The state herald., 1901-02-01
SENATOR TOWNE ARRAIGNS
OUR POLICY IN THE PHILIPPINES

mind In whose gloomy recesses' this
enterprise of sacrilege and violence
first gathered form and pressure. There
has indeed been evidenced disposition
by It's most illustrious sponsors, as II
their prophetic souls already trembled
at the inqulsition of other ages, to i'm
pute the dubious responsibility to Prov
idence itself / know not which to ad
mire the more, whether the modesty
which disclaims credit for the policy
or the colossal presumption which
challenges and betrays the vanunted
confidence of the Almighty.
II devoutly believe that the Republic
Is at the grnvest crisis of Its history
and | feel that Il necessary preliminary
to its getting safely out is to cause the
people TO realize how il came TO get in. '
Mr.. Towne said of the Presidents
proclamation that among the roses OF
its soft rhetoric of love, its fair speech
about our coming not as invaders OF
conquerors, but as friends of the
mild sway of justice and of 'benevo-
lent assimilation the already justly
awakened distrust of the Filipinos
clearly beheld the unsheathcd and gilt
tering steel of despotism.
"If we are bent on slaughter" said
he, ''let 1t be in open guise. If we lust
for this peoples land. let us not glaze
our enterprise with false and sinister
pretense. Rather let us boldly raise
the sombre flag OF international piracy
whistle scruple down the wind and
then close in upon our feeble victim &c
the cry OF loot and glory"
Mr. 'rnupn M, i,,t t,, ipnJ thnt tha ITnit
ed States was under the obligation of
circumstances, II not actual promise
TO grant independence to the Filipinos
and that among nations, the former
was quite as binding as the latter.
He then argued at length in support
of his contention that the Filipinos
were perfectly capable of governing
themselves, pointing out that eighty
per cent. of the population Of Luzon
can read and write. and holding that
the government established by Agui-
naldo was strong. symmetrical and pro
gresslve, even in the difficult and dis.
turbing conditions which surround IL.
He declared that the Filipino states.
men would creditably meet almost
any emergency of administration in
even the most advanced government
and would have dignified and orna.
mented the early struggles for nation
ality Of any people known to history.
There Is excellent reason to believe
that even at this day the existing Fill.
pino government, low rs 1t Is In es.
tate. and migratory TO some extent as
to location, exercises wide and re.
spected authority in the Philippine Is.
lands and Is Obeyed quite generally by
the local authorities In the Interior
There is not the slightest ground
for believing that any appreciable i'm.
preston has been made upon the deter.
mination of the Philippine people to re.
sist us 30 the end. There is no evi.
dence that any strong native pro.
American element has any existence
whatever. As the result of two years
of wasting war. we occupy about one
hve-hundredth part of that archipelago.
No district is really 'paclhed.' We
hold the ground our troops stand on,
practically nothing more
During the campaign of 1900 II was
n false accusation against the Oppon.
ents Of the administration policy that
they were keeping alive smoulderine
rebellion In the Philippines. The
newspapers and magazines made much
of this foolish argument. and In many
n pulpit where the gospel of the bullet
has supplnnted the Christianity of the
Bible. the pious anathema of prudent
priesthood rose to heaven on the wings
OF prayer"
Mr.. Towne then declared that after
the elections the resistance in the Phil.
ippines Increased and that II had bN,n
announced In the Senate within week
that 10000 American soldiers would
be needed In the Islands for an lndeH.
mite period.
In closing. Mr.. Towne characterized
the present contest MS an unholy wai
for greed and empire. He said:
II shall not willingly cease TO dream
OF twentieth century devoted to III,
demonstration, the first and only one
In history, that "A government OF the
people, for the people and by the peo
pie need not perish from the earth
There Is nm inspiration In the thought
that To our beloved country may he re-.
served the eliminating glory OF the
ages In crownlng with success the long
experiment Of righteous self.goyern
ment."