Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-01-23
salo of the Philippines.

Sale Of the Philippines.
Il Is said that the elevation Of Cow
Cen. Luke e. Wright to the post Of Am
bassador TO Japan has a distinct and
specific purpose in view-the sale Of the
Philippine Islands TO Japan. Gen.
Wright, by reason Of the experience gained
during his service ia the Philippines, is
presumed TO be well qualified for the deli
cate diplomatic performance Of packing
our island subjects and their entire terri
tory into a neat and compact bundle and
delivering the goods to the Mikado for a
lump some of money.
We opine that great many easy
minded people will look upon the propo.
sition 70 sell the Philippines to Japan
as a comfortable way out OF tho maze of
difficulties into which we plunged by our
unwise colonial experiment in the Far
East. They will reason that the Philip
pines have cost MS q great deal of money
S2O0O0,000 in one lump to Spain as the
original purchase price, and many more
millions for the support of our war of con-
quest and subjugation, and the mainteu-
ance OF our educational campaign TO make
tho Filipinos eft for heli-government."
Recognizing that our entire campaign
subjective and educational has been a
failure, they win now argue that "the
easiesi way is the best" in getting out Of
an awkward situation, and that the easiest
way is 20 sell our unweloome possessions
TO Japan, and through a money consdera-
tion TO rocoup ourselves as far as possible
for the financial losses we have sustained
through our disastrous experiment in the
realms Of colonial conquest.
But there is another view Of the situa-
ton: II we had no right to buy the Philip
pine Islands and their people from Spain.
what right have we TO sell them TO Japan ?
If our title is clouded can we give any
better title to Japan by the transfer
The cloud upon our title which intruded
itself at the time Of the purchase has not
been dispersed. Il is as dark and lover
ing today as It was the day the treaty Of
purchase was executed. We then pre-
sumed TO buy people who had been fight
ing for liberty and independence for over
three centuries, and to take them and
their possessions under our absolute con-
troll. How they resisted the transfer Of
their constrained allegiance from one
Power TO another has been written in the
history Of the past eight years. True. we
have largely suppressed their fight for free.
dom, by virtue OF our superior might. We
put down the rebellion, except in spo-
radio instances, by force of arms: but we
could not suppress the desire for liberty
and seli-government which had been 50
deeply imbedded IN the hearts of the Fill.
pino people by the example of three cen.
turies Of righteous revolution, handed down
from sire TO son. Shot and shell could
not accomplish this, and the spirit of indie.
pendence, the desire for seli-government
are included in the assets of property ant
people which it is now proposed we shal
sell to Japan
Truly, task to appal the heart and dis
trcss the abilities OF the most astute o
diplomats. Is Gen. Wright equal to th,
requirements Is amy man living capa
ble Of making good bargain for eithe
party to the contract Can we give Q,
Japan any guarantee that the experiment
IN suppressing the desire of the Filipinol
for the opportunity of enjoying their owl
government will be any more successful
in her hands than it has been in our own
The proposed sale Of the Philippines i
but suggestion Of the towards way O
extrication from a difficult position. Then
IS only one square and open course for thi
government to pursue, and that is TO credi
10 profit and loss the millions we have ox
pended in our iruitless Philippines experi
ment and JOIN IN a movement to grant in
dependence to the islands and their peopl
and TO secure the integrity, neutrality an,
life Of the free government thus assure,
by international agreement. In othe
words, TO make a Switzerland. or a Bel
gium, OF the Philippines. It can be done
and We should be the leaders in doing il.