The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1904-09-01

CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED.

Discussing the Philippine question
in his address in Montpelier on Friday,
Secretary Taft took up the contention
OF the Democrats and others that the
holding of the Philippines is a viola
ton of the Declaration of Indepen-
dence. in that that instrument de-
clares that all just rights of govern
ment depend upon the consent of the
governed. Respecting this charge Mr..
Taft said
The Declaration of independence
was written under circumstances
which show conclusively that it could
not have application to this case.
The men who wrote and signed that
and the people whom they represented
had had government practically
for two hundred years. There we're
never people in the world so capable
of self-government as they. They did
not mean that that instrument should
have a literal Interpretation, because
if they did the instrument itself was
a false statement. Women and child
rem were governed, slaves were gov
erned in those days, and the many
excluded from voting by property and
educational qualifications were gov
erned, and were not consulted in that
government and did not consent to it.
If the literal Interpretation of the in.
strument is the true one, then nothing
but universal suffrage, by men,
women and children, could constitute
just government. The instrument is
to be restrained to the fitness and the
reason of things. All people are not
capable of self-government.
If they are, then we ought to let the
Philippines go at once Yet today
the candidate, Judge Parker, is in
favor of holding the Philippines until
they are fit for self government, which
in itself implies that they are mot now
fit for self government Now, to hold
them year is just as much viola
tion of the principle as to hold them
five years in their preparation for self
government.
In other words, the position Of the
candidate, Mr.. Parker, on this sub
ject, takes the Declaration of indie
pendence out of the controversy. The
promise to give them independence
when they are capable of self-govern-
ment does not in the slightest degree
avoid the violation of the Declaration
of Independence if the Declaration of
Independence is to be considere d as
assuming that all people, however
ignorant, are capable of self-govern-
ment, and that all governments, in
order to be just, depend upon the
consent of the people to be governed.
Notwithstanding the fact that the
position of Judge Parker really elimi
! mates the question of consistency with
the Declaration of Independence from
the discussion, we are still enlightened
at different times by arguments from
statesmen like Mr.. John Sharp VII
liams, who denounce the Republican
party for a departure from the prin-
ciples of that instrument in that we
deny to the Filipinos the privilege of
determining what their governments
shall be. 1t is quite remarkable that
Mr.. Williams should be so sensitive
that the Filipinos are not given COM
plete government at once and yet
should be willing to represent the
Yazoo district in Congress, elected
thereto by !. vote OF 1,463 persons out
of a population of 100, 600.
l do not wish to contest the propo-
sition that persons may b5 properly
excluded from the suffrage on account
of lack of education or even by prop
uuhlluCdtlODs
district this is what has been done,
and nine tenths of the male citizens of
voting age are excluded by qualifica-
lions which apply equally to every
body, 1 do not criticise Mr.. Williams
acceptance of the election; but
venture to point out that the nine
tenths of the male citizens of voting
age in Mississippi are being governed
without their consent by reason of
such disqualification, and therefore
| assuming that all people are within
| the equal protection of the laws in
| Mississippi, and that the amendments
| to the Constitution are all enforced
| there asIhey ought to be, the Repub-
lican party in the Philippines is only
| qualifing the principle of the consent
| of the governed as it is qualified in
| Yazoo district for the benefit of Mr..
Williams, to wit, BY making it appli-
cable only to persons who have sutti-
cient intelligence and fitness to govern
themselves, and not to people so ignor'
ant that they do not know their own
interests.
In view of this example of Mr.
Williams district, which could be re
peated in many districts of the South,
/ think one may be excused for doubt
ing the sincerity of the declarations
which come from the statesmen o.
that quarter in favor of the poor Fill
ipinos, whose right to govern them
selves they say has been SO outrage
ously denied to them by the Republi
can party in the way described.
Gould more conclusive answe
be made to this misinterpretation o
the Declaration of Independence
which is made to do duty as an argu
ment in support Of various othe
absurd contentious?