Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1904-09-02
OUR FILIPINO WARD 5.
DEMOCRATS NOT SINCERE IN
PROMISING INDEPENDENCE.
Republican Policy of Educating the
ng-Oppressed People Toward Self
Government Is the Only Safe One
Recent Incident at the Worlds Fair.

/ Government Is the Only Safe One
Recent Incident at the Worlds Fair.
Washington, D. c.. August 26.-In no
/ other country in the world but this could
/ one see the Speaker Of the National
1 Legislature sitting on the grass just out
! side the Office of the Chief Executive,
/ telling funny stories to the Secretary of
I War, and both of the men absolutely
| unconscious Of the exquisite democracy
of their attitude. SO long as such things
as this can take place just outside the
| White House, the American people may
| well be assured that their lives and their
| liberties are In good hands. Foreigners
who come here always fail to recognize
! the real democracy of the public men
| of America, and frequently they go
away with the impression that the Amer
lean citizen wors.iips only the dollar, be
cats Sc they do not realize that the men
| they run up against on the street cars, or
| the people they jostle on crowded cor
ners are the elected rulers of the Amer
lean people who step up one day and
| down the next, and who are not injured
| either by their elevation or by their
| period of subsequent retirement.
| Speaker Cannon and Secretary Taft.
| Joseph c. Cannon. the Speaker of the
| House of Representatives. Is an excel
| lent type Of the sturdy western agricul-
| tural class He has not a stuck-up hair
| in his head, and while he never does
| things which are out of place, he is
never afraid to do things for fear some
| one might accuse him of lack of dig
| nifty. 1t was perfectly natural in him
| when coming out of the White House
| the other day to plump himself down
| on grassy terrace for the express pur-
| pose of telling series of funny stories
| to his. companion who happened to be
| Secretary Taft. The Secretary of War
| is big man in every sense of the word,
| physically as well as mentally. 1t was
| no easy job for him to get his $50
| pounds down on the White House lawn,
| and so he leaned against a convenient
! tree, and the passers-by who saw two
! ordinary Americans laughing over good
| story had but little idea, perhaps, that
! these were two of the great men of the
| country who had been intrusted by the
| people with vast power, but who never
| theless had lost none of their Republican
simplicity.
Secretary Taft but year ago was the
Governor of the Philippines. He re-
signed that Office to accept the position
he now holds only because he believed
that as Secretary of War he could do
more for the Filipinos. the little brown
people he had come to look upon as his
own children, and who in their turn be-
lieve Taft is their best friend 1t was
the Secretary of War who declined
position on the Bench of the Supreme
Court of the United States because he
wished TO finish his work for the people
of the PARKWAY Pacific Islands, and he
| would not abandon their interests even
| to accept an Office to which he had hon
| estly aspired every since the day when
| he rowed with the crew at Yale and was
| known as the strongest athlete in that
| great University.
1t was perfectly natural therefore af-
| ter the funny stories had been told, and
| the last hearty laugh of the big-chested
| Secretary of War had foated around the
| White House corner that the eonversa-
| ton should drift toward the subject Of
| the Philippines.
Would Haul Down the Flag.
az wish we could make the campaign
| on the Philippine issue said Mr.. Can
| non. "The Democrats in their platform
| have pronounced for the ultimate indie
pendence of the Filipino. They have
| denounced us for endeavoring at the
| present time to improve conditions in the
| Island and they have in effect declared
| that if they had the power they would
| haul down the American flag at the first
| opportunity. | think ! know the peo-
| pie of this country. | know they are
| in hearty sympathy with the policy of
the Republican party in regard 10 the
! Philippines. They know the work yoa
| did out there, and they know the work
| your successors are doing. They have
no notion of giving up the Philippines al
| the present time, but they intend to APP
| ply American institutions. American
| ideas, and American civilization 70 the
| people of the Island. 1t is not a ques-
| ton of independence at all at the pres
| ent time but of civilization If we could
make the campaign on this one issue of
Imperialism so-called, taking the Repub-
| hcan platform and the Democratic plat
| form just as they stand Roosevelt would
| defeat Parker by an extraordinary ma
| jority. and the people would repudiate
| the reactionary policy of the Democrats
| quite as completely as they repudiated
| their financial policy of four and eigh'
| years ago"
This casual talk between the Speak
err and the Secretary of War, and their
| firm confidence in the good sense of the
| American people, as well as in their
| good faith toward the Filipinos, merely
| adds point to curious incident at
| the St Louis Exposition the day after
| the adjournment of the Democratic Con
| vention in that city.
| The Philippines Exhibit.
| Everyone knows now that the most in
| teresting and the most instructive ex-
| hibit of the great Worlds Fair in St.
| Louis is in the reservation devoted ex
i clnsiYely TO the prodncts and the people