Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1900-08-14

aotapf BY AmeriQan eltisens, OF ADDS Z,
/ cur bopolauion pe1nle Who are willing 4
| tSeeme cliifgqs std ara capable of dig,
| .clnrgipg their duties a. suQh. The aoq1f
| elton OF the Louisiana Territory, Floffda
Texas and other tracts which have bddv
secured from time 70 time, enlarged tl1
repubho, and the constitution followed TIA
nag into the new territory II II now pre-
posed to seize upon distant territory al.
ready more densely populated than our owl
country and TO force upon the people .
government for which there Is no war
rant In our constitution or our laws. Ever
the argument that this earth belongs "a
those who desire to cultivate Il and have
the physical power to acquire II cannot
the Philippine Islands By the United States.
II the Islands we're uninhabited American
citizens would not be willing to go there
and TIL the soil The white race will not
live so near the equator Other nations
have tried to colonlze In the same latitude.
The Netherlands have controlled Java for
300 years and yet to-day there are less
than $1,000 people Of European birth scat
tered among COO natives. After a
century and half Of English domination
In India, less than one-twentieth OF one
per cent: OF the people Of india are Of Eng
lish birth and It requires an army Of 70, 900
British soldiers to take care of the tax
collectors Spain has asserted title to the
Philippine islands for three centuries and
yet, when our fleet entered Manila bay,
there were less than 10000 Spaniards re-
siding In the Philippines.
send to the Philippines a few traders. a few
taskmasters and few Office holders, and
an army large enough TO support TIE au-
thority of a small fraction OF the people
while they rule the natives.
Increase In Regular Army.
II we have an imperial policy we must
have large standing army as its natural
and necessary complement: The spirit
of %hin he T y ssnSs hs 9Fo9f @ n5S tSs
seizure Of other islands and the domina-
ton Of other people, and with wars of con-
quest we can expect certain, II not rapid,
growth of our military establishment
That large permanent increase in our
regular army Is intended by the repub-
lican leaders Is not mere matter OF con-
lecture, but matter Of fact. In his mes
sage Of December s. 1898, the president
asked for authority to increase the stand
ing army to 100000. In 1895 the army con-
the president asked for four times that
many and a republican house of repre-
sentatiVes complied with the request after
the Spanish treaty had been signed and
no country was at war with the United
States If such an army Is demanded
when an imperial policy Is contemplated,
but not openly aYowed, what may be ex-
pected If the people encourage the republic
an party by indorsing its policy at the polls?
large standing army Is not only a pc
cuniary burden TO the people and, If accom-
panied by compulsory service, q constant
source of Irritation, but it is ever a menace
to republican form Of government The
DeISOnlIlEdllOn
militarism will inevitably change the ideals
of the people and turn the thoughts of our
young men from the arts of peace to the
science of war. The government which
relies for its defense upon its citizens is
more likely to be just than one which has
at call a large body of professional sol
diers small standing army and a we'll
equipped and well disciplined state militia
are sufficient In ordinary times and in an
emergency the nation should In the future
as in the past place its dependence upon the
NFFNH
at their country's call and return to pro-
ductive labor when their services are no
longer required-men who fight when the
country needs fighters and work when
the country needs workers.
Status of the FIIipinOs.
The. republican platform assumes that
the Philippine Islands will be retained un-
der American sovereignty. and we have
a right to demand of the republican lead
ers discussion of the future status Of
the Filipino. Is he to be a citizen or a
subject? Are we to bring into the body
polite S,0O0O00 or TO- 100000 Asiatics so
different from us in race and history that
amalgamation is impossible? Are they
to share with us in making the laws and
shaping the destiny of this nation? No
republican of prominence has been bold
enough to advocate such a proposition.
The McEnery resolution, adopted by the
senate Immediately after the ratification
of the treaty, expressly negatives this
idea, The democratic platform describes
pinos cannot be citizens without endan-
gering our civilization. Who will dispute
1t? And what is the alternative? If the
Filipino is not to be a citizen, shall we
make him a subject? on that question
the democratic platform speaks with en-
phasis, 1t declares that the Filipino can
not be a subject without endangerng our
fO-.l Of government. A republic can
have no subjects. A subject is possible
only in a government resting upon force;
he Is unknown In government deriving
Naaa of
governed. The republican platform says
that "the largest measure of self-goVern-
ment consistent with their welfare and
our duties shall be secured to them (the
Fiipinos) by law" This Is a strange doc
trine for a government which owes It's
very existence to the men who offered
their lives as protest against govern
ment without consent and taxation with
out representation. In what respect does
the position of the republican party differ
from the position taken by the English
government in 1776? Did not the English
government promise a good government
to the colonists? What king ever prom
ised a bad government to his peo-
pie? Did not the English govern
ment promise that the colonists should
have the largest measure of self-govern-
ment consistent with their welfare and
English duties? Did not the Spanish gov
ernment promise TO give to the Cuoans
the largest measure of self-government
consistent with their welfare ana spanish
duties? The whole difference between
up in one sentence. In a monarchy the
king gives to the people what he believes
to be a good government; in a repuDnc
the people secure for themselves what
they believe to be a good government.
The republican party has accepted the Eu-
ropean idea and planted itself upon the
ground taken by George III. and by every
ruler who distrusts the capacity OF the
people for self-government or denies them
a voice in their own affairs,
rne Presidents VIII the Only Law.
The republican platform promises that
some measure of selt-goVernment Is TO be
given to the Filipinos by law; but even
This pledge is not fulfilled. Nearly 10
months elapsed after the ratification OF the
treaty before the adjournment of congress
last June, and yet no lawEwas passed deal
ing with the Philippine situation. The Will
of the president has been the only law
in the Philippine Islands wherever the
American authority extends Why does
the republican party hesitate to legislate
upon the Philippine question? Because a
law would disclose the radical departure
from history and precedent contemplated
by those who control the republican party
The storm of protest which greeted the
Porto Rican bill was an Indication of what