The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1900-01-15

assured that we were coming. not to de-
help them TO form a government OF their
own, 1 believe there would be no trou-
BILE there now
III the same message that gave to the
Cubans the assurance of independence
had given to the people Of the Philippines
that assurance. not a drop or blood OF our
soldiers would have been shed. (Applause)
Senator Bacon's resolution was intro
duced before hostilties began. and had
1t been passed. and the president adopted
this policy. L believe eur volunteer SOL
diers would have been at home now,
without the necessity OF sending regu-
lars TO take their places.
In introducing Mr.. Bryan. Mr.. How
ell said, in part, in referring to the
Philippines:
Three courses are open TO US: First,
TO pull down our flag. withdraw our arms
and leave the people and the property
which providence put least in our tenn
pOrary keeping to the wreck of revolution
and the damnation of anarchy. Second,
TO declare il TO be our fixed purpose TO
forever hold the Philippines as an inte-
grail part of our government. maintain
ing the supremacy OF our flag by the
force OF our arms until the end of time.
OF the Philippines the assurance we gave
To the people of Cuba. pledging our ma
tioEal faith that when they are able TO
maintain their own independence they
shall have IL. and that in The meantime
the protecting arm OF the mother OF re-
publics shall be eNerted I'm behalf OF the
establishment Of "A stable government an
the Philippines.
Ii will be observed that Mr.. Bryan
was discussing what might have been
done-what should have been done-if
democratic policy had been carried
out. His introducer made brief refer
ence To facts as they existed then and
rs they exist today. and there is not
word in the Buffalo address contradic-
tory OF or antagonistic to the remarks
made at GAINESVILLE in introducing Mr..
Bryan.
There IS but one way TO look at the
Philippine question as il presents itself
today. and that is to look at facts as
they exist, and TO treat them accord
ingly. We believe that a sound demo-
cratic policy would have prevented the
war that has been going on in the
island of Luzon; but that belief is. In
the nature of things, an assumption
an assumption, moreover. that includes
only one of the details OF the situa-
ton. The main fact which should not
be ignored. but which n great many
people persist in ignoring, is that our
occupation OF the Philippines Is a poll
cy made necessary by the results OF
the war. We ousted the Spaniards,
and we had no other choice but TO
maintain order as best we could, and
Il.
on the part of the disconnected and the
turbulent to wreak vengeance on a
large part OF the population.
Thus il happens that the real Philip
pine question is not whether we shah
withdraw from the islands, but how we
shall compose the discontinued portion
of the population. and how we shall
induct these people into clear under
standing and appreciation OF repub-
lican government. which Is liberty
without license. To be an imperialist,
we suppose, one must be in favor OF
governing the Filipinos rs vassal SUBJ
jects, denying them even ultimately
4 government of their own and giving
TO them only such rights rs we may
feel inclined TO give them.
Mr.. Bryan is not now and never he's
F, been in favor OF Withdrawing orr
I troops and giving the people Of the
I islands over TO the chaos and confu-
I sion of those who dream of liberty, but
who do not know what liberty means.
The responsibilities and obligations
that have been forced upon us cannot
be ignored, and no representative dem
Ocrat desires to ignore them. The
whole controversy about expansion
in some OF the anti-democratic papers
has had for its purpose an ardent de-
sire TO place Mr.. Bryan in false
position. The attempt has failed
there never was any fear that it would
succeed.