Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-18
MACON TALKS OF PHILIPPINES
Law OhlceF of InsuIar Bureau Makes
Plain Statement of Com
ditiOna.
(From a Stan Correspondent.)

LINCOLN, Sept. 17.-(Special. )-Hon.
Charles D. Whedon last evening ave a
complimentary dinner to a number of old
friends and former associates Of Charles
e. Magoon, law officer OF the Insular bu-
reau OF the War department. Mr.. Magoon
delivered an address on insular affairs and
said in part:
The people of the United States nave ac-
quired sovereignty In the Philippines; that
sovereignty is supreme and is established
by treaty stipulations, by force of arms
and by universal assent OF each and every
only in our own country that our SOW
ereignty is assailed and there the assault
of the acquisition of Louisiana. Florida,
California, New Mexico and Alaska, which
acquisitions made II possible for us to
dominate the western hemisphere and gave
JUS the solidity which enables as to sue
cessfully encounter the Vaccinations of
foreign foes and Withstand the shock of
Among the benefits to be derived from
acquiring the Philippines is the develop
we have been selfish. We were content to
point to ourselves as an example and to
hold aloft the torch OF liberty. But the
world has grown smaller and the brother
hood OF man is seen more clearly.
In exercising sovereignty in the Philip
pines the first and paramount duty is to
to the Inhabitants the largest degree Of
political freedom consistent with public
peace: This is a great work, but the peo-
pie of the United States are well fitted to
perform It. There are many obstacles to
overcome. 1t took 100 years and three
wars TO bring the government of the union
to it's present excellence-the revolution, to
establish its political independence; the
war OF 1872, to establish its commercial in
dependence. and the civil war. to establish
the supreme sovereignty OF the federal
The first obstacle. the Instruction. has
been overcome. Its underlying causes are
little understood. II found its inception in
the desire of Aguinaldo and his followers
10 sack Manila and when this scheme was
defeated a new impetus was given by rea-
son of an effort OF the privileged classes to
preserve the conditions which existed under
consisted of large estates worked by
Under Spanish system church and state
powers OF the state were exercised by
church officials. There were also office
holders who held their Offices by right OF
purchase from the crown. These offices
were sold at public auction, were consid-
cred perpetual and to pass by descent from
Fearing their interests we're in jeopardy,
these several classes Joined together and
sought to make the insurrection sufi-
States to abandon the islands.
The instruction was scarcely organized
when II became evident that the clerical
element OF the alliance would rave to be
sacrificed. Thus arose what Is now called
the 'friar question" The friars must not
De confused Win the parish priests. They
were the head men, petty magistrates, tax
munity. Permitted TO exercise the COM
bined authority OF church and state, they
abused their power and devoted Il to theiI
own advantage and enrichment and are
hated for their acts as Spanish officials
The Philippine archipelago extends from
the NTH to the nineteenth parallels OF
north latitude, a distance about equal "a
that between Lincoln and Pittsburg. Be,
tween the NTH and the ninth the country
Is occupied by the Moros; their religion anC
ideas of government is that OF Mahomet
From the ninth 10 the thirteenth IL is oc,
cupied by the Visayan race: these people
are nominally Christians; their ideas OF