Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1901-12-06

Beers, or to feel an interest in their
struggles for liberty and self-govern.
ment. The indictment which the
Democratic party made against the
Republican administration was suffi-
ciently sustained by the events that
had transpired prior to the convention,
and the trend OF events since that time
has furnished overwhelming evidence
in support OF that indictment. Let
the Democratic leaders in the Senate
and House present this evidence in
their speeches so that it may reach the
entire country through the Congress.
sionul Record.
Why do the Republicans hesitate to
outline policy? The reason is sug.
gested in a portion of the platform al
ready quoted: "The Filipinos cannot
be citizens without endangering our
civilization; they cannot be subjects
without imperiling our form OF gov.
ernment."
The Republicans are not willing to
say that they intend to make the Fill
pinos citizens with voice in the con.
Quoting Of our (and their) federal gov
ernment. This would be to propose
heterogeneous government which
would ultimately fall to pieces because
of diversity of races and interests.
Feither are they willing to declare that
the Filipinos are to be kept subjects
forever, for this would be plainly in.
consistent with our form of govern
ment, our traditions and the we'll nigh
universal sentiment of our people.
When one understands that we must
put the Filipinos into training for ulti-
mate citizenship or condemn them to
perpetual servitude under a colonial
system; when one understands that
we must either hold before the Fill.
pinos the hope of full participation in
our government or doom them to de-
spair-when one understands this al.
Tentative he readily sees why the Re-
publicans refuse to divulge their pur.
pose.
The Democratic plan for the settle
ment of the Philippine question is
identical with the plan proposed by
the Republicans for the settlement of
the Cuban question, and the Republi-
cans cannot reject the Democratic plan
without showing some essential differ
ence between the rights Of the Cubans
and the rights Of the Filipinos. First,
= stable form Of government must be
established in the place of the one
overthrown by US, but it will be easy
to establish this stable government
when the Filipinos know that it is to
be their government. There would he
insurrection now in Cuba If we had
treated the Cubans as we have treated
the Filipinos; there would now be
peace in the Philippines il We had
treated the Filipinos ~ we have treat.
ed the Cubans. We have not scrupu-
lously observed the promise made to
tho Cubans, and yet the confidence
which the Cubans have felt in ulti-
mate independence has led them TO
submit even when our demands have
seemed unreasonable and unjust.
Independence 10 the desire and the
right Of tho Filipinos. II We denied
them independence and gave them
full citizsnship in our government it
might possibly be satisfactory to them,
although it would be dangerous to US,
but the Republican leaders do not
promise them citizenship in this gov.
ernment - substitute for an inde-
pendent government Of their own.
The Filipinos are not enjoying the
guarantees Of our Constitution; they
are enduring carpet-bag government
such rs the American people would
not submit 10. We are not giving the
Filipinos American liberty, American
institutions or an American Coustitu.
ton. We are giving them an arbi.
trary and despotic government, for a
government imposed by force and ad.
miuistered according to foreign ideas
is.always despotic. no matter how be-
nevolent may be the purpose Of those
who administer it.
In proposing protection from outside
interference the Democrats offer to the
Philippine republic the same guard
ianship which has been given to the
republics OF Central and South Amer
ica, guardianship that gives ~ the
smaller republics the protection of our
strength without making them the
victims OF our greed. For seventy-five
years the Monroe doctrine has been q
bulwark 10 the independent govern
ments which have sprung up to the
south Of Us. It has not involved Us in
any considerable expense. but it has
been immensely valuable both to the
wards and to the guardian. When
England recently asserted the right to
FIX arbitrarily the boundary line be-
tween her South American possessions
and Venezuela, it only required firm
but friendly warning from the United
States to prevent conflict and secure
equity and justice for Venezuela.
No nation in Europe would wage
war against the United States in order
to secure the Philippine islands, and it
ID doubtful if any Of the leading ma
tions Of Europe would be willing to al
low any other European nation to own
A.. DS,;1;nrsuo islanda