Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-04
THE EVENT OF TODAY
MILITARY DOMINATION IN THE
PHILIPPINES SUPERSEDED.
Effect on Elections - Islands Can u
Kept With Honor and
Justice.

Four years ago today the people were
celebrating the victory of Santiago, which
marked the beginning of the end of the war
with Spain and the commencement of the
solving of the Philippine problem which
that war devolved upon this country Today
has it's events for the futures anniversary
use-the Presidents proclamation declaring
the Philippine instruction at an end and
establishing civil government in the is
lands. superseding military domination.
Wide political significance attaches to the
act of the President and to the action Of
Congress which he executes. The cable dis
patches from Rome announcing Gov Taft's
negotiations with the Vatican for the dis
position of the friars lands in the Philip
pines are also considered Of interest in that
connection.
The echoes Of the outcries of the scuttle-
policy advocates in Congress have hardly
died away in the Capitol before the United
States government establishes in the Philip
pines measure of civil government and
personal liberty which is UNNECESSARILY SUI
peror to anything which would follow a
regime of Independent Filipino absolutism.
Effect of Civil Authority.
The superseding of military authority by
civil government will, in the opinion of re-
publican politicians, attract favorable at
tention in this country, and will refute the
dark and fearsome prorheSies which were
INDUCED in by the scuttle- policy advocates
In Congress during the past session. 1t is
their firm belief that thoughtful people the
country over will be impressed with the
wisdom of the policy inaugurated and be-
ing carried out by the party in power in
Congress. They insist that it is the deep
seated desire Of the great mass of the peo-
pie to keep the Philippines, if they can be
kept with honor and justice, and they are
confident that the practical working out of
the policy now being undertaken will be
proof positive that they can be kept with
honor and justice.
In the opinion of some of the most eX-
perienced republican politicians the situa-
ton in the Philippines will be so improved
and so patiently beneficient by the time the
fall elections approach. that campaign ora
tors will be met with pish. tush from the
audience when they try to work up an ad-
verse sentiment.
The democrats, however, seem inclined
still to harp on the old string. Senator Car
mack of Tennessee, interview this
morning said that the investigation of the
army by the Philippines committee should
nave been continued through the recess.
He insisted that the testimony left unheard
by the committee is far more, important
than that which was developed land would
tell of greater outrageS than have been
brought out up to date
SSOIAoIAOAo " I'LL IAC tdL1CdA.
The politicians in Washington are follow
Ing with great interest the outcome of
Governor Taft's negotiations with the
Vatican. They think that if he is success
full it will have important political bearing
in this country, as demonstrating the wis
dom of American sovereignty over the
island as against a Filipino autocracy. In
the outset it was asserted that one impell-
Ing reason for the assumption of authority
by this government was the necessity for
the setting up of a responsible government
in place of the one the United States was
destroying.
Al that time little was known here Of the
friars question, or the value of the prop
erty of the Church of Rome in the Philip
pines. Enough has been learned since how
ever, to convince every one that, in view of
the feeling against the friars among the
natives, the church would have forfeited
everything.
This government having assumed respon-
sibility for the exercise of justice and fair
play to every one in the Philippines now
proposes to meet the demands of the Fill
pinos to be relic wed from domination hate
full to them, and at the same time to see to
II that the friars lose not a cent of their
legitimate material property.
That is another one of the practical
workings-out of the Philippine problem
which the republicans propose to put before
the country.