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About The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 26, 1900)
SUPPLEMENT TO The Northwestern Loup i ify, Nebraska The Question of the* Moor. t lesions Arriird at After Fitrnded FrrMuml I mnl Igat ion sru. Be»*r* edK« • t. rrat s{•«-«•■ h Delivered in the Senate January 9. 1900. The secretary read the joint resolu tion v li. f.Jtii-llnin^ the policy of the I nited States relative to the Philip pine Islands, as follow s; lie j re- tved t*v the Senate and House of !:* ioee!i!»:;ii-« of the I'ulted Slate* of Anicri ■a ti«< nrr* •** a*-• moled Thai the Philippine are lemtorv ef the Patted State*: that - the j.u-nu.m of the I'mted State* to retam it** a* * .« h and lot *tabli%b and maintain such » it .mental control throughout the archipel **-o a* the situation mat demand. Mr. BKVEH1 IH«E. Mr. President. I ; .iiit ■-* the Senate at this time because M-uators and Members of the House mi both sides have asked that 1 pive to * i nprr** anti the country my observa tions in tlie Philippines and the far Ks*t. and the ooncltisions which those • •Innerrations compel; and because of hurtful resolutions introduced and ut *• ■ ani e- made in the Senate, every word of w hich w ill cost and is costing the lives of American soldiers. Mr. President, the times tall forean- | <i**r. The Philippines are ours forever. ! '•territory belonging to the United Mates, as the Constitution t ails them. And uist beyond the Philippines are * hina's illimitable markets. We will liOt retreat from either. We will not :« piu! ate our duty iu the archipelago. We w. 11 i.ot abandon our opportunity in the Orient. We will not renounce «*ur part in the mission of our race, trustee, under th*d. of the civilization < f the world. And we will move for ward to * nr work. not howling out re gret* lik slates whipped to their bur tiers but with gratitude for a task worthy of our strength, and tlianks g a ng to Almighty Cod that He lias marked us as his eliosen people. hence - forth to lead iu the regeneration of the w orld. l‘Hlt.irriSt« fOMtUSD TUI'. PACIFIC. This island empire is the last ladnleft in all the oeean*. If it should prove a ii. stake to abandon it. the blunder or.ee made would be irrretrievable. If :t proves a mistake to hold it. the error >an be eorr**et«*d when we will. Every « 'tier progressive nation stands ready to relieve ua. But to hold it will If no mistake, our largest trade henceforth must be w.th Asia. The Pacific is our ocean. More and more Europe will manufae t ire the most it needs, secure from its * :< nies the most it ixm-umrs Where ► f all we turn for consumers of our sur p!us? Ceography answers the ques tion. < hina is our natural customer. >lu- is nearer to us than to England, t.ermauy or liussta. the commercial lo wers «.f the present and the future. They have moved nearer to China by securing p -rmanent bases on her bor ders. The Philippine* give ua a base at the door of all the East. Hines of navigation from our ports to thr Orient and Australia: from the -s|t.u. jtn canal to Asia; from all Ori cntal ports to Au~tralia. converge at and -ejmrate from the Philippines. Tl’f v art a self-supporting, dividend pa log fleet. permanently anchored at a spot selected bv the strategy of Prov ince. rummaMlio" the Pacific. And the Paeitie is the ocean of the com n* ice of the future. Most future wars will le conflicts for commerce. The (s.wer that rules the Pacific, therefore, .s the |M wer that rules the world. And. with the Philippines, that power is ano will forever be the American Re public. Vil t r OF I ill \ A s TRADE, f'h r.a s trade is the mightiest com •nejc a! fact in our future. Her for r gn niioiDFriv was f-.*^.',.73s..‘MK» in 181»7. «•! which we. her neighbor. had less tlian *.» pr tent, of which only a little 0 ore than lia f was merchandise sold to i hina by us. We ought to have aO percent, and we will. And < ItimTs for* gn couiiim ree is only beginning. Il«*r resources, her possibilities, her wants. nil are undeveloped, she has only Hu miles of railway. 1 rare seen trail s ;..»<#-<! w ith natives and nil the artivitiesof modern life alreaiiy ;*p ug ah ug the line. Hut she needs, and in fifty ; a > will have, 70,hJ> n »» of railway. ’-O can estimate her c« n.ir.ercc then" The state -man commits a crime a fra. n't \merican trade against the Ai..< :<?i grower of cotton and wheat at d tobte st. the American manufae tu « r of u;a tinerv and clothing—who fa.i-toput America where she may u>3irAM that trade, tGermany's Chi nrartradfe la tltNMiaf like magic, site bc.s established ship lines ami se • ».• a tan;. < '•* foothold on 4 hina's v. :v s. ,i Russia’s Chinese trade is gi ”«■ s.g b*-y« nd belief. Site is spend ing th r< n ninsof the Umpire to tin ’s.. * r : abroad into 1\ win itself, ant! *’ • *■ in physical pss-sdnn of the im I- jc»• > ncc of M: n-huria. Japan's 4 ;.;iie-c trade is multiplying in volume ami value, she is betiding her energy to her merchant marine, and is located a « ng < hina's very coast: but Manila is 1 ca «-r i l..na than Yokohama is. The Philippines command the commercial situation of the entire Hast. Can Am-tiea li--t traile with China from S; r: Francisco or New ^ ork? From -an Kr*o< isn. of course. But if San 1 r;* r <• . v.