New-York tribune., 1908-12-25
FILIPINOS AND LIBERTY
Anti-Im peridlistic ActiUity and Some
Lessons of the Past.

u CaTpdIgI
very much yet to be said about tyranny n me
Philippines and dong their utmost BY ar='i-
ment in the line Of their peculiar political piltos-
epEy. They declare that possession Of independ-
BY any people works automatically in bringing
about good order and progress in seIf-sovernn'ent
Put independence in the hopper. and. presto out
come at once good Judgment. right action and
every kind political blessing. There - = magic
result following possession Of perfect lib
eTty'' IT makes men completely civilized az once
and they never think then OF beihs politically
naughty Hardly
No doubt your anti-imperfaIist THINKS these are
facts and be finely demonstrated from the
histories OF ssnto Domingo. Hayti and cuba After
Independence Of hundred and fifty years
Santo Domingo. about yssr and few months
ago. addressed TO the following effect "Cncie
sam. II Is Of for 70 Try TO pay the
debts unless some man can he found
among people honest enough 70 receive our
national income and 1ay II out III honest l7'uda-
ton OF our debts: are III thieves and liars ard
a among be trusted TO DO TINS
work And President Poosevel.'s has done
Is doing the work. and santo Domtnso's debt
which would otherwise have been paid IS
likely to be extinguished-
FIayti has also been Independent for hundred
and fifty years and its records unvaryfnZ
succession in the line Of despotisTn bloodshed ana
theft AS any funds were known 70 oe II
the treasury revolution promptly came on
and If successful. another set Of thieves seated
themselves in power. OF late. with exhaustion OF
the plumber the ms have been growing less MT
rnerous than the outs" for they have mostly
Joined the oats, who have become hungry ror us
spoil and have their turn
And after setting up Cuba few years ago 70
do business for herself. Uncle sam found sne coud
not do anything the lire Of 'sslf-governr11ent
unless there plenty Of graft TO De nao ana ~
rf5Ad among the ofHceholders had 70 inter
vene. put out the patriotic manikins from once
and get affairs in right train upon an honest OASIS
Cuba will have ore more cnance TOT rlen1eoA'
self government. with the assurance that tH7
United States II she prove incapable. will place
her in a territorial condition and educate her IN
vavs of honesty and seIf-restraint-
But the lesson Of all this is lost upon your seif-
styled anti-mperiaists still protesting against the
"despotisrn' Of the United States now exercised
over the F1Iipinos Thus the anti-iu'perlaists'
We assume 70 Christian people YET IN ouI
management Of Philippine affairs We are making
ducks and drakes Of the Ten Commandments ana ana
the Golden Rule" Now. is a poor rule that VIII
not work both ways; when you DO right 10 otneFs
4, Is upon the implied condition always tnat tnes
do right n YOU: 70 be yourself contiHuahy oolh-
right and have others always deterninedly oo'ns
wrong in return must bring you 70 tne CON
clusfon that. while your good intentions remain
the same, Yet your DONG IlSlI' mus ~
some other method
Tbs Golden Rule is not the shifting expression
Of = sappv and soft sentiment. but the sraho
purpose and practical result contempidteo III II
are that YOU teach your fellow men Ioroed g.
natfence and righteousness by exhinition oI Cne97
and other good qualities in your own ne nc
YOU strive first to win them by unconqueraole Slno
ness. but If your fellow men will not pe nlo.eo
or fail to understand the motives foT such ni7
of conduct and are always returning evil to'
zood .LAn The very same Golden Rule DEMANDS
q change in your conduct. and cornrlahos you NJ
longer to forbear but 10 adopt other ne'heoS.
You know that II you were in tneT case an
rhev in YOURS thev would adopt measures OF gov
ernrent and employ force in competing you -
observe the Golden Rule
That rule does not counsel you 70 treat F1iplnos
invariably after nlIIk-and-water methods. 20 ex-
-Tfr 10
.,5 soof7 now. there's dear nice Filipino our
II counsels and commands the use or autnorIS
and power for correction and instructoh II a.
rtgh- vsvs. and although be put in such risnt
Vavs NAV TO them seem mot Joyous but grievous
,-.+ sftsrva-d il worketh the peaceabie fruit OF
righteousness unto them that are exercised 'here-
BY" -,
Er+ the apti-fnnperialists will none Of this
Avsv with such paternal counsels; II is tne pos
-a-s{o, ~ liberty that alone insures fun and IN
mediate knowledge % liberty; our fathers OF 'Ile
Anglo Saxon line attained such knowledge tlroueh
e,cb rossesson and therefore all other peopies
should be left attain IL in the same way ia'
IS the counsel Of destruction
The free peoples Of the earth came 20 their pres
ent condition and enlightenment only tnrousH
centuries Of oppression and fighting. and tney
ra1ed their liberty and present enjoyment OF LIee
mans risht= oulv after many repeated failures ana
Passing through = thousand experiences OF despot-
ism, anarchy and boodshed. And 1t IL srter thls
manner and this line that the ann-HnPer ldlS'S
=
dence at once have them pass over the same
course orr centuries OF experience are worth noth
,,g. n,hat We have learned through ages OF ulal
- ,rr-az~ion does not signify a particle
v-t+b 1bA histories of those three little powers II
-b Cs-tbbean plainly before their eyes, they Still
,,orzi=+ in rereating their owlish provero; WIN
--sassfo7 Of liberty alone comes knowledge OF Ho-
60, How liberty has worked out IN san 10
,,t-g, I4avtf and Cuba is OF account whatever
=. ~ z+.,rd-pat anti-imperialst- He hugs MS
t,,,,e theories very close. and thus shows now
sadly he is lacking in this instance IN ihe 0oi'
7,,ouss1 OF political common sense
Pm, having begun in advocacy OF false poilJcaL
si+fcn WITHOUT regard to consistency and In race
= IN - v-orId's experience. he cannot now mink
. ,...i-e- +l,a conclusions Of ordinary common
- NV for the purpose OF maintaining an issue
- e,-a in the future part Of the oattle ground
- - ,.+t,,I rartv he is fair keep on in his
sa,a-to--s methods and a political dogma
mon a perverted application Of the GoioeH F'"i7
and Ten Comma ailments
"a o,,ars that we stolen the hoertles OF 'Ie
r-I,,~os They had no liberties 10 be stolen on
- 10 that Dewey entered Manila Bay Ihey
- rs,4 in bondage and dense ignorance oS Ile
-,-,ar,r which he drove out And we are no"
- then, how 20 use that kind OF lndepen-
,. ,-tirb alone will worth something 20 theih
- tbe,- ,orre to the age OF political discretion
- - not the worthless and deusive thlng adVo-
- as independence BY the amateur statesmen
Of the anti-imperialist BODY --
Auburn y Y, Dec. 2. 1895