Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1904-04-21
AN OFFICEHOLDER
IN PHILIPPINES THINKS ISLANDS
NOT IN POLITICS.
The Happy Posssssor Of Snap in Our COL
onies Would Not Have the People Decide
Whether His Job Be Permanent or TEN.
porary.

A press dispatch from St. Louis says
that "Judge L. r. Whitley, attorney gen.
eral for tie Philippines" returned to
his home recently. and then he is quoted
as saying:
"The g vernment of the islands or the
question Of possession or autonomy
should not be an issue in the coming
presidential campaign. I believe that
the islands should be allowed to reach,
under the present form of government,
a position which would qualify them for
elf-government. believe that the idea
advanced by many Of our prominent and
conscientious public men-President
Eliot, OF Harvard, for instance-that the
islands should be made free, as Cuba is,
should not receive recognition in the
platforms Of the parties.
"The question is not, shall we keep
the islands? 1t it, how shall we best
govern them? 1t is not. did we do right
in taking them? 1t is, what is the best
way to uplift them? The Philippines
have 10 place in partisan politics."
1t is not strange that those who find a
profit in governing the Philippine islands
are opposed to giving independence to
the people, but why are they unwilling
to make the matter an issue and submit
it to the judgment Of the people? In
1900 the republi. ans denied that they
intended Imperialism they denounced
us in unmeasured terms because we
accuse them Of contemplating imperial
istic plans and methods. Even after
the election OF 1900, President Mckinley
declared that there was no thought of
imperialism in the American mind.
During the campaign people were told
that we could not negotiate with men in
arms; that the Filipinos must lay down
their weapons and submit to our anthor.
ity, and that then we could discuss the
future with them. But as soon as they
were overcome by force and strategy,
they were told that there was no ques-
ton to consider, that the question had
been settled. Elk Secretary Long de-
clared the same thing in speech in
Massachusetts,, and now returning
officeholder tells us it is not a question
whether we keep the islands, but how
we shall best govern them. That is eX-
actly the attitude of George Iii during
the days of the revolution. He refused
to consider the question of letting the
colonies 20, and that, too, upon the
same grounds that the republican lead
ers refuse to let the Philippine islands
go. George III. denied that the people
were entitled to elf-government or capa-
BILE of it-that is the position of the re.
publicans today. and they confess the
weakness of their position when they
declare that it is not an issue.
The question Of Imperialism has
never been passed upon by the Ameri-
can people. Will the republicans deny
that the people have right to decide SO
important a question? If imperialism
is right, why do the republicans run
from it? If they believe that their policy
is defensible, let them write in their
platform plank declaring that they
favor colonial policy in which the Fill
pinos shall be governed by an outside
force, taxed without representation and
ruled without their consent. But no,
they will do as they didi 1900-deceive
the people, dodge real issues and shout
prosperity" while the corporations
continue to plumber the people in return
for campaign funds.