Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1900-09-13

could not have been ratified in the senate
but for their assistance. The senate
which ratified the treaty and the congress
which added its sanction by large ap-
preparation comprised senators and repre-
sentatVeS OF the people of all parties.
Would our opponents surrender TO the
insurgents, abandon our sovereignty or
Cede il to Them If that be not their pur-
pose. then il should be promptly disclaim-
ed, for only evil can result from the
hopes raised by our opponents in the
minds of the FilipinOs, that with their
success at the polls in November there
will be a Withdrawal of our army and OF
American sovereignty over the archl-
pelago: the .onplete independence of the
Talalpg people recognized and the powers
of government over all the other peoples
of the archipelago conferred upon the
Talalog leaders.
Opposition Delays Peace.
The effect of Il belief in the minds of
the insurgents that this will be done has
already prolonged the rebellion and IN
creaseS the necessity for the continuance
of a large army. 1t is now delaying full
peace in the archipelago and the estab-
Iishment of civil governments, and has
influenced many of the insurgents against
accepting the liberal terms of amnesty
offered by Gen. Macarthur under my di-
rection. But for these false hopes "a con-
siderable reduction could have been had
in our military establishment in the
Philippines, and the realization of a stable
government would be already at hand.
The American people will not make the
murderers of our soldiers the agents Of
the republic TO convey the blessings of
liberty and rdcr to the Philippines. They
will not ma ke them the builders of the
new commonwealth. Such a course would
be a betrayal of our sacred obligations to
the peaceful Filipiros and would place
at the mercy of dangerous adventurers
the lives and property of the natives and
foreigners. 1t would make possible and
easy the commission of such atrocities as
We're secretly planned to be executed on
the I'D of February, 1899 in the city OF
Manila, when only the vigilance of our
army prevented the attempt
No government can so certainly pre-
serve the peace, restore public order, es-
tablish law, justice and stable conditions
as ours. Neither congress nor the ex-
ecutive can establish stable government
in these islands except under our right
of sovereignty, our authority and our
flag. And this we are doing. We could
not do il as Il protectorate power so COM
pletely or so successfully as we are doing
II now. As the sovereign power we can
initiate action and shape means to ends.
and guide the Filipinos to self develop
ment and self government.
There were those who two years ago
were rushing us on to war with Spain
who are unwilling now to accept its clear
consequence, as there are those among
US who advocated the ratification of the
treaty of peace, but now protest against
its obligations. Nations which go to war
must be prepared to accept it's resultant
obligations and when they make treaties
must keep them.
Those who profess to distrust the lib
eral and honorable purposes of the adj
minstratiOn in its treatement of the
Philippines are not justified. Imperialism
has no place in its creed or conduct. Free
dom is the rock upon which the Repub-
lican party is builded and now rests. Lib
erty is the great Republican doctrine
for which the people went to war. Our
opponents may distrust themselves, but
they have no right to discredit the good
faith and patriotism of the majority of
the people, who are opposed to them
they may fear the worst form of imperial
ism with the helpless Filipinos in tn lr
hands. but if they do ii is because they
have parted with the spirit and faith OF
the fathers and have lost the virility OF
the founders of the party which they
profess to represent.