La Junta tribune., 1904-11-05
A BeLATeo KEYNOTE
JUDGE ALTON q PARKER De.
eAME0 HIS cOUMTRVMGN
Oseess UsssosA Asshesassss asA Mic
sspeesssss histesy - sa Attack
UDsa the Heaes ssA Aessssy 81 Ais
Ova katssa.

Once more tie Sphinx Of Esopus Aas
spoken. This time, although the voice
il that OF Judss Parker. the words are
thoss of the hired And-imperialist OF the
New York World. Abandoning for this
occasion his stand upon the archaic plat
form Of Buchanan and . pstri6sd inter
pretatiou Of the Constitution, Judge
Parker parrots the imperious views OF
Joseph Pulitzer. demanding the aban-
donnent Of the Philippines to the forces
Of savagery and reaction from which
American civilization has rescued them.
There can be no doubt that the oc-
ca.ion for the sounding OF this belated
keynote" of . fabby campaign was
deliberately planned and carried out.
Two hitherto unheard-of marching clubs
led BY Colonel Charles Il. Goldman.
of Boston. and Henry w. Hardon. Of
New York, fervent scuttlers both. ap-
peared before the Judge on his porch 1t
Rosemounf, and bombarded him with
two extended addresses" on the infamy
Of American rule in the Philippines.
Then Judge Parker unrolled the speech
that bears internal evidence in every line
Of having been written for him. and went
them one better IN falIfyinE the record
and misrepreseOtipg the beneficent aim
OF American control in the islands res
cued from the oppression OF Spain.
To justify himself in his attack upon
the American position in the Philippines.
Judge Parker quoted from an anony-
nous ."student of conditions there"
whose phrases also bear q striking re-
semblance to the balance of the address,
In which they were fittingly embalmed.
This unnamed malignant. in the face Of
overwhelming testimony 10 the contrary.
has the enrontery 10 say OF our onicials
there. "At the best they have been in
efficient: At the worst dishonest, cor
rupt and despotic. The islands seem
to have succeeded in getting the very
dregs of our people" This would classi-
fy Secretary William II. Taft and his
associates and successors in Manila as
among the dregs of our people.
Judge Parker further quotes from this
anonymous defamer OF American rule in
the Philippines: "Agriculturally, the
country Is for the time ruined. Land
10 going out Of cultiv ation; the popula-
ton 10 ill-fed and in some places unable
TO get work. The country is over-bur-
dened with taxation, disease Is prevalent,
the farm animals dead, the towns In
many places in ruins, whole districts In
the hands OF ladrones. the price OF prod
ucts poor and unremuDerntive."
II this were a true or even an approxi-
mately true Indictment Of the conditions
existing In the Philippines a. the effect
OF our occupation, what would be the
verdict Of mankind? Would 1t not be
that the American nation was not ft to
govern itself, let alone q semi-civilized
aud dependent racer
A6ects the Whole People.
In this matter il is impossible to dis
tinguish between the ltepublican party
and the American people. The former
IL merely the instrument of the latter
In the Philippines, and IL Judge Parker
were elected President in November. It
would not, could not change the char
acter OF the American government In
the Philippines pending the time even
he would allow ''the islanders to prepare
themselves for self-government."
During that period does Judge Parker
think that he could find, in the ranks
Of Tammany. any men better fitted to
uphold the honor. justice and liberty Of
American rule, than the men who have
established peace, order. schools, and
courts of Justice in the islands7 The
question suggests its own answer-he
own favorite counselors, David Is. Hill.
William +. Sheehan, Charles Murphy
and Pat McCarrsn to assist in the ditii-
cult task.
Upon such absolutely false and malig-
nant premises Judge Parker proceeds to
arraign the American administration in
the Philippines in terms which from
the dawn Of history demagogues have
employed In their attacks upon success
ful government. Here 10 q specimen
passage:
But aside from the duty We owe the Phil.
ippines In preparation for the enjoyment Of
the blessed privileges we possess. we should
guard c.refuIy against the dang danger aS our
teaches that from repubIicanism to imper.
iaiism the movement IL gradual and un-
rrss. when discovered, leaves open but two
courses-submissIon or resort to violence.
We can picture Colonel Goldman
and Mr.. Hardon and the serried ranks
Of the "Avon Beach Regular Democratic
Club Of Long Island" shivering in awe
struck unison over this horrible alterna-
tive conjured ont of the miasma Of
Joseph Pulitxer's diseased imagination.
That Judge Parker should clutch At it
a. o drowning man At . straw only
proves the desperation of his campaign.
Not content with citing history to sup
port notoriously false testimony against
his countrymen In the Philippines, he
also invokes hs aid In support Of the
eeneralization that there IL mo instance
Of . nation receiving from her colonies
anything like an adequate return for
the blood and treasure spent." ENG
lands National debt" he solemniy but
ignorantly averred. was doubled By the
revolt Of the thirteen colonies II had cost
% much TO secure. The American ex-
panaionist, following European argument,
alleges that annexation Of the Philip
pines must promote progress. foster COM
nercs and industry, and introduce the
leaven Of civilization into . backward
and inferior race. The evidence Of his
tory 10 to the contrary"
However such appeals to history may
have tickled the ears OF the "Avon
Besch Regular Democratic Club Of Long