The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-08-29
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A Way to End the Clarnor.

If all the anti-imperialists could
take trip to the Philippine islands,
after the manner of David Gray, we
would soon have an end of their
wearisome dissension, with it's disturb
ing effects upon the Gchild-like Filipi-
nos.
Mr.. Gray, New York lawyer who
was formerly democratic editor fond
of comparing Aguinaldo to Washing
ton, and demanding selfgovernment
for the motley island peoples, makes
frank confession of his errors in an in
teresting contribution to the Outlook,
headed: THE Reclamation of an Anti
Imperialist.'' The occasion for his ar
ticle is a protest against the Philippine
plank Of the democratic national plat
form. g. r. .. e..
q Mr.. Gray spent a summer in the
Philippines going for the express Pur-
pose of obtaining material6for carry
ing on the anti-imperialist crusade. He
returned convinced that to withdraw
from the islands or to give them self
government would. be "a breach of in
ternational humanity, comparable to
leaving a helpless infant to perish in
the storm He found that the edu-
Gated Filipinos, of whom we hear SO
much, form a class of people lament
ably small. In Manila, out of 100000
people, there were not over 200 native
men and women whom Americans
would ask to their houses. s"save out
of an anthropological curiosity Most
of these are mixed bloods. Outside,
the ignorance is even more dense. In
dependence would mean an oligarchy
dominated by these few educated peo-
pie, modelled upon Spanish military
Hespotism and animated by the spirit
of the Malay feudal system" They
and if left alone would be torn by in
ternal disorder. Il Education is the
great need, and it can only be supplied
by American supervision.
"Mr. Taft's faith in the Filipinos,'
says Mr.. Gray, Seems almost incredi-
BILE to those who have lived in the
islands and have seen the problem
which he has to face. To interfere
with his work before the foundation Is
established, to give the half-educated,
irresponsible and dangerous Filipino
demagogue, and there are many of
these, an opportunity for believing
that policy toward the islands is
to be vacillating and changeable
one, dependent on the mutations of
american politics, would be a crime
with effects too far-reaching to be an
ticipated."
The necessities of the case. in the
view of this writer, make the Philip
pine issue paramount in the campaign,
1t Is not so regarded by most people.
In fact the democratic position is
hardly credited with being sincere.
The American people as whole have
accepted the situation, and the creed
OF anti-imperialism attracts no one
but few theorists, unacquainted
with the real situation. The Philip
pine plank in the democratic platform
and for nothing else. No one who has
visited the islands has returned to ad.
vocate selfgovernment for the inhabi-
tants 1t is easy to sit in ones study
and rhapsodize about freedom an6
equality for all men, but it Is condi
ton and not theory which has me-
the administration in the east. The
Filipinos are not men, but children
who would harm each other if lef
alone. 1865
President Eliot, Charles Francis
Adams, and the rest who have beer
fighting the battles of people the1