The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-03-13
LOPEZ EXPLAINS
Filipino Presents His Views to a
Philadelphia Audience

Philadelphia, March 13-Senor Sixto
Lopez, the native Filipino row visiting
the United States. last night addressed
a mass meeting of citizens of Philadel-
phia- having been invited by a score of
well known citizens, mostly Republicans.
Prominent among these latter were
Judge Ashman and former District At
torney Graham. The invitation re-
quested senior Lopez ito explain the
desires Of your cOuntrymen." This he is
peculiarly dtted to do. having been Sec
rotary to AgOncillo and the delegation
which came to Washington before the
outbreak Of hostilities. His address may
therefore be considered as authoritative.
The meeting was held in New Century
hall. The address was in part as fol-
lows:
The question Of Importance to the
people Of both America and the Philip
pines is not whether certain -hings were
done which many persons think ought
not to have been done It is not whether
certain promises were made, or alliances
entered into These questions are inter
esting and important, but they relate to
the past The question Of vital interest
has 10 do with the present and the fu-
ture-it is the question Of Philippine IN
dependence.
There are two aspects in which this
question can be viewed, that of right,
and that of fitness Have the Ffiipinos
a right to independence Are they fit
for independent self-government2 An
affirmative answer to either or both of
these questions viii settle those of sub
sidiary interest to which have briefly
referred.
Are the F'fliDinos fit for independ-
ence2 Who has right to be the judge2
That is a question to which there is
but one answer, namely, the Filipinos
themselves. Let it once be established
as a precedent that America or any
other nation has the right to judge OF
another peoples fitness for independ-
ence, and not only will the fundamental
principles Of human liberty be up
rooted, but every weak and struggling
nation will be placed at the mercy Of the
powerful and despotic- Had England
the right to judge of the American col
onists' fitness for independence Has
Russia the right to judge of Poland's or
Einnland'S or Bulgarfa's fitness for in
dependence Has England the right to
judge of midas or Egypt's fitness for in
dependence2 ] do not believe that there
Is a man in this audience or in the whole
Of America who VIII give an affirmative
reply TO these questions. Then I beg.
on behalf of the Filipinos. to add one
more question: Has America the right
TO judge of the FiIipinos' fitness for in
dependence2 You cannot answer the
former question and escape the latter.
You may try to evade It; you may
seek to arouse passion in order to blind
the reason. and stif1e conscience; you
may appeal to a false conception of
patriotism as to the hauling down of
the flag you may attempt to dazzle
the mind with glowing pictures of the
richness Of the acquisition. and the spoils
TO be gained; you may talk of 'benev-
olence;' Of destiny Of Providence Of
world power or Of anything else in the
heavens above OF the earth beneath. but
you cannot deny, without also denying
your own principles, that the Filipinos
like the Americans, are, and of right