we should acknowledge him as
government, enforce his rule upon the
other eightyLhree tribes and upon all the
other islands. and then protect him from
foreign interference This plan, which
would involve us in endless wars with the
natives and keep us embroed with other
nations, loads with responsibility with
out power and falls into ruin and absurdity
the moment it is stated. Another PROPOSE
ton is that we should treat the Philippines
We treat Cuba That Is precisely what
we are doing. But what Is really meant by
this demand is not that We should treat the
Philippines as We treat Cuba, but that we
should make to them a promise as to the
future And that is what every proposition
made by those opposed to the republican
party comes down to, a promise as to the
future. We are to put down Instruction
and disorder and hold the island temporar-
lily without the consent of the governed,
but simultaneously we are to make large
promises as to the future which will look
well In print and keep insurrection and dis
order alive.
1.-THE resolution offered by senators on the
other side and the tenor of their speeches
are all of this description. They present no
policy, but invite us to make promises.
Promises neither action nor policy, and
In the form of legislation, are a grave mis-
take. lnOSe which lnFOiVe us IN pledges OF
Independence have the additional disadvan-
tage of being the one sure means of keep
ing alive war and disorder in the islands
If we must abandon the Philippines. let us
abandon them frankly. If we mean to turn
them over to domestic anarchy or foreign
control. let US do 1t squarely. If we are to
retain them, let US deal manfully with the
problems as they arise. But do not indulge
in the unspeakable cruelty of making prom
ises which our successors may be unable or
unwilling to fulfill. and which will serve
merely to light the flames of war once more
and bring death to hundreds of natives and
to scores of American soldiers.
A Simple Policy.
1.-THE policy we offer, on the other hand,
is simple and straightforward. We believe
in the frank acceptance of existing facts.
and in dealing with them as they are and
not on theory of what they might or
ought to be. We accept the fact that the
Philippine Islands are ours today and that
we are responsible for them before the
world The next fact Is that there is a war in
those islands, which, with its chief in hid
ing, and no semblance of a government,
has now degenerated into mere guerrilla
fighting and brigandage. Our immediate
duty, therefore. is to suppress this disor-
der, put an end to- fighting, and restore
peace and order. That is what we are do
ing. That is all we arecaiied upon to do
in order to meet the demands of the living
present. Beyond this we ought not to go
by a legislative act. except to make such
provision that there may be no delay in re-
establishing civil government when the war
ends - ,.;i;.t--c o. - CO.
IT shall not argue our title to the islands
by the law of nations. for 1t is perfect. No
other nation has ever questioned It, l be-
lieve we are in the Philippines as righteous
ly as we there rightfully and legally. /
believe that to abandon the islands. or to
leave them now. would be wrong to hui
manity, a dereliction of duty, and in the
highest degree contrary to sound morals.
Az n aype1ipnrv 7 should RI their 1oSS
a calamity to our trade and commerce
and to all our business interests great
that no man can measure 1t.
'It has been stated over and over again
that we have done great wrong in taking
these Islands without the consent of the
governed, upon which, according to Ameri.
can principles, all Just government rests
The consent Of the governed! 1t is fair
phrase and runs trippingly upon the tongue,
but have observed g. great lack of definite
meaning in those who use 1t most. l have
always thought it well in discussing any
subject to know. as preliminary, precisely
what we mean by a word or a phrase.
What do we mean by the consent of the
governed? We quote it from the peclara-
ton of Independence. What did Jefferson
mean by the phrase?. Some persons say
that he meant the consent of all of the
governed. Others that he meant the con-
sent of some Of the governed. Sentiment
seems to be with the former amendment to
Jeffersons language; the facts appear to
be with the latter. But neither ALI nor
some are In JeHerSonS famous sentence
In order correctly to interpret the sem
tence. Mr.. Lodge presented an analysis of
the kind Of government Jefferson was
gagged in setting up when he wrote it. Con-
forming to historical facts set out in the
analysis. the sentence would read some
thing like this:
Just government must rest upon the con-
sent Of the white male governed who have
the right to vote according to the laws Of
the various colonies"
Filipinos incapable of Self-Govern-
ment.
Mr.. Lodge then reviewed at length our
former acquisitions of territory, showing
that in all of them there was the same
absence of any reference to the consent of
the governed.
He argued that the Filipinos were in
capable of self-government and quoted Will
liam Jennings Bryan and prominent demo-
cratic senator's in support of his asser-
ton He believed there was every reason
for the United States to lead the Filipinos
along the path of freedom until they were
capable at least of municipal self-govern-
ment With elaborate and scholarly detail
Mr.. Lodge described the peoples who in
habited the Philippines and showed how ut
terly incapable they are of conforming to
our western Ideas OF civilization. He then