5
" The effort to subjugate the Filipinos has al
ready cost the United tates-$300,000,000, and it is
estimated that this un-American
imperialism effort is now requiring the ex
15 pendituro of $12,000,000 per
Expensive. month. ' The Philadelphia Times
says: "It is estimated that Great
Britain has spent more than a billion dollars on
the war with the Boers. An interesting fact Is the
Increasing cost of war. The wars of Napoleon for
thirteen years cost France a billion dollars. The
four years of civil war in the United States cost
four billions, or a dozen times more per year than
Napoleon's cost France. Now Great Britain has
spent in three years on a small war as much as
Napoleon spent in thirteen years in a series of
great wars. This, too, without the use of her navy
or contact with a great power."
Professor Wylie of the agricultural depart
ment seems to be afflicted with a defective mem
ory. The. other day he appeared
The Wylie before the ways and means com
ncmory mittee and denounced the propo-
15 Defective. sition to reduce the duties on
Cuban sugar 25 per cent. He was
quite sure that such a reduction would work un
told hardship upon the beet and cane sugar inter
ests of this country. Yet it is less than two years
since this same Professor Wylie appeared be
fore the industrial commission and declared that
"if today wo were to admit absolutely free from
duty every pound of sugar made in Porto Rico,
Cuba and the Philippines it would not affect the
progress of our beet sugar industry 4n this coun
try." It would seem that Professor Wylie has
seen a great light since then. Would he be will
ing to explain why and when he changed his
mind?
VN'S
Who is This
American
"Herso Expert?"
Major Arthur Lee, conservative member of
parliament, recently made some remarks in debate
. ., j . that demand, investigation and
explanation. Major Lee was
formerly military attache of the
British embassy at Washington.
During the debate in question he
stated that ho had secured the services of the chief
horse expert of the United States army as adviser
in purchasing horses for the use of the British
army in South Africa. "I secured this favor
through the good will of a high official," declared
Major Lee. Is this another sample of the "neu
trality" of this government? Major Lee has made
this assertion in open debate. He should bo com
pelled to give the name of this American "high
official." The American people have a right to
know it if their military servants are being used
to assist British agents In the detestable work of
assassinating a republic.
Former Postmaster General Charles Emory
Smith takes issue with President Schurman con
cerning McKinley's purpose- to
ward the Filipinos. It will be
remembered that Mr. Schurman
said that Mr. McKinley had inti
mated to him that independence
would ultimately be granted to the people of the
Philippine islands. Mr. Smith, through his news
paper, the Philadelphia Press, says: "It is safe to
say that President McKinley did nothing of the
kind." Mr. Smith explains: "He, Mr. McKinley,
wanted Dr. Schurman for the immediate occa
sion and Dr. Schurman met it with admirable
skill and ability. The statesman was dealing
practically with the exigent problem; the scholar
may have been theorizing and dreaming of the
remote future, and if he read his own conception
in the smile of the gracious, but wary and re
served president, it was not the first time such
mistakes have been made." Perhaps this provides
an explanation of the lack of harmony between
the statements made by Mr. Schurman while he
was on the stump in behalf of the republican party
"Wanted for tho
Immediate
Occasion.
The Commoner.
in 1900 and the statements made by the same gen
tleman In the speech recently delivered in Bos
ton. The administration "wanted Dr. Schurman
for the immediate occasion and Dr. Schurman met
it with admirable skill and ability' In other
words, however pronounced may have been the
opinion of Mr. Schurman, the scholar, concerning
the duty of this country to the people of our new
possessions, Mr. Schurman, as president of tho
Philippine commission, was persuaded to set aside
his convictions and "deal practically with the
exigent problem.' This, according to administra
tion interpretation, meant that on tho stump and
in newspaper interviews Mr. Schurman should give
expression to opinions with which, in fact, ho had
not the slightest sympathy. Many people are
beginning to suspect that Dr. Schurman Is not the
only conspicuous man whom the republican ad
ministration has "wanted for tho immediate oc
casion," and whom the republican administration
has persuaded to "meet it with admirable skill and
ability."
VS
Filipino
Much Like
Others.
A Nation
of
Demagogues.
In a newspaper interview Mr. Taft, governor
of the Philippine islands, says: "I have found
that tho Filipino is much like
any other man In one respect
fair treatment will have its ef
fect on him, and we are seeking
to show him that the only qual
ification required from him in order that he may
receive the most liberal usage is loyalty and good
citizenship' If the Filipino is "much like any
other man in one respect," may ho not be much
like any other man in several respects. And if the
Filipino is "much like any other man," may he -not
aspire to liberty as persistently as any other man
has aspired to liberty, even, indeed, as persistent
ly as our own forefathers aspired to liberty?
And if the Filipino is "much like any other man,"
may we hope to conquer him? May wo hope to
subjugate him? May we hope to force upon him a
-government with which he has no sympathy and a
sovereignty for which he has no love?
