The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-06-02
wHAT Is a FrL1P1No crr1zEN /,

WHAT Is A FILIPINO CITIZEN:
Truth harmonizes with every fact IN
the universe, but a lie is out Of joint with
everything. SO intricate and far-reaca-
ing are the rami1cations Of the soc ~
order of things, that a false account CT
incidents concerning a single human be-
ing is sure to carry with it indub tale
proof of it's own origin.
The administration, backed by bare
majority Of the supreme court, has at
tempted to introduce into our system of
government policy totally at variance
with the genius of democratic common
wealth. while at the same time holding
fast to democratic principles and the
traditions and precedents of the nation
They have attempted TO introduce INTO
the symphony Of popular government the
discordant bars of imperialism without
disturbing the harmony Of the whole.
The task is all too great for human in
genuity. In the very nature OF things 1t
cannot be done. The attempt Of Justice
Brown to graft upon the stem OF
democracy the scion of an imperialistic
policy is no doubt the best effort Of which
the human mind is capable, but even the
abundant salve of sophistry which he
uses does not cover the ugly joint.
The administration and Justice Brown
must begin to realize the force OF the
sentiment: ooh, what tangled web we
weave when first we practice to deceive"
In their eagerness to sustain the For
aker act, and thus preserve INTACT the
tariff schedule as laid down by the
Dingley BILL they lost sight Of the logical
conclusions which follow in reference to
the rights and duties OF the inhabitants
Of the acquired territory. Like the gsost
of Banquo, the disembod.ed shade of in
sular citizenship insists on occupying the
seat Of honor at the feast, while Mck1n-
ley, quaking with characteristic indie
locks at me, thou canst not say dill IT,
Already the question of the status OF
the Filipinos has asserted itself in
way to forcibly illustrate the absurdity
Of this illogical theory Of republieo-im-
periaIism The following dispatch speaks
for itself: 'f
LONDON, May 31.-The Filipino junta
in London sprung a surprise on Amba5-
sador Choate this afternoon. Felix Yer
counsel, DIR. Rigidor and Senior Jurado,
visited the embassy to get passport for
an European tour. Choate said: ~"
st am afraid | must refuse, as my pow
err to act in such capacity has not yet
been decided
DR. Rigidor came back with the query:
Then to whom shall we apply for pro-,
lection abroad? The Spanish embassy
referred us to YOU
ChOate replied:
Eyes, Spain is unable to help you.
bridged unless, perhaps, you are grant
ed a certificate showing that you are
Filipino citizens entitled to American
protection"
DO you refuse passports to residents
of present American territory" asked
Rigidor. The ambassador didn't reply
and Rigidor said: ~
IF we are not American citizens, what
is our nationality?
"Au Of these questions are for the SUI
preme court of the United States to de-
eide" said Choate.
Can a Filipino or a Porto Rican be
guilty of treason? If he be not a citizen
of the United States and entitled to the
protection afforded by the constitution,
what is his status? If he suffer ind:gnity
at the hands Of a foreign government,
will the army and navy of the United
States be called upon, if necessary, to
vindicate his rights under the Stars and
Stripes2
AS DR.. Rigidor aptly asks, eff we are
not American citizens, what is our ma
tionality?" If we are not citizens, are we
subjects? If subjects, what are our
rights and what are our duties? Who IS
our master? Shall we look to the execu-
tive of the great republic for instructions
and protection, or are we to depend
upon the uncertain action Of congress?
Can this congress or the executive I'm
pose upon our territorial inhabitants OBJ
legations and taxes without representa-
ton in that congress or without the or.
binary guarantees of American citizens?
To adopt the language Of Chief Justice
Fuller in his dissenting opinion in the
Downes case, 1--WE cannot believe that
congress has the power to keep it porto
Rico), like a disemhodied shade, in an
intermediate state of ambiguous exist
ence for an indefinite period"
The curtain has just risen on this
farce-tragedy-th trouble has just be-
gun.