Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1900-02-22
THE JEFFERSONIAN IDEA.
Basis of the Reconime n dn tions of the
Philippine COM
mission.

IN Jnc nrSI ndlI Oh llS lull ltIOIb bilt
Philippine commission confronts the
.uti-eXpansionists with the recon-
mendation that at the very outset
there be granted to the people of the
Philippines larger liberties of self
government than jefferson approved
of for the inhabitants of Louisiana"
when the territory at that time known
by that name had been purchased by
the United States.
The commission believes that it will
be safe, eXpedient and desirable to
grant to the inhabitants of the archi-
pelago n large measure of home rule in
local affairs. Their towns should en-
10y substantially the rights, privileges
and immunities of towns in one of the
territories of the United States" says
the report. The provinces should be
turned into counties and vested with
substantially the same functions en-
Joyed by counties in the home terri
tories. The report goes into the de-
tails of the plan for such a form of
territorial government, which plan is
mcdelcd like all bills for territorial
organization which have been enacted
from time to time by the congress,
after the plan of organization which
III 1904 was adopted for the newly ac-
quired territory of Louisiana, of which
Thomas jefferson outlined the first
sketch and which he approved in its
completed form.
In this connection the commission
directs, attention to the fact that in
1908. when there was considerable diff
ference of opinion as to the DISPOSE
tion that should be made of Louisiana,
President jefferson evidently became
irritated by opposition within the ter
ritory to the plan of government pro-
posed fer it, for he complained that
although it is acknowledged that our
new fellow citizens are as yet as incap-
able of self-government as children,
yet some cannot bring themselves to
suspend its principles for single mo-
ment"
BE it remembered that this Thomas
Jefferson was the man whom the lit
tie anti-eXpansionists of to-day pre-
tend to regard as their great proto-
type.
The absurdity and impossibility of
the independent republic under
American protectorate" plan which
Aguinaldo is believed to have had in
mind and which Mr.. Bryan is advocat-
ing, are clearly shown by the commits
sion. Referring to the protectorate
proposition it says, in its report:
Under the chimerical scheme of pro-
oh ri cI1l hyv Aer11{ Doll In NJ
eigner lost his life or property through a
miscarriage of justice in a Philippine court
or in consequence of a governors failure
to suppress riot, then the United States
would be responsible for indemnity to the
foreigners government, without possess
ing the power of furnishing the offenders
or OF preventing such maladministration
or of protecting itself against similar oc-
currences in the future. Nor could the liza
bility to foreign nations be reduced without
permitting them directly to seek redress
and such a course would it is to be feared
speedily lead to the appropriation Of the
Philippine islands by the great powers, who
would not need to seek far for pretenses
for Intervention"
The report is so voluminous that il
is impossible to discuss even one part
of it--that relating to u form of gov
ernment that would be safe and salts
factory-in detail. In general, it can
be said that the plan is in accordance
with a precedent that was established
nearly a hundred years ago and which
| has remained mistaken and unques-
| toned until now, and that it holds out
to the people of the Philippines as lib
eral a portion of f-goyernment as
they could reasonably Xpect.-Albany
| Journal.