« »«* closer to China than New \ <»rk is to Pittsburg, what then? And Manila is nearer Hongkong than llaiana i- t«i Washington. And yet American statesmen plan to surrender th.s commercial throne of the tlrient w here Providence anti our soldiers' li«« ■* have placed us. When history comes to write the story of that sug p -ted treason to American supremacy and therefore to the spread of Ameri can civilizat ion, let her in mercy write that those w ho mi proposed were merely blmd and nothing more. ILKllK M A*D IMMENSE SIZE OF THE ist.Axn«. But if they did not command China. India, the Orient the whole Pacific for |w.rposrs of offense, defense, and trade, the Philippines are so valuable in therc •ciive* that wc should hold them. I have cruised more than 2 ,-*0 miles through tbe archipelago, ever* moment r surprise at its loveliness and wealth. I have ridden hundreds of miles on the islands, every foot of the way a revela tion of vegetable and mineral riches. No land in America surpasses in fer tility the plains and valleys of Luzon. l£ice and eoffe, sugar and cocoanuts. hemp and tobacco, and many products of the Temperate a> well as the Tropic , zone grow in various sections of the archipelago. 1 have seen hundreds of bushels of Indian corn lying in a road fringed with banana trees. The for es?*. of Negros, Mindanao. Mindora, Tainan, and parts of Luzon are invalu able and intact. The wood of the Philippines can supply the furniture of the world for a century to come. At < Vbu the best informed man in the island told me that 40 miles of Cebu's mountain chain are practically moun tains of coal. Pablo Majia, one of the most reliable men on the islands, con firmed the statement. Some declare that the coal is only lignite: but ship eapt ains who have used it told me that it is better steamer fuel than the best coal of Japan. 1 have a nugget of pure gold picked up in its present form on the banks of a Philippine creek. 1 have gold dust washed out by crude processes of care less natives from the sands of a Philip pine stream, ltoth indicate great de posits at the source from which they come. In one of the islands great de p »sits of copper exist untouched. The mineral wealth of this empire of the ocean will one day surprise the world. 1 base this statement partly on per sonal observation, but chiefly on the testimony of foreign merchants in the Philippines, who have practically in vestigated the subject, and upon the unanimous opinion of natives and priests. And the mineral wealth is but a small fraction of the agricultural wealth of these islands. And tlie wood. hemp, copra, and other products of the Philippines sup ply what we need and cannot ourselves j produce. And the markets they will ! themselves afford will be immense. Spain s export and import trade, with the islands undeveloped, was 8ll,r»34.' Till annually. Our trade with the islands developed will be $l?.1,000.000 annually, for who believes that we can not do ten times as well as Spain? Consider their imperial dimensions. Luzon is larger and richer than New York. Pennsylvania. Illinois, or Ohio. Mindanao is larger and richer than all New England, exclusive of Maine. Manila, as a port of call and exchange, will, iu the time of men now living, far ' surpass Liverpool. lieliold the ex- i haustless markets they command. It ! is as if a half dozen of our States were j set down between Oceanica and the ; Orient, and those states themselves un- j developed and unspoiled of their prirni- j tive wealth and resources. Nothing is so natural as trade with ' onr s neighbors. The Philippines make u> the nearest neighbors of all the East. Nothing is more natural than to trade with those you know. This is the Philosophy of all advertising. The Philippines bring us permanently face to face with the most sought-for cus tomers of the world. National pres tige. national propinquity, these and ) commercial activity are the elements of commercial success. The Philippines j give the tirst: the character of the American people supply the last. It is a providential conjunction of all the alements of trade, of duty, and of power. If we arc willing to go to war rather than let England have a few feet of frozen Alaska, which affords no market and commands none, what should we not do rather than let Eng- i land. Germany. Russia, or .lapan have all the Philippines? And no man on the spot can fail to see that this would be their fate if we retired. riUUPPIXE CI.IMATE. The climate is the best Tropic climate * iu the world. This is the belief of those who have lived in many Tropic countries, with scores of whom I have talked on this point. My own experi ence with tropical conditions has not been exhaustive: yet. speaking from j that experience. I testify that the cli mate of lioilo. Sulu. Cebu, and even of Manila, greatly surpasses that of Hongkong. And yet on the bare and burning rock of Hongkong our con structing race has builded one of the noblest cities of all the world, and made tlie harbor it commands the focus of the commerce of the East. And the glory of that achievement illumines with a rarer splendor than that of Waterloo the flag that floats above it. for from Hongkong's heights civiliz ation is irradiating all the Orient. If; this be imperialism, its final end will I Is- the empire of the Son of Man. Yet fifty years ago this English out post of empire was a smooth and tree less mountain, blazing like a ball of lire beneath the tropic suns. The Philippines are beautiful and rich, with the healing seas pouring round and through them and fanned In* a thousand winds. Even in the hottest season, under severest conditions, I found the weather tolerable and often delightful; and in Luzon. Panav, Cebu. Negros, and Sulu 1 have been in the ; sun and rain without protection from either for hours at a time, traveling from place to place on horseback, on ! foot * or in a boat, rising at dawu. re tiring at midnight, week after week, without injury to health. General Mae Arthur, commanding a force winch had been fighting continu ously for three months and which was under tire