The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1901-03-07
Executive and PHILIPPINES.

cessfully argued its way through the
Senate, and will probably find an al
most unobstructed path through the
House of Representatives. By that
amendment the President of the United
States will become, it is supposed, the
autocrat of the Philippine islands. 1t
declares that cali military, civil, and
judicial powers necessary to govern
the Philippine islands, shall, until
otherwise provided by Congress, be
vested, in such manner as the Presi-
dent of the United States shall direct,
for the establishment of civil govern
ment and for maintaining and protect
ing the inhabitants of said islands in
the free enjoyment of their liberty,
property and religion" That is, Mr..
Mckinley will hold the same relation
to the army of occupation as he holds
to the army at home; he will appoint
the governor and other civic officers of
the islands, and empower the judiciary
who shall attend to the execution of
law. But the authority with which
the President is vested is not such as
would sal isfy the purposes of an auto
crat. It is that, civil government shall
be established. It is for the protection
of the Inhabitants of the islands. 1t is
to defend their liberties, to protect
their property, to safeguard their reli-
gion. Nor is it an Imperialism to be
perpetuated, but power to be used by
the President of the United States
until such time only as Congress shall
provide other and moreIS democratic
means of governing the PHILIPPINES.
The conditions are not unlike those
which, nearly hundred years ago,
made Thomas Jefferson, in Ia sense,
dictator of Louisiana. The difference
being that Jefferson made it possible
for himself to be lord, while Mr.. Nc
Kinley is compelled to assume tenn
porary 1ordship by the compu1sion of
Congress. The act of 1903 forms a
precedent for the act of 1901. The
Jeffersonian grip on Louisiana helped
rather than Injured that territory and
the people residing in it, and the
Mckinley palm on the PHILIPPINES,
watched by the American people, will
not menace the liberties of the peoples
of the Pacific islands. It will do them
good and not evil.
Why should the United States be dis
posed to treat the inhabitants of the
Philippines less generously than it has
treated and intends to treat the Gu
bans? Gomez declared that the with
drawa1 of Uncle Sans soldiers from
Cuba, at this time, would speedily re-
suit in civil war. Much more would
blood flow and anarchy stalk abroad
on the Pacific islands were the Arneri-
can forces to be ordered home. Cuba
is showing herself capable of self
government. Her people who, like
the Mexicans have something of the
old Casti1ian spirit and fire in them,
will speedily arise into independence
and prominence, but the Philippines,
quite differently touched and descended,
will be unable to build themselves into
empire in a day. Fifty years will not
witness, perhaps, Philippine Repub-
lie equal to the present Republic of
Mexico; it must be nursed and nour-
ished and educated. The Philippine
is a political infant brought to the
baptism, and the President of the
United States stands as its god father.
The people yonder are, some of them,
capable and cultured, but most of them
are ignorant and many are semi-sav-
age, the United States government is
to be for them school in which the
nations chief is teacher. When they
have grown bit, after having learned
something of political law, the Philip
pines will blossom into the United
States of the Pacific; but to crown them
with nationality today would be Brazil
over again, but more enervated; nay,
it would be political abortion; they
could not survive the Cesarian birth.
Better the natural way and the re-
quired time. Better let the president
of the greatest republic on earth give
direction to affairs, until comes the
natal day of the PHILIPPINE nation,
and the American Congress has made
every necessary preparation for the
anticipated advent.