The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1902-05-27
forming government Senator Hoar

nationally and properly" was the re.
ply. probably they would call gen
eral election. Preparatory therefore
they would ordain a suffrage law
They would select the voters who we're
entitled to participate in the forma-
tion of the new government, leaving
! the question of the extension of suffrage
to be determined later, after parlia-
mentary government had been estab.
lished. All revolutions are effected in
some such way as this 1t is necessary
| for Il comparalively small body of re
preventative men to lay the founda-
tions of the electoral system, and this
system can afterward be broadened
from time to time.
well, they would call their cleo
ton, choose their congress or parlia-
ment, elect president and other Off
cials, and establish government. All
this they could do while we were with
drawing our troops from the islands.
Peace would come the moment our
commissioner announced the Intention
of the United States to turn over the
government to the people of the Philip.
pines. There would be no more war,
no more insurrection. no more need of
troops and military operations of any
sort
The Senator goes on to say that we
should retain troops in the islands to
| interpose only in case of extended
civil war or anarchy. He states that
he believes the Filipinos would be
willing to make a formal agreement
with the United States on the same
lines as the agreement made with
Cuba and that they would probably be
willing to repay the s20,000,0 900 paid to
Spain. Throughout the entire inter-
view the Senator finds in our policy
toward Cuba the solution of the Philip
pine problem.
The Senator proposes to call Aeuin,
aldo and his generals together and to
give them absolute control of millions OF
people subject only to the intervention
of the United States in case of war or
anarchy. In the first place the Sen
ator proposes not a republic but an
obligarchy and in extremes he would
pledge the power of the United States
to force upon the people the govern
ment that Aguinaldo and his generals
might see fit to impose. When Sena-
tor Hoar speaks as he does of small
and limited franchise he himself pro
posed a violation of his sacred princi pie
as to the consent of the governed. He
would replace the power of the United
States, government which, to say the
least. has in every other part of the
earth governed only to uplift, he
would replace this power we say by the
power of a group of men who in our
opinion. have not proven themselves
either worthy or capable of the task.
1t is beyond question that Aguinaldo
issued orders for the massacre OF
American soldiers before the insur-
rection and while still active in sup.
| posed cooperation with our troops.
The Senator proposes 20 set up and be
sponsor for a government which every
! indication points would be more de-
PRAYED and worthless than that of the
most turbulent of the so-called re-
publics of Central and South America.
The Senator seems to fail to see the
differences between the Cuban and
the Philippine people. The Cubans
are one in religion, in ancestry, and in
tradition. The Fllipinos are an
inchoate mass of tribes, some have at
tanned an average degree of civilization
fairly up to the Cuban standard, but
the majority are far below them and
many are still in practically savage
state. The islands include Christians,
Mohammadans, and followers of Con.
fucius, of Brahma, of Budda and what
might be called the straight pagan,
whose religion is of the crudest
Over all these people the Senator
) would place an element representing
but fraction of the people and who
are seemingly possessed of undying
hatred for other tribes even of then
!, own people. The difference century
, hence would be that instead of the
7 Philippines being healthy, prosper
! Gus, educated people having earned
: the right to self-government at the
/ same time that they were learnine
. to use it. we should find a squa,it
= parallel for Nicaragua or San Saliva
| dor, republic in name only having
t back of it a history OF successive revo
t buttons and interminable booodshet
+ and having before it future of ignor
t auce, superstitution and incapacity
r Such is the misbegotten monstrosit
which Senator Hoar asks the Ameri
} can people to father in the name O
liberty.
/ In this discussion we have omitte,
I mention of the bootless task which tn
2 Senator advises being undertaken, @
: acting as sponsor for the Philippine
> in the case OF foreign complications
The commercial advantages whic
0 will accrue both to the islands and t
Al, I, 4.