Tho St. Joseph News characterizes as "dema
gogues" all who ask that this republic express its
sympathy for tho Boers. If ex
pressions of sympathy for -people
struggling for liberty is
demagogy, then this republic
has had demogogues for presi
dent, and the republic itself was once the home of
several millions of demagogues. Not only did
President Taylor and congress express sympathy
for the struggling Hungarians under Kossuth, but
congress actually sent an American ship of war to
Turkey to bring Kossuth to this country. And
congress wined and dined the great patriot. But
that was before we had become a "world power;"
before we had become advocates of "benevolent
assimilation;" before we had become strenuous
friends of monarchies. If expressing sympathy
for a people struggling for the right to govern
themselves is "demagogy," then this republic
is made up of demagogues, but governed by men
who would rather dance attendance upon court
functions than associate with sturdy patriots who
love liberty well enough to die for it.
Dr. R. B. Hoyt of Detroit has commanded
public attention by a startling announcement. Dr.
Hoyt has decided that by the
year 2162 this world would be
populated by madmen. He points
out that during the last fifty
years the number of insane per
sons and fools has increased 300 per cent. He
asserts that this means, if the increase continues,
that the entire population of this country with
in 250 years will have gone insane. "Figures, the
logic of which -Is indisputable," says Dr. Hoyt,
"prove that the present generation is doomed un
less some sort of measures are resorted to." If
the good doctor is correct as to the facts, certainly
An Unpleasant
Yet Interesting
Statement.
his opinion that "something must bo dono" Is an
eminently correct one. Tho difficulty is that tho
doctor himself is In doubt as to tho course to be
pursued. Many strange and startling suggestions
have been mado by men of an Inquiring turn of
mind in recent years, but the assertion that tho
world Is soon to bocomo wholly mad is as unpleas
ant as It Is interesting. If tho republican party
claims credit for good times because It Is in power
how will it escape from responsibility for insan
ity produced during tho same period?
&$
Obstacles to
Important
Reform.
The Chicago Chronlclo thinks it has scored two
important points against tho report mado in tho
lower house in favor of an
amendmont providing for the
election of United States sena
tors by tho people, when it says:
"One cannot help wondering
whon he reads this remarkable document whether
its author took into account tho fact that tho pro
posed amendment cannot be submitted to tho leg
islatures of the states without tho consent of two
thirds of a quorum of the senate, and that it can
not very well become part of tho constitution
without tho approval of three-fourths of the leg
islatures." The Chronicle well states tho difficulty
of submitting such an amendment because many
senators, preferring tho present plan, would object
to tho popular idea. But so far as concerns tho
action of tho legislature, that is a difficulty that
may be readily surmounted. When tho proposed
amendment shall be submitted, Jf tho people really
want to change tho plan of selecting senators,
they will elect men to the legislature pledged to
adopt tho proposed amendment.
y$y
Democratic Party
Is
Aggressive.
Some have complained that in order to be suc
cessful a political party must take an affirmative
rather than a negative position
on public questions, and these
have contended that the demo
cratic party, so far as concerns
the question of imperialism, oc
cupies wholly a negative position. It is true that
In tho beginning of this new, strange policy the
democratic party was necessarily required to take
a negative position because protest against tho
proposed policy was necessary. But on this ques
tion the Kansas City platform was an affirmative
platform and many people are beginning to realize
that the position of tho democratic party on the
question of imperialism is not only an affirmative
position, but the only positive one. Independence
for the Filipinos was the policy outlined in tho
Kansas City platform. Independence for tho Flli
pins is the policy that is growing in favor today
among the American people. Independence for the
Filipinos, clearly an affirmative position, is a dem
ocratic rallying cry. The immediate promise of
ultimate independence will settle the Philippine
question.
CvN
The Boston Traveller, speaking of tho suc
cess which has attended the administration of
Mayor Mulvlhill of Bridgeport,
Laboring Men Conn., discusses the prospect of
In a new party. Mayor Mulvlhill
Politics. is a representative of the labor
element, being a stoker at the
time of his election. His honest and straightfor
ward methods have brought him Into great promi
nence and he Is now talked of as the democratic
nominee for governor. The Traveller suggests
that the nomination of a good man by a labor
party would be followed by his Indorsement by
the democratic party and that such a combina
tion might lead to success. While tho labor or
ganizations may not thin": It wise to become po
litical organization, laboring men must learn
sooner or later that the ballot box is tho place to
redress their grievances and that they have tho
power, if it is rightly exercised, to compel tho old
parties to recognize any just demand which they
may make. Even in Massachusetts the republi
can party can be overthrown If the labor vote will
join with the democrats. The Kansas City plat
form ought to be acceptable to the laboring men,
and those who stand upon that platform ought to
have no difficulty In co-operdting with the laboring
men to secure all needed reforms.