practically every hour, was in excellent health every time 1 saw him at San l-'crnando, our extreme front. General Lawton, that perfect soldier, whom I have seen ride, order, plan, and execute all day. and then ride, order, plan, and execute all night, until the Tagals named him “the soldier of the night." told me that his health was perfect, General Otis, that devoted servant of the Republic, who toils ceaselessly, does not fall ill. nor grow weary, nor complain. I could give the names of scores of our officers and de scribe their feats of endurance wit nessed by me that would have taxed their strength even in America. Yet they do not succumb. I liave seen cor respondents exert themselves in all kinds of weather without food or sleep in a way that would prostrate them in the hottest days of our summer in Chi cago or New York. Major Hoyt, chief medical officer with Mae Arthur, told me that San Fernando is as healthy as the average American town. The Eu ropean business men of Cebu. Iloilo, and Manila work as hard and as many hours a day as those of New York, and a finer body of physical manhood can not be gathered at random in America. This proves that this garden of the seas is not the sweltering, steaming, miasmatic swamp that it has been de scribed. CHARACTER OF THE 1’EorK—AGUIXAI.DO. It will be hard for Americans who ] have not stcdicc them to understand ! the people. They area barbarous raee, modified by three centuries of contact with a decadent race. The Filipino is the South Sea Malay, put through a process of three hundred years of su perstition in religion. dishonesty in dealing, disorder in habits of industry, and cruelty, caprice, and corruption in government. It is barely possible that 1.000 men in all the archipelago are capable of self-government in the Anglo-Saxon sense. My own belief is that there are not 100 men among them who comprehend what Anglo-Saxon self-government even means, and there are over 5,000. 000 people to be governed. I know many clever and highly educated men among them, but there arc only three commanding intellects and characters —Arellani. Mabiui. and Aguinaldo. Arellano, the chief justice of our su preme court, is a profound lawyer and a brave and incorruptible man. Ma bini. who. before his capture, was the literary and diplomatic associate of Aguinaldo. is the highest type of sub tlety and the most constructive mind that race has yet pnd.iced. Aguinaldo is a clever, popular leader, able, brave, resourceful, cunning, ambitious, un scrupulous. and masterful. He is full of decision, initiative, and authority, and had the confidence of the masses. He is a natural dictator. His ideas of government are absolute orders, im plicit obedience, or immediate death. He understands the character of his countrymen. He is a Malay Sylla; not a Filipiuo Washington. These conclusions were forced upon me by observing the people in all walks of life in the different islands, and by conversations with foreign merchants, priests, mestizos, pure Filipinos, and every variety of mind, charac ter. and opinion from San Fernando, in Luzon. on down through the entire archipelago to the interior of Sulu. These conver sations were had informally at dinner tables, on journeys, anti the like, and always under conditions favorable to entire frankness and unreserve. Their chief value is that they are the real j opinions of their authors and not pro- j pared and guarded statements. I will j read to the Senate salients points from ; a few of my notes of these conversa tions, reserving the names of the per sons interviewed, except that of Pablo Majia, of Cebu, who was assassinated a week after l met him. and whose fate : 1 will not risk bringing down on otli- j ers. Their names and residences are here in this book, and will be gladly given to any Senator or to the Senate in executive session. The conversa tions themselves, of course, are many of them quite extended. 1 give here only the brief extracts, which may be helpful to a correct understanding of the subject immediately in hand. Une of the principal merchants of the Philippines and the far Hast said, among many other things: The whole country is incalculably rich. With only ordinary pood government commerce would be immense. Spanish rule was corrupt, but commerce accustomed itself to the conditions and flourished in spite of them. So rich is the country that commerce will survive any situa ation. however bad. if H is only fixed and cer tain. The people are incapable of self-govern ment. The few exceptions are no examples of the masses. For years to come a very strong government will be necessary. The ciimate is very good. I have lived here eighteen years, and my health was never better. One of the principal business men of the Philippines and the far Hast said: I have no fault to find with the climate. Mv health is very fine. Business here, large as it is, is only a hint of what will be under a pood government. I think it folly to talk of giving the natives any part in the 'government. They are incapable. Of course there vre. possibly, half a dozen who might be capable, but I doubt the result of such an experiment, even with the best. Anything but a strong government at first will result in disaster. l*o not put courts into their hands at all. except the minor and t iilage courts, of courso. You might give them municipal self government in the smaller mu nicipalities. but even then only under careful supervision. The most emineut educator in the Philippines, of very w ide information about the people and the country, said: It is a most marvelous countrv. The climate is the ideal tropical climate of the world. Also, it presents every variety