The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-03-22
A FATAL IGNORANCE OF LIBERTY

| 4 4 | Gov Taft, of those Philippine pre- | possessions of ours which have been giving us such an unpleasant foretaste l of colonial empire ever since we had them, has lately made a psychological analysis of the native Filipino leader, | Aeuinaldo. In the reports Gov. Taft is said to have said (we never like to go beyond some such preadventurous statement in reporting a reporter) that Aguinaldo has rather peculiar gifts for leadership; that he perfectly under stands the temperament of his fellow Filipnos, and knows how to command their confidence and admiration in al- most superstitions measure; that he is apparently unselfish and well-meaning, but that he has no idea of liberty, civil or any other kind,'
 This interesting analysis is most valuable as far as it goes, but to us ! that it doesn't go for enough as con- cerns Gov. Taft if not as concerns Aguinaldo It ought we think, to have included some definition of liberty, which would have enabled those wish ing to profit by it to conceive of some kind of liberty besides civil liberty. At
 
 be several kinds of liberty, but upon reflection civil liberty seems to be the only kind there is, and we are less and less inclined to blame the Filipino leader for having no idea of the other kinds. While visiting him with the full severity of our Gensure for his ignor ance of this one kind If Gov Taft knows of other kinds, he is almost equally censurable for not imparting his knowledge. A free people like the Americans have a right to all the knowledge of all the kinds of liberty which an American publicist is conceal ing about his person.
 Is there, possibly such a thing as military liberty? This suggests itself as the apt anthithesis of civil liberty, and if it exists we ought to have 1t and enjoy it. even if we cannot share it with our Filipino subjects. If it exists, what does it consist in and why are the appearances so dead against it. To the human eye, ungifted with the mi croscopic penetration which the poor fly enjoys, military liberty is not evil dent On the contrary, it looks as if when a man enlisted he parted with his Ipefty lOI BODu anu dl dS lOilS as he remained in the ranks. He can not go or come, except at the will of those set over him. He cannot send word to his employers that he is out of kilter, and would rather not appear on parade, or march to the cannon's mouth, or share in a bayonet charge that day; he has to turn out at the word of command and do his duty, as it is called, whether he feels like it or not. He cannot strike if he is not suited with his wages or ra- tions, and he cannot submit his claims even resign. In other terms, his case looks like a case of involuntary servi- tude, on which he may have willingly entered, but which he cannot escape by any act of his own which his supe- rors would feel bound to respect. His superiors themselves are but little bet ter off. They must do what they are bid by their superiors, and though they may resign In certain eVentualities, re- signation is so conditioned in the case of officers that it is hardly to be regard ed as the act of an entirely free man.
 As regards the army itself, then, there is no such thing as military liber ty. and if we examine the situation of q people or community subject to mar tial law there is no more liberty for the | than for the soldiers. Where | martial law is declared that is the end | If civil liberty, eyen The generals at |