The U.S. bought the Philippines from Spain for $20,000,000 in 1898 as part of a peace treaty signed by the two countries in Paris after six months of military conflict. Spain was not keen at first, as they felt Manila surrendered and the Philippines should therefore not be claimed as a war conquest. They did not really have a choice, though--nor did the people of the Philippines.
Andrew Carnegie felt that it was an imperialistic move by the U.S. and felt the Philippines should be independent. He therefore offered to buy it from the U.S. for $20,000,000 and give it back to the Filipinos.
Carnegie explained why he disagreed so strongly with the annexation by the United States in an article called 'Distant Positions: The Parting of the Ways' and an excerpt from it reads: "Is the Republic, the apostle of Triumphant Democracy, of the rule of the people, to abandon her political creed and endeavor to establish in other lands the rule of the foreigner over the people, Triumphant Despotism?"
Unfortunately Carnegie's offer was never accepted and the Philippines were sold and bought like just another toy for politicians to play with.
