The Tucson citizen. [volume] (Tucson, Ariz.) 1901-1928, 1902-03-04
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT

Philippines, by the senate cuLlmlItce
has been highly educational. Governor /
Taft as president of the commission.
is better able to explain the intricacies
and mysteries of and reasons for the
laws winch he and his fellow commits |
sioners have enacted than anyone else.
The people who are opposed to the
whole Philippine enterprise are
strengthened in their views by the evil |
dence of Governor Taft. To begin at
the beginning OF our administration In
the Philippines, the deputation of a
commission to draft criminal and
civil code on winch to found local gov
eminent and place at their heads Of |
ficers of their own selection Is so
foreign to the American idea of popu-
lar government that the highly trained
legal minds OF the Senators who ex-
amined Governor Taft were confronted
by knotty problems to entangle II
they felt any desire to be guided by the
Constitution.
The Senators who examined Cover
nor raft have settled the fact that the
person who recites the immortal De-
claration of Independence in the Unit
ed States is acclaimed patriot and
enthusiastically applauded; in the
Philippines the same act Is one OF
treason and sedition," and the in
dividual so essaying is hustled off to
Jal to be grateful ii the gallows be
not his fate In almost the same breath
with this admission We are told that
education in the rudiments or self
government Is being given.
Senator Patterson of Colorado,
member of the committee that ex-
amined Governor TAFT, proved to be
very clever cross-examiner, and 1t
Is through his questioning the coun-
try learns that even that verbose yet
harmless publication, the Congressional
Record, which enjoys a wide and
: varied free circulation, is tabooed I'M
} der the commissions laws when it
contains speeches antagonlSric to the
administration policy. This Is carry
ing censorship to the full limit. 1t Is
practically admitted that the press of
} the archipelago Is muzzieG, but when
, an autocratic commission undertakes
} to pass upon the language OF the Off
cial publication of Congress the gaunt-
let on the Car hand looks like vel
, vet glove.
But it seems evident that not half
the Philippines has been told. From
, benevolence we have gone to cruel
. tyranny, and from assimilation TO a
r yoracious devouring which is followed
Y by chronic indigestion. Governor Taft
} confesses that it costs twice as much
e to support a government under the
/, Spanish, but as cost in treasure, BLOOD
4 and reputation seems not to figure witt
y the present administration possibly Il
o is just as well not to revert to this
o feature or an embarrassing SITUATION
/ The most vulnerable part of corpora
!, ton or individual makeup is tht
y purse. When this is full assault car
e be withstood for some time, but wher
Uncle Sam finds he has spent severa
e hundred millions of dollars in MAX
IS ing progress CALAMITY backwards h
V. may see the nonsense of 1t all and asl
e for relief.
IL Governor Taft vas an excellent wit
it ness from the view point of the OPP
" position Ito the Philippine enterprise
l. His heart evidently is not entirely il
l. accord with the work committed t
e, him. for he las sad he originally oi
'e posed holding The Philippines.