The Sunday globe., 1901-07-28
MILITARY DESPOTISM.
Concealed BayOnetS Behind this 0S-
tenSible Civil Government,

Secretary Root, i'm a recent inter.
view, sets forth clearly and distinctly
the fact that the Presidents reliance
for authority in the Philippines Is sole.
ly upon the military power, notwith.
standing Taft's comic opera civil gov.
ernment. Secretary Roots interview
which may be copied as the official in.
depreciation Of the Presidents unalter.
able policy in the Philippines, says;
In the Philippines the President has
announced a distinct policy of govern
ing the islands under his power as
commander-in-chief of the army. with
a constant regard for the rights of the
people and with the determination, as
rapidly as conditions would allow, to
diminish the use of military agencies
and increase the employment Of civil
representatives. Of his power. This
policy will be adhered to, and will be
extended, as occasion requires, to every
branch of government in the islands. %
The matter no less than the manner
Of this announcement is startling. The
President relies upon his military
power-'his" power, not the power Of
a constitutional popular government
nor even the power of Cong grcss, as en-
larged by Justice Browns decision
but upon his power as a military die
tatOr. The poor makeshift Of the
Spooner amendment whereby Con-
gress attempted to abdicate its powers
is cOntemptuously brushed aside The
President will continue to rule as the
man on horseback with the bayonet as
his symbol and the Mauser rifle as his
prime Minister.
OF course, all will be done with
constant regard for the rights of the
people and with tue determination
to diminish the use of military agen.
cies and increase the employment of
civil representatives of his power
That goes without saying George III
never intended to rely permanently up
on the Hessians to carry out his plans
for "the rights of the people" in the
colonies; his idea also was, as far as
feasible, to increase the employment
Of civil representatives of his power"
In fact, he did employ the civil repre-.
sentatives of his power until the peo.
pie unrcasonably demanded that their
power be recognized, when he was
obliged to resort to the military. It was
ne custom of Julius Caesar and of the
Roman emperors as soon as they had
benevolently assimilate6 a conquered
nation, to give II some form Of civil
subject to the power and
caprice OF the Roman ruler And we
nave the Taft abortion i'm imitation OF
he Roman method.
There is little to be chosen between
A military despotism, pure and simple.
and an ostensible civil government
resting upon half-concealed bayOnets,
such as the empire of the third Ma
poleon, for instance-and Of the two.
the military despotism, plain and un-
disguised, is the bonester and in the
end less destructive Of liberty.
Could the Secretary Of War in aay
cabinet prior TO President McKinley's
have uttered such language as Is at.
tributed 10 Secretary Root without
causing an instant investigation by
Congress. and, in case the President
sanctioned these words, impeachment
proceedings against the President as
an intending usurper and subverter Of
our form of government? What is the
matter with Congress? Has patronage
hopelessly corrupted the representa-.
tlves of the people? Whittier are we
drifting?