The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-09-28
THE PHILIPPINE ISSUE,
Marked Modification Of Judge Parker's
POnitiOu.


Nothing in the conduct OF the Demo-
| cratic party is more conducive to the
public veal than the ease with which
it abandons untenable issues after rledg-
| ing eternal fealty to them.
For eight years it was indissolubly
| welded to the free and unlimited coin.
| age Of silver at arbitrary ratio-oniy,
at the telegra phic behest of its candidate,
| to accept the gold standard as firmly
and irrevoca bly, esta blished' by the Re-
publican party.
From time beyond the memory o. the
oldest voter the Democracy has been full
minating against 'protectionism as a
robbery''-only to have David B. 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
| crats) agree"
Nothing could have been more beau
| tiful to see" than the sham frenzy with
| which Democrats and "anti-imperialists'
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 it's vo-
cferous scrupes and resolved that,
|
struct the Panama canal speedily, hon
| estly and economically" No wonder the
hooking echo, when entrusted with
power" reverberated through the repub-
| lie.
And now comes Alton 3. 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
ish cruelty, extortiOn and oppression in
the Philippines, he modified the now
in the above quota ton with these ESQ
pean words:
'"Thc accident of war brought the Phil
lpplnes into our possession and we are
not at liberty to disregard the RESPONSE
bility which thus came to us, but that
responsibility will be best subserved by
preparing the islanders as rapidly as pos
sible for self-government and giving to
them assurances that it will come as
soon as they are reasonably prepared
for it,"
When Intercepted by John G.. Mil
burn of Buffalo as to whether the Del
phic phrase, "self-government," in the
foregoing sentence was to be construed
as identical with independence political
and TERRITORIAL" he replied: II am in
hearty accord with that plank in the
Democratic platform which advocates
treating the Filipinos precisely as we did
the Cubans; and l also favor making
the promise to them NOW to take such
action AS SOON AS IT CAN PRU-
IDENTIFY BE DONE"
Aye, there's the rub! Give the prom
Use, and a Democratic promise at that,
now, and redeem it 'as soon as it can
prudently be DONE"
Was there ever a more fla grant case Of
that Juggling with words that gives the
word of promise to the ear, but puts it's
fulillment beyond the pale of living
| hope? Why promise now what in the
| expediency and wisdom of the future it
| may never be prudent to fulfill?
No wonder the Democratic New York
Times scornfully declares that "the only
perceptible difference between the Demo-
cratic position and the Republican posi-
ton is that Judge Parker would tell the
Filipinos now what is in store for them,
/ l.
There is nothing either in his speech or
in his letter to Mr.. Milburn which would
| in any other than a needless anti-impe-
rialist mind lead to the conclusions that
| were he in the White House he would
pursue toward our possessions in the far
East policy different from that pursued
| by President Roosevelt"
The Times further expresses the opin-
| ion that eff the American people were
asked to vote to-day upon the question
| of Immediately granting independence to
| the Philippines, they would vote the
proposition down ten to one, perhaps
twenty to one, certainly by an exemplary
majority. They would vote it down be-
| cause they are not insane and because
they are not heartless. If they were
| asked to vote upon the question whether
we should make the promise now they
would laugh in the faces of those who
asked them to take the trouble to express
their will upon a mere question of expe-
| diency."
| A promise now to do something which
| it may be prudent to do fifty or two hun
| dred years hence, possibly never, would
| seem to almost reach the unscalable
| heights of Democratic folly. Certainly
Judge Parkers promise now with its "as
| soon as it can prudently be done" condi-
ton, eliminates the Philippine issue from,
| the Democratic category of Republican
| transgressionS.
1mperialfsm of Steel.
| When the great iron and steel indus.