Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1904-10-21
FOR CONGRESS
WALTER A. JOHNSTON,
OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
PARKER ON IMPERIALISM.

Judge Alton B. Parker on Saturday last
addressed two visiting delegations on the
Philippine question, making his second
speech Of the campaign since accepting the
Democratic nomination for the Presidency.
II have before said that we may not dis
regard the responsibility imposed by posses
sion of the Philippines, and that the respon
slbility will be best subserved by preparing
the islanders as rapidly as possible for self
government and giving to them the assur
ance that 1t will come as soon as they are
reasonably prepared for II. This means In.
dependence for the Filiplnos in the fullest
sense OF the word. When prepared they
may govern themselves, as the Cubans do,
unassIsted, unless asking help, undirected,
unless asking advice, untrammeled by our
politics, unincumbered by our politicians
and uncontrolled by US.
Secretary Taft has said:
IA promise 20 give ultimate independ.
ence will be construed by the more violent
element, disposed 10 agitation, 10 be prom
ise TO grant Independence In the near future
ouu huiink PiCoCut kouCIbNlOus
success Of the experiment we are making In
the Philippines depends on having the Fill
pinos understand that we are there for their
benefit, but that we expect TO stay there in.
definitely in working out the good we pro-
pose TO do them
Here we have the issue clearly defined.
The Republican party stands for the sub.
jugation OF delenseless foreign peoples. De-
mocracy stands for freedom. We relieved
Spain Of this thorn in her flesh, the Philip
pines, 10 plunge it into our own. We paid,
and are paying, enormously for the privilege
Of performing the operation.
"Spain had been trying 10 conquer the
Islands since the early decades of the six
tenth century. She had never quite sue.
ceeded. That is not surprising. Every true
American would despise man who would
not fight to the last gasp for the land OF his
freside and the birthplace Of his babes. Did
not our lllustrious ancestors In the Revolu.
ton do soi For what does civilized man
revere the memory Of Washington Are not
the Irish still channg under the English
yoke Will the Boer sympathizer refuse his
sympathy TO the Filipino patriot defending
his hearthstone against the Spanish spoiler
and tyrantf Do we not honor every man
who has sacrificed al freedoms holy altar
when the battleships Of our great Re.
public destroyed the Spanish war vessels
the Fllipinos hoped the freedom for which
they had struggled 30 long was finally ap.
preaching. Our history seemed To guarantee
that our ambition would be To see them free
happy and prosperous.
"After our utter defeat Of the Spaniards
the Republican Administration paid 10 the
vain oppresser of the unconquered Filipino:
ss0,OOO.OOO for an uncertain option on this
victims lands, tenements and hereditaments
In the attempt 70 bolster the option we have
wasted over $3.50. 100000 more of the PEG.
ple'smoney and sacrificed over 100000 lives.
at is certain that but two classes OF our
people can hope TO be benefited by our hold
Ing the PAlippines-the class which is al.
ways hunting for special Government priv
leges and the class which seeks TO make of
Office holding a means Of livelihood.
"rhe latter class in the Philippines com.
prises some officials Of whom a student OF
conditions there recently said:
"'0f the character Of many in office too
little cannot be said. AT the best they have
been inefficient; at the worst dishonest, cor.
rupt and despotic. The islands seem TO
have succeeded In getting the very dregs OF
our people
ale also said:
"'rhe situation In the Philippines to-day
is 30 terrible that II passes the comprehen.
sion OF people at home Alphabetically the
country Is for the time ruined. Land is go.
ing out OF cultivation; the population is III
led and In some places unable 10 get work.
The country is oyerburdened with taxation
disease is prevalent, the farm animals dead,
the towns In many places In ruins, whole
districts 10 the hands OF ladrones, the price OF
products poor and unremunerative. Public
opinion has no Tree expression, newspapers
are bought up or are brow beaten into silence
men OF influence who criticise the commits
sion are oetracized; the plays produced In
the theatres are censored; there Is not an
organ OF expression OF the popular voice that
Is not controlled. In private lie men are
subject to complete, far reaching, thorough
system OF espionage. Detectives appear In
the guise OF servants and the oath OF sin
gle one Is enough 10 destroy q mans repu
tA,ion, property, liberty, or even life ITSELF :
"rhis country should hasten To the relief
OF that situation.
"Where are the Philippine markets
Where the development Of the natural re-
sourcest Why should not those islands, as.
serted by all and conceded by all TO have
great natural resources, be sell supportingf
] warn the Republican party that II is not
an unheard OF proposition that an oppressed
Il use the term advisedlY-an oppressed
people should be restive
"The true questions which have concern.
ed our relations with the Philippine Islands
from the moment OF our taking them, and
which remain to-day utterly untouched for
any good 10 the islands themselves, and the
questions which regulate their future-in
other words, the real basis on which the
Philippine Islands interest us politically are
the Philippine tariff, Philippine taxation and
encouragement TO their shipping interests.
TheAe matters regulated 10 the advantage of |
these islands, Philippine Independence will |
appear on the immediate horizon. Con.
Ilnue ~ we are doing 10 Cypress these people
and one Of the most VeIed questions that
Ibis nation has ever been called upon 10 deal
with will confront US lntefmlnably.
nBut aside from the duty we owe the FIJI |