The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-10-16


another and different set of laws, absolute
in their character for those in the col
onies. Wherever there may exist people
incapable of being governed under Amer
lean laws, in consonance with the Amer
lean constitution, the territory of that peo-
pie ought not to be part of the American
domain. We insist that we ought to do
for the. Filipinos what we. have done al
ready for the Cubans, and that it is our
duty to make that promise now, and upon
suitable guarantees of protection to citi-
ZenS OF our own and other countries resi-
dent there at the time or our withdrawal
| to set the Filipino people upon their feet,
free and Independent. TO work out their
own destiny.
The declaration of independence. born
in the brain of the father of Democracy,
says the same thing in effect, for it de-
clares that governments derive their just
powers from the consent of the gov
erned.
Prepare for Self Government
I have before said that we may not dis
regard the responsibility imposed by pos
session Of the Philippines, and that re-
sponsibility will be best subSeryed by pre-
pairing the islanders as rapidly as possible
the assurance that it will come as soon as
they are reasonably prepared for it. This
means independence for the Filipinos in
| the fullest sense of the word. When
the CubanS do. unaSsiSted unless asking
help. undirected unless asking advice, un-
trammeled by our politics, unincumbered
by our politicians and uncontrolled by u.s.
Secretary Taft has said:
"A promise to give ultimate indie
| pendence will be construed by the more
violent element, disposed to agitation, to
be a promise to grant independence in
| the near future and during the present
generation. The success of the expert
ment we are making in the Philippines de-
ponds on having the Filipinos understand
! that we are there for their benefit, but
that We. expect to stay there indefinitely
in working out the good we propose to do
| them.''
Here we have the issue clearly defined.
| The Republican party stands for the sub
jugation of defenSelesS FilipinoS. Democ-
racy stands for freedom. We relieved
| Spain of this thorn in her flesh, the Phil
| ippines. to plunge it into our own We
paid and are paying enormously for the
! privilege of performing the operation.
| Spain had been trying to. conquer the
islands since the early decades OF the six
succeeded That is not surprising.
Worthy of Devastation
Every true American would despise a
/ man who would not fight to the last gasp
! for the land of his fireSide and the birth
place of his babes Did not our illus
trious ancestors in the Revolution do so?
/ For what does civilized man revere the
memory of Washington? Are not the irish
still chatting under the English yoke? Will
| the Boer sympathizer refuse his sympathy
/ to the Filipino patriot defending his
hearthstone against the Spanish Spoiler
and tyrant? Do we not honor every man
/ who has sacrificed at freedoms holy
altar? When the battleships of our great
republic destroyed the Spanish war YES
sells the Filipinos hoped the freedom for
which they had struggled SO long was
| Our history seemed to guarantee that
our policy would be to set them free,
happy and prosperous. We perpetually