The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-06-11
ANTI-IMPERIALISTS URGE
PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE
Petition Signed by Thirty-nine Prominent Men to
Be Submitted to Political Conventions

philippine Independence" will be
plank In the platform of one or both
OF the great political parties. in the
coming campaign. IL the efforts OF the
ieadlng ant-imperialist leaders Of the
United States can force such action.
Thirty-nine prominent men, distinguish
ed I'm fields OF thought. education. dip
lolnacy, law and business. have signed
a declaration Of their principles, and
have issued 1t at this time. ten DAYS be-
fore the Republican National Conven-
ton. with the avowed purpose of urging
II at Chicago, and later at st. Louis.
and OF making each party take stand
one way or the other in regard to IT,.
The Rev. DIR. Lyman Abbott. editor OF
The Outlook who was President
ROosevelt's house guest at the White
House last night. does not subscribe
literally TO the presentation Of prin-
ciples In this declaration. but he re-
garded # as Of sufficient Importance as
a statement Of the case to print It com
plete In his magazine.
Text of Petition.
The petition in full follows.
The United States presents TO the
world the spectacle Of a democratic re-
public ruling a foreign people. the in
habitants Of the Philippine Islands. with
substantially autocratic power The
question to which we invite your atten-
ton Is not by what means that power
has been acquired. but how and for
what purpose IL l. TO be used
I pom the answer given to this ques-
ton VIII in some measure depend the
institutional character OF this republic,
as well as Its moral standing among the
NATIONS OF the earth While some men.
n Tl,ss,l IN ofnGiaI authority, insist that the
Philippine Islands must be permanently
kept in our possession for commercial
reasons. we are told by others that the
end our Government has in view is not
the material exploitation OF those Islands
Tor our own profit: that. indeed what
ever the exercise of our rule may still
cost US, the Philippines are TO be gov
erned for the Filiplnos:' that they arc
to be instructed and trained in the WAYS
or self-gOvernment. until at last they
may actually govern themselves and Oc-
cupy a position OF national indepen-
dence.
Statement of Purpose.
We respectfully submit TO YOU that
only frank. definite. and uneauivocal
profession OF such a purpose. and the
faithful execution Of It at a day not
unnecessarily delayed, Will put this Re-
public IN an attitude worthy of its orig
In. its fundamental principles. and lis
moral standard This will be the only
contamination sure TO secure the con-
tentmert OF the FlHpinos and to win for
ourselves the sincere respect OF civilized
mankind.
1T g IN unquestioncd fact that the
Fiipinos. high and low. rich and poor
educated and ignorant. almost without
exception. however submissive they may
appear. at heart ardently long for ma
tional independence Nor Is II prObabi
that this longing VIII cease. For that
cause they have fought and shed
streams or blood They have sacrificed
for Il tens IL not hundreds of thousands
of lives. For IL they have given their
homes 10 the flames and their acres To
devastation. Such a sentiment never
dies IN the hearts OF spirited people
However benevolent American rule may
be. X viii remain to them foreign rule.
the rule Of foreign eonquero-. and. a.
such. calling and hateful Such X
human nature: we should dospise our
selves II IL were not ours. and we re-
spect II in others.
Race Question Involved.
THAT yearning for independence viii
be all the more intense and enduring. a.
the Anglo-SaNon and Asiatic races are
by no means sympathetic TO one an
other. and &c many Anglo-Ssxons are
but too much inclined TO assert their SUI
periority in "A manner little mindful ~
the rights. interests. and self-respect Of
those whom they consider their Ia
ferio-s.
ut IS said by men in authority that
II we promise the Filipinos their indie
pendence At any future day within sight.
they will impatiently demand very
early fulfillment Of that promise. ana
that lnwholesorne citation and danger
Gus plotting Will be the consequence
AS we read the history OF the world
IL teaches a different lesson We be-
lieve that. on the contrary. the ehcct
of such a promise would be tranquiliz-