Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1900-09-07
Republican Inconsistency.

Mr.. Editor The Forty-third Congress
Ia Republican Congress,) presided over by
james u. Blaine as Speaker, oI February
10Th, 1910, (lS U. 5. Statutes at LARGE AMI nd.
| ed the naturalization laws so rs TO prohI bit
the naturalization thereafter OF ali races ex-
| cept the Caucasian and African. BY this
act the Indian, Monaghan and Malay races
were denied the privilege of ever becoming
citizens of the United States regardless Of
any qualifications they might possess. 1t will
be observed that the Filipinos were incl ded
among those who, under no circumstances
or conditions, could ever become citizens of
the United States.
There must have been some reason for the
enactment Of such statute, and the only rea.
son that can be given therefor is that Con
gress did not consider the prohibited races
as capable or susceptible OF being made
capable OF enjoying American citizenship.
II this was true then, is il not equally true
noWr The Filiplnos have made no such
progress since that tlme-nor does any one
claim that they have-as to render them
more lit now than then To be citizens OF this
country. Ii this be true, why bring ten
millions OF them within our borders.
II they never can become citizens, they
must be held as a subject race for all time to
come, and may we ask how this accords
with the professions OF the Republican party
in the pasIp May We ask how this accords
with the spirit Of our institutional 1t is in
direct conflict with the Declaration OF In.
dependence and the basic principles OF our
government
Ii We Can hold the Filpiuos In subjec.
ton, and our constitution is elastic enough
to justify II, why may 1t not be eventually
construed to permit the holding in subjec
ton any other races or peoples who are per-
manently located within our bordersY Is
not this policy an Open door to the entire
subverslon OF our free institutionsY Will
not this new departure lead TO an empire
Is II not time To call halt and consider
whittier we are drifting External vlgilence
is the price OF liberty" and II we allow our
selves TO De led on, step by step, httie py
little, in the direction of government not
founded upon the consent of the governed,
it will not be long until only the privileged
classes will be allowed TO share in the CON
troll OF our government.
1t has been urged that humanity demands
that we care for those people who are I'M
able to care Tor themselves II might be
commended that If they are unfit for American
citizenship, they are unfit Tor self control.
Although Republican Congress has de-
clared that they are unfit Tor American citi'
zenship in the act above referred TO, it did
not declare in said act that they were unfit
for seli-contro. While they may be unfit
for American citizenship, II does not follow
that they are unfit Tor Filipino citizenship
They belong to u different civilization from
ours, and they could doubtless exercise the
rights OF citizenship in their cOuntry in a
manner conducive 10 their b 81 interests
and give themselves a better government
than they have ever had in the past 1t is
not necessary that all peoples should pos
sess the intelligence of the American people
before the right of self-government is In
trusted To them. The American masses are
the most intelligent people on the face OF
the globe. General Grant, after his trip
around the world testified TO this fact. Ii
then we should conclude that no nation of
people should be allowed To govern them.
selves, whose masses are not rs intelligent as
ours, ii would then devolve upon US to under
take to govern the entire world. The mag
nitude Of such task is certainly sufficient
to deter us from making any such effort.
And the magnitude OF undertaking TO govern
the FiliplnOs should likewise admon:sh US
TO abandon It, especially when we sacrifice
Fundamental principle of our government
which may lead TO the final overthrow OF
our republic. Il