of climate. Only a moderate distance from Manila, in the province of Benguet. there are oaks, pines, frost, and you must use blankets at night. It is the richest anil most variegated portion of the earth's sur face. My health has always been good. You must introduce a strong, decisive, and pure gov ernment. The natives might possibly be |>er mitted to take a practical part in ma.iicip.il af fairs. Seif-government is out of the question. I fear the insurrection will last for months. The na tives are like buffalo bulls-they pet mad and then want to tight, no matter whether right or wrong. You cannot successfully deal with them by gentle means: they absolutely misun derstand such treatment. While in arms they must be fought, fought ceaselessly and remorse lessly. Otherwise they will keep it up forever. The most eminent scientist of the f.ir East, better informed on the Phil ippines and their people .and more ex perienced in the whole situation than anv man now living, said: The climate is the best tropical climate in the world. My health is excellent and has been for years. Nearly everything can be raised in the islands. Also nearly all climates can be bad in the various altitudes practically accessible. It will take a long time to prepare the people for self government. Certainly they are not so now. I think everything must for years be firmly controlled by the Americans. One of the larfre planters and busi ness men of the interior of Luzon, a pure Filipino, with iutimate relations with the insurgents: It is hard to say how long the contest will last. The very common people care little about the matter, but have been told and believe many bad things about the Americans. What Filipinos want is to govern themselves. No. of course, they do not know anything about gov ernment except that Spain gave them, which was most corrupt. If you gave those islands a government where justice would be adminis tered freely and without price, property pro tected. and free speech secured, you ask me if the common people would be satisfied. 1 do not know. The common people do not know what they want. Are they capable of self-government — of voting intelligently* What difference does that make? They would vote just exactly as the hotter classes say. 1 employ several hun dred men. Well. I expect ana would see to it that they have the same opinions l have. Humph: it would be impossible otherwise. What the Filipino leaders talk about and insist upon is a guaranty. By this thev mean Filipinos to have exclusive government in the islands, the United States to koep a fleet here to protect that gov ernment and the islands generally in every pos sible situation, and this agreement witnessed by a third nation, strong enough to compel the United States to carry out its contract. The people aro not capable of self-government, but the leaders are, or will be after some practice; so it is just the same thing. A pure Filipino, a physician, a man of wealth, in the interior of Luzon— one of the mosi intelligent men of the many I met and talked to: It is hard to say how long this struggle will continue. The leaders say they want indepen dence: the common people probably want so cialism. To be definite and particular, they probably do not know’ what they want. No, they are not capable of self-government. If you give them pure government, free speech anil all that, they would not understanp and appreciate it at first ; would not believe it. as it wrere. But when, after a while, three or four years, say. they come to understand your good inten tions arid actually experience good govern ment, there will bi? no trouble. Oh, yes; the islands are marvelously rich. After good gov ernment is once in operation, they will pay their way many times over My people are not a bad people; they don t understand; they are children yet. The principal British merchant of Iloilo said: The climate is simply splendid, even here on tlic sea. A very short distance inland you must have tire every night. I have been here more than twenty years, and my health is and al ways has been most excellent. The only time 1 ever fell heat badly was in New York last Sep tember. It goes without saying that the coun try is enormously rich. Its resources have not yet even begun to be developed. Vast as com merce is or was. it is only a suggestion to what maybe. The natives are a kind, affectionate people when properly treated. They are suspi cious. though, and cnee aroused, very obstinate. Surely they are capable of self-government in municipal matters. Further than that I think it not safe to go at present. The common peo pie probably do not understand the meaning of self-government as we do. There is no doubt that they would be com pletely dominated by their leaders. I should think it a very risky business to put the courts in the hands of the natives, even if you allow them a large measure of self-government other wise. You see: they do not understand the just and pure administration of law through courts. How should they? The whole secret of your success will be to adopt some definite plan, stick to it. govern justly and firmly, be patient, do not expect everything in a day, and very gradually and wisely introduce them into the government. But all will fail if you send any but pure and incorruptible men here. A higb\v educated and bright Span ish mestizo, claiming' to be pure Fili pino, employed in Iloilo, said: No one can tell when the lighting will cease. It all depends upon what Aguinaldo says. The common ]>eople have absolute faith in him His order among those now in rebellion in this isl and would l>c promptly obeyed. The common people sav they are fighting for their independ ence. They mean by this the right to manage their own government; make and execute their own laws. Their ideas of a proper relation be tween the Philippine Islands and people of the United States is that of a protectorate. The leaders absolutely control the people. A man of property expects his working people to have the same opinion as he has. i do myself. It is. perhaps, true that the masses do not un derstand whai self-government means. 