Milford chronicle., 1904-09-30
THE PHILIPPINE ISSUE.
Marked Modification of Judge Parker's
Position.

. Nrdllc party IS more conducive 10 IN
public veal than the ease with whicl
1t abandons untenable issues after pledg
Q ing eternal fealty TO them.
+. For eight years it was indssOlubl
n welded to the free and unlimited coin
i age Of silver at an arbitrary ratio-ony
at the telegraphic behest Of its candidate
TO accept the gold standard as firmly
and irreyocably established by the Re.
p publican party.
From time beyond the memory Of the
Oldest voter the Democracy has been full
minating against "protectionism as a
robbery only TO have David r. Hill
waive the tariff issue into the back yard
and abysm Of time because it is a ques-
ton on which very few Of US Demo
cratsl agree"
Nothing could have been more beau
tiful 10 see" than the sham frenzy with
which Democrats and "anti-imperalists"
denounced the prompt action by which
the United States seized the opportunity
and became possessed Of the authority TO
dig and control the Isthmian canal-ex-
cept the avidity with which the Demo
cratic convention swallowed all its vo-
ciferous scruples and resolved that,
when entrusted with power it will con
/ siruct the Panama canal speedily, hon
| estly and economically No wonder the
mocking echo. when entrusted with
power" reverberated through the repub-
| lie.
And now comes Alton B. Parker and
draws the pen of ante-election expediency
through the Philippine plank Of his par
ty. I'VE insist" reads that sibillant doc /
ument that we ought to do for the Fill |
pinos what we have done already for /
the Cubans. and it is our duty to make
that promise NOW"
At the first opportunity Judge Parker
was given to unburden his soul over the
wrong perpetrated in substituting Ameri-
can justice liberty and security for Span
lsh cruelty. extortion and oppression in
the Philippines, he modified the nov"
IN the above quotation with these ESQ
pean words:
The accident Of war brought the Phil
ippines into our possession and we are '
not at liberty TO disregard the RESPONSE q
nihty which thus came to us. but that 9
responsibility will be best subserved by t
preparing the islanders as rapidly as pos
lble for self-government and giving to b
hem assurances that it will come as
oon as they are reasonably prepared d
or it," 4
When interrogated by John G. Mil s.
urn Of Buffalo as to whether the Del Il
'hic phrase, self-government," in the d
oregoing sentence was TO be construed ia
: identical with independence political +
nd territorial" he replied: 81 am in Il
earty accord with that plank in the
Democratic platform which advocates
reating the Filipinos precisely as we did cl
he Cubans; and ! also favor making ii
he promise to them NOW to take such u,
ction AS SOON AS IT CAN PRU-
'ENTLY BE DONE" II
Aye, there's the rub. Give the prom ei
'e and a Democratic promise at that. al
ow, and redeem it las soon as it can &c
rudently be done" IN
w as there ever more fragrant case Of IL
hat juggling with words that gives the ia
'ord Of promise to the ear. but puts its Y,
l!hl!ment beyond the pale of living h,
"pe: Why promise now what in the
Npediency and wisdom of the future it A
'ay never be prudent 10 fulfill? :"
No wonder the Democratic New York ~.
INES Scornfully declares that "the only
1rcepuhle difference between the Demo
'atic position and the Republican posi- 4,
on is that Judge Parker would tell the VI
ihpinos now what is in store for them. y,
ld PRESIDENT Roosevelt would not -
here is nothing either in his speech or a.,
his letter to Mr. Milburn which would IN
any other than a needless anti-impe-
aliSt mind lead TO the conclusions that Sn Si
ere he in the White House he would ~ =!
lrsue toward our possessions in the far IN
asst a policy different from that pursued
= President Roosevelt" ua
The Times further expresses the opin- ia
n that IF the American people were Ill'
'ked to vote to-day upon the question ~
Immediately granting independence TO
e Philippines. they would vote the d
OPPOSITION down ten to one. perhaps 81
'enty 10 one certainly by an exemplary -
alorlty. They would vote it down he -. ~
use they are not insane and because 81
ey are not heartless If tbev were III
ked to vote upon the question whether mo
2 Shonld make the promise now they d.
ould laugh in the faces Of those who ny
ked them to take the trouble to express IA. i''
cir VIII upon mere question of expe- i'lS
ancy"
\ promise now to do something which S'l
may he prudent to do fifty or two hun. net
ed years hence possibly never. would 70
EN- TO almost reach the unscalable '"i
'Shts of Democratic folly. Certainly
dye Parker's promise now with its "as
Jn as it can prudently be done" coDdi
a. eliminates the Philippine issue from =
democratic category of Republican JON
nssgesSions. TO