Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-02-14
AN ELEPHANT INDEED.
ipptnes Something 1t Is I'm.
able to Handle.

Evidence from the beginning to tho
present time is cumulative and Coz
vincing that this nation has made one
of the greatest blunders of its exist
ence in dealing with the Philippine is
lands. Their people were fighting to
throw off the Spanish yoke, just as
were those of Cuba, yet we helped the
latter to independence and forced the
former to the condition of colony
without rights save as granted by the
United States government. While
discussing the bill to provide rev.
enue temporarily for these oriental
possessions, Congressman Hepburn
admitted that he did not regard
either the Filipinos or Cubans as capa-
BILE of self-government, and charged
that the democratic party forced the
administration, against its will, to de-
clare the independence OF Cuba.
No approved political leader ever
made more damaging admission as
against his own party, says the Detroit
Free Press. 1t was in control OF every
branch Of the federal government, and
responsible to the country for all its
acts. Yet he says that it was coerced
by the minority without either legisla-
tive or executive power to enforce its
wishes. There could be no more un-
qualified confession that the party
placed in power and vested with repre-
sentative authority is not able to con-
troll, and has in this, instance placed
itself in position where it is forced
to the ridiculous subterfuge of making
scapegoat of minority that is abso-
lutely without power, save in the right
to protest.
All this only goes to accentuate the
straits to which those responsible for
our Philippine policy are driven. At
tempt at its enforcement has resulted
in a series OF grievous mistakes. In
I the outset we declared to the world
that the Monroe doctrine is a dog-in-
the-manger doctrine. No foreign pow
er must extend its control on this side
Of the world, but we may seize 3
whole archipelago on the other side.
The props are pulled from under the
high moral stand on which we rested
the doctrine. It must hereafter be up
held by brute force.
The claim that we took the islands
old, shop-worn and hypocritical to
bear discussion. This is not the age Of
the church militant, crusades and
armed devotions. The age is worship
ing at the shrine of commercia1ism.
But even here we have oserdone the
part. The controlling element of self
ixhness at home was not taken into ac-
count. The fact that the sugar, hemp
and tobacco trusts had to be reckoned
with was not considered. We were go
ing to expand our commerce, and thus
enhance the value of our resources.
Contempla ton of the outcome is pitt
able. Our shipments TO the islands are
made up largely of what we send to the
10000 troops. over there. purchase
price, transportation and the cost of
distribution paid by taxes collected
from our own people. Instead of In
yiting trade with these people we APP
proach the point of prohibition in fix
ing the duties upon their products, and
then make O fine assumption of gener.
osity in telling them that we shall TURF
over to them what we make in spite
of our best efforts to assure agains
making anything.
Our political institutions are in Mt
sense adapted to policy of colonial
ton, and the fact becomes more ap
parent daily. Our constitution wa!
made for free, self-governing people
and does not in single sentence o,
sentiment contemplate the govern
ment of dependency. 1t is being VIC
lated in the spirit and the letter. II
does not sanction single vital step in
our colonial policy. its sole support
Is an arbitrary course of legislation by
congress and "a shifting majority OF
pne" in the supreme court.