1 thin!; that that th**re arc enough capable and educated men among our people to control government, but 1 do not believe that the great m iss of the people are at all fitted fer self-goverumont now and will not be for a long time. You should have uniform laws over the entire archipelago. If you have one thing at one place anti another at another place, each will think and say that the other is better treated, and you wiii have constant and serious disturbance. Already the people of this i-;a.id are very angry because Ne gros is given a United .Stab's constitution. That is a profound mistak". Don't experiment. Se lect your plan and execute it. English ought to be niyde the one lunguge of the island. A rich planter of Panav. pure Kill- j pino, but moderate iu views, saitl: The common i>copic have no opinions and arc not capable ot voting. If the Filipinos estab lished a government, of course the property and educated class would, beyond doubt, run -uch government. Not more than '15 per cent of the people are fitted to take part in the selection of public officers. The-people are ut present in capable of self-government, though they might be intrusted with purely municipal affairs. Es tablish precisely the same laws through the archipelago. English should be universally taught. The common people know and care nothing about self-government or any other government. Th?y an' principally interested in simply liv ing. Self-government can only mean government by the upper classes. A prominent but very conservative business man of Panav: * You may be a long time subduing this insur rection. The people are not yet capable of self- 1 government in the archipelago. It is well, i though, to trust them with muhicipal adminis- | tration provided everything is under your final : superv ision. The proposition to have the same 1 commercial laws everywhere is to plain for ar giim^nt. The dim it? is not bad at all. You see that for yourself. It is very cool here, you set', this evening. My own health has been ex cellent. and is now. There is very little sick ness among the English here. A leading1 mestizo of Negros: The island of Xegros is far ahead of any other i island in the culture of its people. Our chief de : sire now is to get utterly away from Spanish ' customs, laws, and traditions. I think we are ! quite capable of self-gov eminent under American protection. If the Philippine islands are made into a Federal system we would expect to be one of the States. * Certainly we can manage the local affairs of the island. Exclusive of the savages of the mountains. I should say that 1 or 5 per cent of the people are now capable of in teiligeniy voting. I think, the voting should be by those who own property, can read and write, or are established householders and heads of families, with defi nite residences. I would tiud out who should vote by having a committee in each town make out a list and thfiu notify the ones chosen. Cer tainly I would exp" -t th? common people to follow the solv ice of tli • leaders and vote for whom the leaders said. 1 should tniuk my own employes would take my view of a situation. If you give us a government where justice is ad ministered without corruption or delay, proper ty protected without a fee. free speech injured, commercial language provided, the people will be sntistied. Spain d*d non? of this, but the reverse. That is. and was. our complaint. English should be immediately made the language of the whole archipelago. I do not think the same political lsws should prevail throughout the islands. One place should have laws adapted to it: another, laws adapted to it. The reason for this is that the people of the various islands are of different degrees of culture. Or course, though. I think the whole archipelago a commercial j unit. Pure Filipino and large planter of Ne gros: I have working for mo about 400 men. They are good, average examples of th*- common peo ple of the island. 1 should say that not over 3 or 4 per cent of them are capable of self-govern ment or in any true sense understand the term. If the ballot were given them, or even if it were restricted to those 3 or 4 per cent. 1 should ex pect them to vote as the leaders might indicate. I think the English language should bo imme diately adopted throughout the entire archipel ago. It would simplify matters incalculably. No, I do not believe t te same laws should prevail everywhere. We of Negros arc more cultivated than in Pat.ay. We deserve better laws. Very hnfre planter and influential man of Negros, claiming to be pure Filipino, but with some Chinese blood: The climata is most excellent. The wealth of these islands is beyond imagination. We have only begun to develop our resources. For <x amplc, we have not touched our minerals prac tically. Lands you see yonder are really better for agricultural purposes than this low. tiat const land. No: it is not yet occupied, and the title to it is still in the government. 