The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-10-16

little cannot be said. At the best they
have been inefficient. ct the worst dis
honest. corrupt and despotic. The Islands
seem to have succeeded IN getting the
very dreKs Of our people
SITUATION TERRIBLE.
HE elso said: The situation In the
passes the comprehension of people at
home. ~AgriculturaIly, the country is for
the time ruined. Land Is going out Of cul-
tivation: the population Is III fed and In
some places unable to get work. The
country Is oyerburdened with taxation;
disease is prevalent: the farm animals
dead: the towns in many places in ruins
whole districts in the hands OF ladrones;
the price OF products poor and unremun-
erative. Public opinion has no free ex-
preston. newspapers are bought up or are
browbeaten into silence. Men OF influence
who ~criticise the commission are ostra-
cized The plays produced in the theaters
are censored: there is not an organ of
expression of the popular voice that IL
not controlled.
I'm private life men are subject to a
complete farreaching. thorough system of
espionage. Detectives appear in the guiss
u servants anu the OdIl OF Il single one
is enough to destroy a mans reputation,
property, liberty or even life itself. This
country should hasten to the relief Of that
situation.
81 ask of the Republican party whether
IL the administration of the United States
should be continued in its hands. 1t pro-
poses to undertake to apply any remedy?
VII 1t enact for the Philippines proper
status regulating their affairs with some
view to their interest? Will 1t give their
perishing shipping relief? VIII It give
them tariff regulations under which they
can exist?
we hold the Philippine Islands. Have
we taken proper steps to fulfill the obli-
cations therein assumed? Are the Phil
ippine Islands to-day a self-supporting
community? Are not their efforts toward
acquiring such position embarrassed at
every turn by the legislation We have
forced upon them? Had We left them to
their own devices they might have dealt
with foreign nations. Had We brought |
them within the United States of America |
they might have dealt with US. To-day We
can do neither.
Where are the Philippine markets?
Where the development OF their natural |
resources? Why should not those islands, |
by all and conceded by all to
have great natural resources, be self-sup-
porting? / warn the Republican party
that it is not an unheard-of proposition
an oppressed-I use the term advised
ly-an oppressed people. should be FESTIVE.
TRUE QUESTIONS.
The true questions which lave con-
cerned our relations with the Philippine
from the moment of our taking
them, and which remain to-day utterly
untouched for any good to the islands
and the questions which will
regulate their future-in other words. the
real basis on which the Philippine Islands
interest US, politicaily-are: The Philip
pine tariff. Philippine taxation and en-
enlargement to their shipping interests.
These matters regulated to the advan-
tage of these islands. Philippine fndepend-
erce will appear on the immediate hori-
zon. Continue as we are doing to Cypress
these people, and one OF the most vexed
that this nation has ever been
called upon to deal with will confront US
"But aside from the duty We owe the
in preparation for the enjoy
IlIeit vi " biSsed piis3leSeS We possess, |
should guard carefully against the
danger to ourselves of an imperialistic
policy. History teaches that from repub-
to imperialism the. movement is
and unperceived of the people.
Its orninous progress, when discovered.
leaves open but two courses, submission
Or resort to violence.
THAT our people may never be compelled
o choose between these fearful aIterna-
ives should be our prayer But we should
york as well as pray. nj our work
houId be to guard the foundation on which
ur Government rests. Its basis is that Of
i~deas-ideas that are stronger '