Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1902-05-16
WASHINGTON LETTER.
tFrom our Regular Correspondent

WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From our Regular Correspondent.)
Washington, May 12.-"The bill re-
'orted by the Philippine Committee is
,ne of the most Ubiquitous measures
ever presented to a Congress OF the
United States" said Senator Dubois,
IF Idaho, yesterday when l asked him
his opinion of the bill itself. "By the
provisions of the bill commission,
of three men, is given the
most absolute powers over the FlliplnOS
and their lands. The edlcts of the
commission will become laws unless
they are negatively acted upon by
Congress and, even if Congress had the
time it would be impossible for it to
Judge of these edicts at this distance,
5000 miles away. These three men
can grant franchises to whOmever they
see fit and require In return for the
same such compensation or no COM
pensation as they choose. They can
lease land in immense tracts to corpo-
rations for whatever rental they de-
sire. They can grant the privileges OF
cutting timber to such corporations as
they may choose to befriend and on
such terms as they may be disposed to
make. 1t is ridiculous to say that
the democrats are opposing a step To-
wards the self government to which
they believe the Filipinos are entitled.
The democrats are doing all in their
power to save the Filipinos from be-
ing delivered to an oligarchy which can
sell them, body and soul, from whose
actions they have no redress, from q
despotic government in which they
have absolutely no voice.
"a careful reading of the Philippine
bill will convince any lntelligentperson
that the Philippine Commission, should
the bill become law. would have pow
ers that are today possessed by no Eu-
ropean ruler save, perhaps, the Rus
sian Gar. There are in the Philip
pines millions Of acres of rich agricul-
tural lands, more than there 1s IN the
United States west of the Missouri
River, and the other resources OF the
islands are beyond computation, and
so long as human nature remains hu-
man nature the delegation OF such
plenipotentiary power to commission
composed of a few favored individuals
Is bound to result in corruption. 1t
is folly to plead the high character of
the present commission. Its members
may all be dead in month. As gen.
eral proposition, it is evident that the
best men in the United States are not
going to fOrsake their homes and the1r
business interests and 60 to the Phi
lippines to administer the affairs of the
islands. The men who seek these pc.
sitiOns will be the usual class of place
hunters who regularly besiege the
President for positions which carry
handsome salaries. The passage OF
this bill will inevitably result in scan
dals from which the fair name of the
United States will long suffer-"
All last week In the Senate was spent
In debating the Philippine bill and the
prospects are that all this week will
be spent IN the same way. Senator
Dubois tells me that he expects to ad-
dress the Senate on the subject and
Senator Bailey told me that he would
probably 90 so. Senator Foraker will
speak for the republicans and probably
Senator Spooner. The democrats feel
| that they will be derelict in their duty
if they do not completely expose to the
public the situation in the islands and
| the probable results of the republican
policy which is un-American in every
detail.
There has been prevalent in Con.
gress grave suspicion that the affairs
of the War Department in the Philip
pines have been administered with q
lavish hand. The figures disclosed by
the vOluminous documents forwarded
| to the House in regard to the Pacific
transport service, and which were elicit
ed from the Secretary of War only by
the most peremptory resolution, i'm
mediateIy led to the belief that similar
methods had been pursued In the Phi
lippines and a resolution was passed
by the Senate calling for information
To this resolution Mr.. Root has replied
that he cannot furnish figures during
this session of Congress because they
are almost 1nextricably involved witt
other statistics of the department. L
such is the case. it is argued, the &C
counting methods Of the War Depart
ment must be sadly lacking IN system
but the more plausible explanation
and the one generally accepted, is thai
the Secretary realizes that the figures
will cast serious reflection on his par.
ty and that he has, in view of the ap
preaching elections, concluded to sup
press them for the present. His course
is literally condemned even by The
leaders OF his own party who argue
that the public soon forgets but will
not forgive being kept in the dark.