1 have several American plows. They do good work. We do not use more because they are uot brought to us. The native plow lias served our purpose and our inertia makes it in convenient to change, if effort is necessary. Yes; enterprising agency would sell many plows. I have several carriages made in Ameri ca. 1 have from 1.000 to 1,900 men working for me. Of these practically all arc capable of self-government. Would they vote as I wished? Most assuredly they would. By all means make English the language of these islands as speed ily as possible.lt will increase commerce and get us farther away from the old aud hated re gime. I regard these islands as a commercial unit, and think uniform laws should prevail through out the archipelago. Your young men could come here and buy land and soon get rnormoii' ly rich. Yon need not fear that we leaders would be able to control elections. The government itself would nominate ell the officers or candi dates: so vou sec. the people would have to vote for good men. What would I do if any man spoke against or criticised the government? Why. anyone rising against the government would be'tried and shot if condemned. Pablo Majia, pure Filipino, rich. able, honest, and moderate. He was stabbed to death in Cebu, and this is why I withhold the names of the others: I do not think anyone could ask for a better climate than this. It is much better than Hongkong. The resources of this island have not begun to be developed. Our coal is very good, much better than Japafl coal. There is copper too. on this island, not yet worked. I am sorry to say that very few of our population are capable of self-government. Of course the wealthy and educated classes are entirely competent to run the government, I do not expect u >r desire any government ex cept one founded on and directed by America. Oh. ves: to such extent as the ballot maybe given, there is no doubt that we of the upper classes can control. I employ 100 men now—in good times more. All these would vote as I say. An educator of Cebu, who lias lived amonp the Filipinos for twenty-five years, and one Cf the ablest men 1 ever met: For general health and for all human condi tlons I consider this climate unexcelled in the world. When I left Europe twenty-live years ago and came here my health was wretched. Here I am never ill. The resources of these isl ands are simply marvelous. Think of the agri cultural richness of Negros; Think of the min eral wealth of Cebu. For 40 miles this chain of mountains back of us is one continuous coal mine. The coal is excellent. It is far better than the Japan coal. And there are very rich copper deposits over yonder; nobody ever worked \h*tm yet- There is gold here. too. Here. I rill make you a present of this gold dust; it was scooped up front one of our streams here. It proves the existence of very heavy de l«tsits at the point from which these fragments were washed down, in another Island there are very rich gold deposits. I.et me present you v, itit this nugget. It was picked up just as you see it. 1 have seen nuggets from there 8s large as your thumb pure, solid gold. Why arc they not worked? Oh. we have been so far out of the world, you know, the world has forgotten tis. And. then, the strange apathy of the Span ish Got eminent and people. Hut that is all good luck for you. These jx'ople are not capa ble of self-government. That ought to be ap parent to auv thoughtful person. They are strangely childish. They do not themselves understand clearly what they are lighting for. Independence to the common people means an archy. or. rather, socialism. To the upper classes it means rule and domin ion. If the ballot were placed in the hands the of people, they would vote as their leaders said. It would be well to make English the language of all the islands but. dear me, what a fearful time you will have teaching it. Why, my dear friend, we have Jieen teaching them Spanish fur three hundred years working hard, too— and yet they sneak it very badly even now. They arc not bright: really, they arc stupid. They resemble very much the caribou. They learn with great difficulty. Come into the islands with practical common ->ense. not scholastically, theoretically, or experimentally. The islands can be made a griui blessing to you. and you to : them, and they also can be made a great curse. A gentleman living in Suln and who has spent his entire life in various tropical countries said; The resources of these Islands are not even guessed. This land we stand on grows cocoa, sugar, rice, coffee, and hemp, and all of the fin est quality. As to the health the conditions at e perfect. I am thoroughly acquainted with Asiatic and Pacific Tropics, and 1 consider this the ideal climate of them all. I hope you are not contemplating such a thing as self-govern ment for the archipelago. It would be a hide ous mistake. They are utterly incapable of participating in government, May be in some place' municipal government, might, to a limited extent, be put in the hands of the more competent natives, but even then. I fear, it would work badly. But government of the archipelago bv natives would mean contin uous civil war. I want you people to succeed but you will ignominiously and frightfully fail if you put up a weak or a half hearted govern ment Imre. I have spent my life lien', in Bor neo. Java. Straits settle,m'uts. and other such places, and 1 know this people thoroughly. You have u glorious opportunity here and you must not ruin it. I will close these few extracts, which are a fair sample af a great number of others, all of whieli I am willing to submit to the Senate at any time, by reading a few suggestions made to me by the lirst statesman of the far East, who had had practical experience with similar problems. In the course of a long interview he said. You must establish government over the isl ands. because it is incalculably to your interest in the future, amt because, if