Sunday Washington globe., 1902-05-11
The Question at Issue.


The debate on the Philippine bill to
which we have several times alluded has
during the past week developed much bit
terness. We are not surprised Persons
engaged in a bad cause seldom quit without
making it worse, and the Republican Sena-
tors certainly have made a spectacle of
themselves. When in the beginning charges
of cruelty we're made they were denied,
but when proofs we're produced showing
barbarous warfare beyond a reasonable
doubt the tactics were changed. A per
functory depreciation. an affected regret that
such things should be-, then palliation by
trying to show how much worse somebody
else had been. This is the worst, the most
pitiful phase Of the situation 1t is now
admitted that barbarities have been prac-
ticed, that the torture of the water cure has
been resorted to, that General Smith gave
orders to kill and slay all persons-not all
males, but all persons over the age Of ten
years in Sauar and make that island a
bowling wilderness, yet the depreciation of
snch horror is accompanied by language of
apology, which language of apology when
read between the lines justi6es the very
action it pretends to condemn.
The outrages of the Civil War have been
called forth from their tombs and and made
to do duty in jusdfying barbarous practices
upon semi-civilized people, by people
wholly Chrishanized, and said to be the
most enlightened in the world Admitting
for the moment that all the intolerance
shown or charged to both sides from 1861 to
1865 are true, and then saying what is done
now in the Philippines is not so bad, or al
least no worse how can that justify an IN
telligent people in practicing cruelty upon
a weaker nation? Have our Christian citi.
Of peace9 Has the spread of learning the
building Of schoolhouses, the multiplication
Of churches where civilized hosts worship
just God, taught the people of America
nothing? Is the difference between Chris
tianity-civilized Christianity - and bar
barism so small that at the slightest pretext
that civilization is thrown to the winds and
it becomes barbarity?
Is there after all nought between heather
savagery and Christian civilization but
veneering so thin that breath can dissi-
pate it and all mankind stand together in
the naked deformity of brutality We hope
not, yet it looks like it. When men OF edu-
cation, of learning and apparent refinement
stand up in the American Senate and plead
in justification Of admitted wrongs and out.
RACES, acts Of forty years ago that ought to
be forgotten what hope is there of a mil
Ienium' What hope is there that the hu-
manizing teachings of the sermon on the
mount will take the place Of the kissing Of
the bullet, the roar and crash of artillery
Is it true that the Christianizing of people
must be preceded by FIRE and sword? A
peace can be procured in the Philippines
There are seventy millions Of Americans
skilled in the arts Of war, own huge battle
ships, gun factories by the hundred. The
Philippines number but ten millions
They have no navy, no rife shops, many
Of them have nought but naked bodies and
bows and arrows wherewith to fight. They
can be whipped; they can be given the al
tentative to accept government they don't
want or die.
Now the question comes home to the
American people as to whether they will
continue brutal, barbarous warfare sub
due defenseless people and be content
with that policy while orators stand up and
justify such warfare by saying somebody
else in times past have done something al
most as bad.
If barbarism was practiced during the
Civil War it was a shameful thing no mat
ter which side INDUCED in it. If true it
cannot excuse what is being done now In
our Judgment, and we do not stand.alone in
this belief when the light has been turned
on, Secretary Root will not have reason to
be proud of the fact that he has officially
authorized-or if not authorized-justifed it
all