Sunday Washington globe., 1902-03-30
The Philippine Bill.

The proposed Republican disposition of
the Philippine question will, it is stated,
soon be reported to the House from the
committee. The Democratic members of
the committee will also report a substitute
bill, and it is to this substitute we would
offer some observations.
The substitute, as we are informed, pro-
vides for the independence Of the people of
the islands and for an election as soon as
the President shall proclaim that the war
in the islands has ceased. Provision is
made for the drafting and adoption of a
constitution and for legislature. It is also
proposed that the Filipinos shall pay to the
United States the $40, 900, 600 which was
paid to Spain under the treaty of peace.
An important section Of the substitute pro-
vides that the United States Government
shall enterginto treaty agreements with all
foreign powers for an international neutral
ity for the protection Of the islands.
The minority will also ask the full COM
mittee to either bring to this country
Aguinaldo and other leading Filipinos who
have been denounced by army officers and
others as assassins, in order that they may
y have an opportunity to be heard in their
own defense. If the committee should de-
eide that this is not practicable, the minor
ity will ask that the committee be author
lied to visit the Philippine Islands during
the coming vacation in order that the Sen
ators may become personally acquainted
with the conditions in the islands.
This is the correct attitude from the
Democratic point Of view, aud it has the
advantage over the majority recommenda-
tion Of being both logical and just. The
Republican proposition TO adopt the silver
standard for sthe Philippine Islands indi
cate how hard pressed that party is to
maintain even a semblance of its profes-
sions heretofore announced with such pa
triotic FIRE and fervor Adopting the fiduci
airy scheme of those whom the stump
orators in the Mckinley campaign did not
hesitate to class as anarchists, and whose
mildest expletives were socialists. ""vision.
arie4N etc, indicates pretty clearly to 'the
vulgar masses" that there was some merit
in the so-called silver issue which our
friends, the Populists, engrafted on The
Democratic platform. However, taking
this departure in the Philippines and the
very decided movement within the Repub-
lican party for revision Of the tariff, the
country perceives that after all Mark
Hauna's barrels had more to do with the
success of the Republican national ticket
than the platform or principles upon which
il was fought. All of which goes to show
as Senator Foraker said of the Civil War
and the position Of the North in that san
culinary debate the Democracy has been
right, eternally right and the Republican
party wrong, but while the former was
long on principles il was short on cash, %
hence the triumph Of the "barrel' in the
last campaign.
Now coming back to the proposed legis-
lation for the Philippines, Cuba having
been happily disposed Of (1) we cougratu-
late the Democratic minority Of the COM
mittee on that portion Of its program call
ing for the presence Of Aguiualdo and the
other Filipinos accused by our military
satraps with murders and assassinatious.
For if it is conceded that the Filipinos
are human beings and that the Declaration
Of independence Of our Gorefathers still
holds good, it will be absorbingly interesting
! to ascertain how the killing of invaders or