The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1901-05-09
A MELANGE OF
LIVE TOPICS
Penned for Journal Readers
by a Local Scribe.
Sham.

past it is now evident there was
only one course that the United
States could have pursued in re-
gard to the disposition to be made
of the Philippine islands, and that
course had been adopted. He said
it was out Of the question to re-
turn these islands to Spain, to
leave their inhabitants to their
own oriental savagery. or to al
low any European nation to take
possession Of this territory.
The public has a vivid recollec-
tion that this Philippine problem
sprung out of the famboyant dec
laration of congress that the cause
of humanity demanded that this
country intervene in the Cuban
rebellion, III the interest of the
insurgents. The Teller resolution
which accompanied the declara-
tion of war against Spain, eX-
pressly recited that this govern
had no intention of anneXing that
island to this country, that the
cause of the Cubans was espoused
that they themselves might have
the blessings of Justice and liberty.
Uncle Sam thus placed himself in
the attitude CT a humanitarian
from principle, rejecting scorn-
fully the soft insinuation by the
suspicious and not over-conscien-
tious European powers, that sell
fish motives were really back of
his ardent enthusiasm for Cuban
freedom.
1t may be true as the vice.
president declares, that from the
standpoint of humanity and civ
ilization, the Philippines should
not be returned to Spain or left to
the uncontrolled dominion of their
inhabitants; but when Mr.. Roose-
welt asserts that no European
power should be allowed to an
mex these islands, he stultifies
himself and his party, and utterly
dlscredits all those fine professions
ot non-selfish motives which we
paraded before the world prior to
the war with Spain. If we are
consumed with burning desire
that the erstwhile subjects of
Spain should have all the liberty
afforded by a good government,
if there abides IN our hearts no
other object than the moral, in
tellectual and material develop
ment of these people, why should
we object to their being under the
dominion of Great Britain with
its three centuries of experience
as q colonial power who would
certainly advance every interest
of the Flliplnos infinitely better
than We can ever nope to do 1?
Great Brltrin is an empire, form
OF government exactly suited to
dependencies The United States
Is republic with a government
supposed to be OF limited powers
all incorporated III written con
stltutlon which makes no provis-
ION for acquiring foreign territory
and governing it outside of that
instrument. We should not love
the Filipinos less but ourselves
more, 1t is far more important
that we should preserve the con-
stitutlon of our fathers-cven Il
republicans form of government
than that we should be the unde-
sired promoters of progress and
civilization amoag~ Orle ata1S. 1t
is claimed in some quarters that
the old republic died iii 1865 and
as We are row living under an
elective empire we should have
all the incidents. ipcludingS colot
NAL possessions, of such form of
government. The argument is
fallacious. No government ever
went completely to rack where
there was not general protesta-
tion OF public morality. 4 small
healthy minority has saved ma
tions. Rome went to pieces be-
cause of universal corruption.
Holland and Switzerland were
saved by the fidelity Of compar-
ative few. BY resisting the i'm
perial tendencies of the republi
cans we may not be able to stop
them, but like the man swinging
to the tail of the flying bull, we
may be able to check them some
what.
Mr. Roosevelt. declarations
show the utter sham of Republi-
can professions in regard to the
Spanish colonies. With no Mon
roe doctrine" in the wav we could
very easily transfer the Philip
pines to Great Britain or Germa-
ny, or at least we could Withdraw
therefrom and allow either of
these nations to take possession.