The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1902-06-07
Rooseveit's Defense.

President Roosevelt must have felt keenly
the criticisms of the course Of bis .Administra-
ton in the Philippines and the cruelty of some
Of our soldiers towards the Filipinos to use
bis position as orator at Decoration Day SER
vices at Arlington to make defense of the
army and to declare his purposes in dealing
with the Philippines.
And the defense of the army was no de-
Tense at ALL To those who criticised cruel
practices, as brought out before Senate
committee, he replies, look at the lynchings
in the United States. The lynchings in the
United States are usually for brutal assaults
upen women and girls, except among the
Presidents friends, the rough riders of the
plains, where horse stealing is the only crime
for which lynchings are INDUCED in. The
cruelty toward the Filipinos has usually been
to force them to turn traitors to their breth
rem, and give information leading to their
capture or killing. The opposing of one as
an offset to the other is weak. 1t is no defense
at all. Neither is there justification in the
assertion that more severe measures could
have been used against the Filipinos under
the rules of war formulated and promulgated
by Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War.
Not only is this no justification, but it is an
attempt to shirk responsibility and to hide
behind Lincoln And there is no justification
of cruelty towards the Filipinos by citing reso-
lutions passed by the Confederate Congress,
denouncing 'barbarons practices" of the
Federal army 10 general and Mr.. Lincoln in
particular because of his spirit of barbarous
ferocity."
Mr.. Roosevelt has found, too, from the
press comments, that he did not strike re-
sponsive chord in the North in waving the
bloody shirt
After opposing one crime to another and
calling up the disagreeable memories of the
Civil War, Mr. Roosevelt felt it incum bent
upon him to announce his purposes toward
the Philippine Islands. And what he said
was nothing positive upon this score. The
Filipinos are alluded to as forces which stand
for the black chaos of savagery and barbar-
ISM" These forces must be conquered to
bring peace and stop cruelty, said the Presi-
dent, and when that is accomplished and
these savages and barbarians are taught show
to enjoy and how to make good use of their
freedom" and have shown their capacity for
real freedom by their power of selfgovern-
ment, .'then, and not till then, will it be pos
sible to decide whether they are to exist in
of US or be knit to us by ties OF
common friendship and interest
If Mr.. Rooseyelt's characterization of the
Filipinos as ''savages and barbarians'' is cor
rect, it will be many years before they are
educated sufficiently to appreciate aad know
how to use .real freedom" and show ca
pacity for self government. And this being
true we may well ask ourselves why we paid |
$40, OO0, 900 to Spain for the privilege of first
conquering these ''savages and barbarians, . at
a cost of thousands of lives and millions of
money, and then to maintain an army in the !
islands and carry on ciyilizing and educa- |
tional processes for an indefinite period. To |
most people it would look like a most serious
blunder and mistake. To Roosevelt it is a |
glorious record, and in his Arlington speech |
be hints at black spots in Africa that need |
the civilizing influence of the United States.
It would be well for the young, impetuous
apostle of the strenuous life to look well be-
fore embarking upon civilizing schemes in
the Dark Continent. Great Britain is OPP |
posed to republics and republican forms of
government in Africa,