Omaha daily bee., 1902-03-14
FIGHTING BATTLES AT LoSo RANCE.

1A1A1n 1A
Philippine question
In its issue Of February G., 1899. The Bee
that the FilipInos be assured in
dependence. and said by this means I'VE
would avoid an expenditure Of money and
loss OF life which, II hostiliues are pro-
longed. may be very great" For several
days thereafter The Bee had editorials Of
similar character until about February 10,
1899, when one would infer that The Bee
suddenly changed It's opinion. Now Feb
ruary 10 was about nine days after the
peace treaty had been ratified by the United
States senate.-world-H Herald.
Our amiable contemporary delights in
fighting battles at long range. Its guns
are always elevated wav above the tar
get, while It carefully avoids coming
into contact with issues that are within
reach. What The Bee said about the
government Of the Philippines nine days
after the ratification of the treaty of
Paris Is no more material now than
what the World-H Herald said in advo-
eating a ratio of 20 to 1 before the cam
paign of 1896, in which it declared that
the country would go to ruin unless we
had 10 to 1 free coinage without the aid
or consent Of any other nation on earth.
In 1878, when the Divergence between
the silver dollar and gold dollar vas
only o cents, The Bee vigorously urged
the passage Of the Bland-Allison act
providing for the coinage of two mil
lions of standard silver dollars a month,
a measure that was confidently. ex-
pected to bring silver to a parity with
gold. But when in spite of the forced
coinage of nearly three hundred mill
lions Of silver dollars at the end of
twelve years silver and gold had gradu-
ally diverged more than forty points,
The Bee became convinced that the
double standard of money at q fixed
ratio could not be permanently main
tanned by this country alone or even by
the joint action of all great nations.
From that time on The Bee became an
advocate of the single gold standard,
regardless Of popular decisions concern-
ing the effects of free coinage.
To agitate In favor of Filipino indie
pendence at this stage is as idle as
would be the ~reopening Of the agitation
for free silver coinage. In assuming
the sovereignty over the islands, the
United States accepted and assumed the
responsibility for the protection of life
and property in the Philippines.
Its first duty is to restore peace and
establish order on all the islands. The
FtlipinOs proper constitute less thar
one-fourth Of the population. The Tag.
alloys differ as much In language, creed
and social habits from the other sixty
or seventy tribes a. the Sioux Indians
do from the Choctaws, Comanches OF
Apaches. If they actually were con
coded the right to set up an Independent
government the great majority of the
population of the Philippines would
have to be held in subsection by the
sword. and in order to protect the lvet
and property of American citizens anC
foreigners the United States would b,
compelled to uphold the Tagalog gov
eminent through it's army and navy
Instead of improving the condition O.
the islands such a policy would make &
a thousand times worse. ~
But now let us ask In all candor, VIII
does the World-Herald persist in fight
ing battles at long ranger Why does i
seek to suppress public sentiment ant
refuse to talk about issues that hav,
agitated the people of Nebraska?
Joseph S. BARLEY was pardoned OF
the LIST day of January and. although
the whole state has been convulsed owe
his liberation, the World-Herald haI
been as silent as the grave. Not a wort
about the BARLEY pardon has appeare,
in it's editorial columns.
The acquittal of Meserve in spite o
the tacit admission that he had appro
priated in one. swoop $1,000 of interes
on school money Illegally farmed GU
has also been studiously ignored.
And so has the pointed intimation o
Judge Baxter that the remedy for treas
ury footing must be sought in tn
amendment of the state constitution
Surely that point has been manifest t
the World-Herald as well as to The Bee
which has for years exerted itself for
speedy revision of the constitution tina
will put an end to speculative invest
ment of public funds and to othe
abuses arising out of the outgrOwn oil
ganic law.
Once more we ask, Why does tn
World-Herald shoot over the heads @
the people Of Nebraska at targets 1
Asia and Africa, while 1t shuts its eye
to the targets within reach?