you do not. an other power will undoubtedly tuke them, in volving the world in a war for which you will be responsible. As to the form of government, you should have a governor-general of great ability, firm ness, and purity: under him subofficors of dis tricts, and nnder them still lower officials for the municipalities, all appointed by their su periors and not chosen by the people. You should employ the ablest natives in the Gov ernment service in some wav so as to enlist them on your side. The courts are the most important consideration of all. Don't put the natives in charge of them whatever else you do. In the armed forces, don’t give any native su perior position for a long time. Den t do too touch for them in the beginning. Do it grad ually. as the years go by. 1 think your course is clear. Don't treat with them until you de feat them. You must do that. You can not treat and fight. Make English the language of the courts, schools, and everything else. Get me impress on you the necessity of conferring vour benefits on ihem (|U>te gradually. If you give them too much they can not appreciate nor understand nor rightly use it. and it will thus be thrown away: but if you give them th» blessing of free institutions gradually, you furnish a source of constant gratitude, lathe other way you ex haust yourself at the beginning, aad besides fail in your good intentions. WE WILL HOLD IT FAST. AND HOLD IT roKEVl K. Here. then. Senators.is the situation. Two t ears ago there was no land in all the world which we could occupy for any purpose. Our commerce was daily turning toward the Orient, and geog raphy and trade developments made necessary our commercial empire over the Pacific. And in that ocean we had no commercial, naval, or military’ base. To-day we have one ot the three great I ocean possession of the globe, located , at the most commanding commercial, naval, and military points in the east ern seas, within hail of India, shoulder to shoulder with China, richer in its own resources than an3' equal body* of land on the entire globe, and peopled by a race which civilization demands shall be improved. Shall we abandon it*.' That man little knows the common people of the Republic, little understands the instincts of our race, who thinks we will not hold it fast and hold it forever, administering just government bv simplest methods. We mav trick up devices to shift our burden and lessen our opportunit3*: but they* will avail us nothing but delay. We may* tangle conditions l.y applying academic arrangements of self-govern ment to a crude situation: their failure will drive ns to our duty in the en 1. MM.ITAKY SlTl'ATIOX—OTIS PEFKXPED. The militay situation, past, present, and prospective, is no reason for aban donment. (’nv campaign has been as per feet as possible with the force at hand. Wo have been delayed, first, by a fail ure to comprehend the immensity of our acquisition: and second, by insuf ficient force: and. third, by our efforts for peace. In February, after the treaty of peace. (Jeneral Otis had only 3.7-~* officers and men whom he had a legal right to order into battle. The terms of enlistment of the rest of his troops had expired, and. they fought voluntarily and not on legal military compulsion. It was one o' the noblest examples of patriotic devotion to duty in the history of the world. Those who complain tlo so in igno rance of th<* -eal situation. We at tempted a gr. »t task with insufficient means: we became impatient that it was not finished before it could fairly be commenced: ami 1 pray we may not add that other element of disaster. 1 pausing in the work before it is thor oughly and forever done. That'is the gravest mistake we could possibly make, and that is the only danger be fore us. Our Indian wars would have been shortened, the lives of our soldiers and settlers saved, and the Indians i themselves benefited had we made con tinnous and decisive war: and any other kind of war is criminal because ineffective. We acted towards the In dians as though we feared them, loved ! them, hated them—a minglingof fool ish sentiment, inaccurate thought, and paralytic purpose. Let us now be in structed by our own experience. This, too, has been Spain's course in the Philippines. I have studied Spain's painful military history in these isl ands. Never sxifficient troops: never vigorous action, pushed to conclusive results and a permanent peace: always treating with the rebels while they fought them: always cruel and corrupt when a spurious peace was arranged. This has been Spain's way for t hree hundred years, until insurrection has become a Filipino habit. Never since Magellan landed did Spain put enough troops in the islands for complete and final action in war; never did she in telligently, justly, firmly, administer government in peace. At the outbreak of the last insurrec tion, in August, 1890, Spain hud only 1.500 Spanish soldiers in all the Philip pines. and TOO of these were in Ma nilla. In November of that year she had only If* *-K) men. The generals in command of these were criticised and assailed in Spain. It is characteristic of Spain that the people at home do not support, but criticise their generals in the field. The Spanish method has always been a mixed policy of peace and war. a contradiction of terms, an impossible combination, rendering war ineffective and peace impossible. This was Compo's plan. It was Blanco's plan. Those who would make it our plan Jwill inherit Blanco's fate and failure. TRUK MILITARY TOLICY. Mr. President, that must not be our plan. This war is like all other wars, it ueeds to be finished before it is stopped. I am prepared to vote either to make our