Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1902-06-06

| THIS Dill the DECLARATION 2tuat the rights
acquired in the Philippine islands under the
treaty with Spain are to be administered for
the benefit of the Inhabitants Of those is
| lands
1.-The share which you propose tof admit
these people in your scheme of government
| Is an admission that large number of
them are fit for seif-governnnent.
What You have been fighting for all this
time as your right, If you expect to enact
this bill into law and to carry it out in prac-
tice, Is to substitute constitution of your
ma king for one of their making; to have
dependency, which is what you want, in
stead of a republic, which is what they
want; to have fitness for the elective fran
chise determined by an authority which has
its source 10000 miles away, instead of with
the people Al home; and to deny them inde-
pend ence, even if they are fit for it, so long
as you please. without any regard to their
desire.
Gov. Taft, If I understood him, con-
cedes that nothing so far indicates that the
existing policy has been good for the United
States. It Is only the benefit of the people
or the Philippine islands, in saving them
from anarchy or from foreign nations, in
establishing schools for them, that vindi-
Gates what You have done so far. What you
have done so far has been to get some <=W
thousand children actually at school il the
whole Philippine dominion. To get this re-
suit you have certainly slain many times
that number Of parents.
John Quincy Adams, as everybody
knows, was the father of what we call the
Monroe doctrine. He secured its adoption
through the weight of his great influence
by a heSitating president and a reluctant
CABINET. 1t Is not so well known that he
placed the Monroe doctrine solely upon the
doctrine that just government must rest
upon the consent Of the governed. That he
declared to be its only foundation, and that
so founded it rested upon the etern al princi-
pie OF Righteousness and justice.
Moral Equivalent of Policy
''Mr. President, If you have your own way
and keep on in the path you are treading
you have not only repealed the declaration
of independence, but you have left for the
brutal selfiShness. You have taken from
that doctrine, which is the chief glory of
this country, from the time of the treaty
of peace in 17S3 till the Inauguration of
Abraham Lincoln in 1861, it's foundation in
righte BUSINESS and freedom, and you found
it only upon SelfishnesS.
when we ratified the treaty of Paris we
committed ourselves to one experiment in
Cuba and another in the Philippine islands.
We had said already that Cuba of right
ought to be free and Independent. So when
in the treaty Spain abandoned her sover-
eighty the title of Cuba became at once COM
plete. We were only to stay there to keep
order until we could hand over Cuba to a
government her people had chosen and es-
tablished
by the same treaty we bought the Phil
agreed that congress shall dispose of them.
So. according to those who held that treaty
valid, it became the duty of the president
to reduce them to submission and of con-
gress to govern them.
Here the two doctrines brought into
sharp antagonism.
''In Cuba, of right just government. ac-
cording to you, must rest on the consent of
the governed. Her people are to institute
a new government, laying its foundation on
such principles and organizing its powers
in such form as to them shall seem most
likely to effect their safety and happiness
''In the Philippine islands government is
to be instituted by power 10000 milesraway,
to be in the beginning a despotism estab-
lished by military power. and to be such
to use the language of the McEnery reso-
luton as shall seem for the interest of the
United States
"You have given both doctrines a three
years trial Three years is sometimes a |
very long time and sometimes, very short
time in human affairs. l believe the whole |
life of the Saviour after He first made His
divine mission known lasted but three
years. Three years has wrought a mighty |
change in Cuba, and 1t has wrought a
mighty change in the Philippine islands
We have had plenty of time to try both eX-
periments.
Real Cost of War.
''Now, what has each cost you and what |
has each prof1ted your
st should naturally begin where our ia |
theirs used to begin. But somehow the |
things get so inextricably blended that we |
cannot keep them separate. This world !
is so made that you cannot keep honesty, |
and sound policy, and freedom ard ma
terial property, and good government, ano
the consent of the governed apart Men |
who undertake to make money by cheat |
ing pay for 1T by failure in business. If |
you try to keep order by military despot- |
ism YOU suffer from it by revolution and |
by barbarty in If a strong people |
try to govern weak one against its VIII |
the home government will get despotic too. |
You cannot maintain despotism in Asia |
and a republic in America. If you try to |
h1r~tlo -i1Y of
his just rights you can never do it with |
out becoming a savage barbarian your |
self.
your practical craftsmanship has sue
ceeded in converting people who three |
wears ago were ready to kiss the hem of |
the garment of the American and to well |
come him as a lberator, who thronged after |
YOUR own men when they landed those |
Islands with benediction and gratitude in to-
sullen and irreconcilable enemies, possessed |
of a hatred which centuries cannot eradi- |
cate.
1.-The practical craftsmanship of the |
declaration of independence and the golden
rule would have cost nothing but few
kind words. They would have bought for |
you the great title of liberator which your |
fathers won for your country in the South
American republics and in japan and which
you have won in Cuba. They would have
bought for you the undying gratitude of a
great and free people ard the undyirg glory |
which belongs to the name Of Eberator.
That people would have felt for you as
Japan felt for you when she declared last
summer that she owed everything to the
United States of America.
Contrast of Ideals.
what have your ideals cost you, and
what have they bought for you?
81 For the Philippine islands you have
had to repeal the declaration of indepen-
dence.
For Cuba you have had to rea firm it and
give 1t new luster
'2. For the Philippine Islands you have
had to convert the Monroe doctrine into
doctrine IF mere SelfiShpeSS