The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-08-08

you make force-brute foTce-the only
foundation of government and invite the
reign of the despot.
Il am not willing to believe in that reign
Of the desPot. I am not willing to believe
that an all-wise and an all-loving God Gre
ated the FiIipinos and then left them thou
sands of years helpless until the islands
attracted the attention of European ma
lions.
Republicans ask: Shall we haul down
the flag that floats over cur dead in the
Philippines The same question might
have been asked when the American flag
foated over Chapultapec ard waved over
the dead who fell there; but the tourist
who visits the City of Mexico finds there
a national cemetery owned by the United
States and cared for by an American citi-
zen. Our flag still floats over our dead,
but when the treaty with Mexico was sign
ed, American authority withdrew to the
Rio Grande, and l venture the opinion that
during the last fifty years the people of
Mexico have made more progress under
the stimulus of independence and self
government than they would have made
under a carpetbag government held in place
by bayonets. The United States and Mexi-
CO, friendly republics, are each stronger
and happier than they would have been
had the former been cursed and the latter
crushed by an imperialistic policy, dis
gulsed as benevolent assimilation
The Nations Responsibility
Can we not govern colonies?' we are
asked. The question is not what we can
do, but what we ought to do. This nation
can do whatever it desires to do, but it
must accept responsibility for what it does.
IF the Constitution stands in the way. the
people can amend the Constitution. I
peat. the nation can do whatever ii desires
TO do. but it cannot avoid the natural and
legitimate results Of its own conduct
Ia me-
jority can do what he pleases- He can dis
regard the teachings of his parents; he
can tFample upon all that he has been
taught to consider sacred; he can dsobey
the laws of the State. the laws of society,
and the laws of God. He can stamp fail
ure upon his life and make his very exist
ence q curse to his fellow men, and he
can bring his father and mother in sorrow
to the grave; but he cannot annul the SEN
tence, The wages of sin is death.
And SO with this nation 1t is of age
and it can do what ii pleases; it can spurn
the traditions of the past; it can repudiate
the principles upon which the nation rests;
it employ force instead of reason: it
can substitute might for right; it can con-
quer weaker people; it can exploit their
lands, appropriate their property and kill
their people, but 1t cannot repeal the moral
law or escape the punishment decreed for
the violation OF human rights.
Would tread in the paths OF tyranny,
Nor reckon the tyTant's cost?
Who takeih anOtheT's liberty,
His freedom is also lost
Would We win the strong has ever Won?
Make ready 10 pay the debt,
For the God who TeIgned Babylon,
Is the God who Is reigning yet
Some argue that American rule in the
Philippine Islands viii result in the better
education CT the Fiiipinos. Do not be de- /
eeived- II We expect 10 maintain a colonial /
policy, we shall not find il 30 our advantage /
to educate the people. The educated Fill
pinos are now in revolt against US, and the t
most ignorant ones have made the least /
resistance to our domination. If We are to !
govern them without their consent and
give them no voice in determining the +
taxes which they must pay, we dare not /
educate them. lest they learn to read the +
Declaration of Independence and the Con-
stitutiOu of the United States and mock Us +
for our inconsistency
The principal arguments, however. ad- /
vanced by those who enter upon a defence /
OF Imperialism are:
"First-That we must improve the pres
ent opportunity 10 become a world power I
and enter into International politics.
.Second-That cur commercial interests
il the Philippine Islands and in the Orient /
make it necessary for US to hold the islands /
permanently.
Third That the spread of the Christian
religion will be facilitated by colonial /
palicy.
"Fourth-That there is no honorable re-
treat from the position which the nation
has taken
The first argument is addressed to the
nation s pride and the second to the ma
tlon' S pocketbook. The third is intended
for the church member, and the fourth
for the partisan.
The Glory of the ReuubIic
1T is a sufficient answer to the first ar
gument to say that for more than a cen
tury this nation has been a world power.
For ten decades it has been the most DO
tent influence in the world. Not only has
II been a world power but it has done
more to affect the politics of the human
race than all the other nations of the
world combined. Because our Declaration
OF independence was promulgated. others
nave been promulgated; because the patrf-
OTIS OF liI6 fought for liberty others have
fought for it; because our Constitution
was adopted other constitutions have been
adopted.
The growth of the principle Of self !
government, planted On American soil has I
been the oyershadowing political fact OF
the nineteenth century
1t has made this nation conspicuous
among the nations and given 1t a place in
history such as nc other nation has ever
enjoyed. Nothing has been able to check !
the onward march of this idea | am not /
willing that this nation shall cast aside {
the omnlpotent weapon OF truth to seize
again the weapon Of physical warfare l {
would not exchange the glory of this re- s
public for the glory OF all the empires that
have risen and fallen since time began.
The permanent chairman of the last i
Republican National Convention presented
the pecuinary argument in all it's badness, {
when he said:
We make no hypocritical pretences of &
being interested in the Philippines solely /
on account OF others. While We regard
the welfare OF these people as sacred
trust. We regard the welfare of the Arneri- |
can people first We see our duty TO our
selves as well as to others We believe /
in trade expansion. By every legitimate |
means within the province of Government !
and Constitution, We mean TO stimulate
the expansion of our trade and open new
markets.
This is the commercial argument 1t
is based upon the theory that war can be
rightly waged for pecuniary advantage,
and that it is profitable to purchase trade ,
by force and violence. Franklin denied
both Of these propositions. When Lord !
Howe asserted that the acts of ParIia- {
ment, which brought on the Revolution. :
were necessary TO prevent American trade :
from passing into foreign channels Frank ;
lin replied: :
" TO me IL seems that neither the OBJ =
tanning nor retaining of any trade, how !
ever valuable il seems iS an ohieat for !,