The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1901-02-09
A aUMOxlsT.s VIEW.
Mark Twain Discusses the Phillip
pine Situation


From the North American Review.
Dewey could have gone about
his affairs elsewhere, and left the
competent Filipino army to starve
out the little Spanish garrison and
send it home, and the Filipino
Citizens to set up the form Of gov
eminent they might prefer, and
deal with the friars according to
Filipino ideas of fairness and justice
ideas which have since been
tested and found to be of as high
order as any that prevail in Europe
or America.
But we played the Chamberlain
game, and lost the chance TO add
another Cuba and another honora-.
bic deed to our good record
The more we examine the mis-
take, the more clearly we perceive
that it is going to be bad for the
Business. The Person Sitting in
Darkness is almost sure tt. say:
s'There is something curious about
this curious and unaccountable.
There must be two Americas: one
that sets the captive free, and one
that takes a once-captive's new
freedom away from him and picks
a quarrel with him with nothing to
found it on; then kills him to get
his land'
The truth is, the Person Sitting
in Darkness is saying things like
that; and tor the sake of the Bust
ness we must persuade him 20 look
at the Philippine matter in another
and healthier way We must ar
range his opinions for him X X
We should say to him:
'eThey look doubtful, but in reality
they are not. There have been lies;
yes, but they we're told in good !!
cause. We have been ueacherous;
but that was only in order. tina, real !
good might come out of apparent
evil. True, we have crushed a
deceived and con6ding people; we
have turned against the weak and
the friendless who trusted US; we
have STAMPED out just and intelli-
gent and we'll ordered republic; we
have stabbed an ally in the back
and slapped the face of a guest;
We have bought shadow from an
enemy that hadn't it to sell; we
have robbed a trusting friend of his
and and his liberty; we have in
'ited our clean young men to
shoulder a discredited musket and
10 bandits work under a flag which
bandits have been accustomed to
ear, not to follow; we have de-
Americas honor and
'lackened her face before the
world, but each detail was for the
'est. We know this. The head of {
very State and sovereignty in
and 90 per cent of
very legislative body in Christen- {
om, Including our Congress and !
ur fifty State Legislatures, are t
aembers not only of the Church, |
w oISS W AAS DRESSINGS VI \~IVlll- c
alton Trust. This world-girdIing
of trained morals,
Ugh principles and justive cannot
o an upright thing, an unfair thing,
n ungenerous thing, an unclean F
ling. 1t knows what it is about.
i've yourself no uneasiness; it is :
Il right"
Now, then, that will convince the
ersor. You will see. 1t will res r
,re the Business. Also, it will r
ect the Master of the Game to
lie vacant place in the Trinity Of
ur National gods; and there on t.
'eir high thrones the Three will sit, d
&c after age, in the peoples sight
lch bearing the Emblem of his al
:rvice; Washington, the Sword Of
le Liberator; Lincoln, the Slaves -
roken Chains; the Master, the CT
hams Repaired.
1t will give the Business
'lendid new start. You will see
Everything is prosperous now; OF