work thorough or even now to abandon it. A lasting peace can be secured only by overwhelming forces in ceaseless action until univer sal and absolutely final defeat is in flicted on the enemy. To halt l>efore every armed force, every guerrilla band, opposing us is dispersed or extermi nated will prolong hostilities and leave alive the seeds of perpetual insurrec tion. Even then we should not treat. To treat at all is to admit that we are wrong. And any quiet so secured will be delusive and fleeting. And a false peace will betray us: a sliam truce will curse us. It is not to serve the pur poses of the hour, it is not to salve a present situation, that peace should be established. It is for the tranquillity of the archipelago forever. It is for an orderly government for the Fili pinos for all the future. It is to give this problem to posterity solved ami settled; not vexed and involved. It is to estab lish the supremacy of the American Republic over the Pacific and through out the East till tne*end of time. It has been charged that our con duct of the war has been cruel. Sen ators. it has been the reverse. I have been in our hospitals and seen the Filipino wounded as carefully, tender ly cared for as our own. Within our lines they may plow and sow and reap and go about the affairs of peace with absolute liberty. Anti yet all this kind ness was misunderstood, or rather not understood. Senators must remember that we not dealing with Americans or Europeans. We are dealing with Orientals. We are dealing with Orient als v. ho are Malays. We are dealing with Malays instructed in Spanish methods. They mistake 'kindness for weakness, forbearance for fear. It could not be otherwise unless you could erase hundreds of years of sav agery. other hundreds of years of Orientalism, and still other hundreds of years of Spanish character and cus tom. Ol'R EFFORTS TO SECURE PEACE. Our mistake has not been cruelty; it has been kindness. It has been the application to Spanish Malays of Meth ods appropriate to New England- Ev ery device of mercy, every method of conciliation, lias been employed by the peace-loving President of the American llepublic, to the amazement of nations experienced in Oriental revolt. Before the outbreak our general in command appointed a commission to make some arrangement with the natives mut ual ly agreeable. I know the members of the commission well—General Hughes Colonel Crowder, and General Smith moderate. kindly, tactful men of the world: an ideal hotly for such negotia tion. It was treated with contempt We smiled at intolerable insult and insolence until the lips of every native in Manila were curling in ridicule for , the cowardly Americans. We re frained from all violence until their armed bravos crossed the lines in viola tion of agreement. Then our sentry shot the offender, and he should have been court-martialed had he failed to shoot. That shot was the most fortu nate of the war. For there is every reason to believe that Aguinaldo had planned the attack upon us for some nights later. Our sentry's -Jiot brought this attack prematurely on. He ar ranged for an uprising in Manila to massacre all Americans, the plans for which, in a responsible officer's hand writing. are in our possession. This shot and its results made the awful scheme impossible. We did not strike till they attacked us in force, without provocation. This left us no alterna tive but war or evacuation. WORK OF THE COMMISSION’. The patience of onr peace-loving President was not even then exhausted. A civil commission was sent to Manila, composed of the president of one of our great universities, a distinguished diplomat and an eminent college pro fessor who had special knowledge of the country and people and also Cea eral Otis and Admiral Dewey. These men exhaused the expedients of peace, and always were met with the Mala\'s ready evasion, the Spaniard's habitual delay. I am personal witness that n » * xfort was neglected by our commission to assure the Filipino people of our good intentions and beneficent pur poses. The commission entertained the mestizos of Manila in a way that would have honored the Senate "of the United States: the brown faces of the common people sneered. The com mission treated natives, accustom'd to blows, with kindest consider;:*.. a: the agents of Aguinaldo told tales of our pusillanimity to the ignorant rmal masses. This remarkable man -.mi fo called commissions, ostensibly to feat, but really to play with ours, ilis commissions were composed of generals in uniform. The populanee gaped in open admiration when they apoearod in Manila. Our representatives , f peace talked to them, argu i with them, entertained them: th * nc< p’c were impressed with their imp; rte.ru President Schurman even rode wish them through the city. The in;;.-' es w(>re contirinetl in their reverence for the;r brottiers who were thus honored and distinguished. Then the be spangled representatives of the Malay dictator return to their lord, and the sole effect of these pacific efforts was to make ?:>0,000 natives in Manila think that the only way to win the respect of the American liepublic is to fight it. Xo. Senators, the friendly m. thods of peace have been thoroughly tri.nl only to make peace more difficult. The Oriental doe> not understan l our at tempt to conciliate. Every effort « our commission which did Its work j. Manila so earnestly, so honestU . so thoroughly, and which, with Ameri cans or Europeans, would have so bril liantly succeeded, only delayed tin* peace it attempted to ‘ha: tea. Thera is not now and never was any possible course but ceaseless operations in the field aud loyal support of the war at home.
