Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-09-29
THE PHILIPPINE ISSUE.
Marked Mobilization ofJudg> Parker's
q Position


cratic party is more conducive to the
public veal than the ease with which
! il abandons untenable issues after piedg-
ing eternal fealty To them.
For eight years II was indissolubly
welded to the free and unlimited coin
age Of silver at an arbitrary ratio-only.
at the telegrap hic behest OF its candidate.
to accept the gold standard as firmly
and irreyOcably established" by the Re
publican party.
From time beyond the memory OF the
| oldest voter the Democracy has been full.
minating against ''prOtectionism as a
robbery only to have David Il. 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
| cratsb 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-
ciferous scruples and resolved that,
when entrusted with power it will con-
| struct tine Panama canal speedily, hon
| estly and economically" No wonder the
mocking echo, when entrusted with
power" reverberated through the repub-
| lie.
And now comes Alton B. 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:
The accident OF war brought the Phil
| ippines into our possession and we are
| not at liberty to disregard the RESPONSE
bility which thus came to US. but that
responsibility will he best subserved by
preparing the islanders as rapidly as pos
sible for self-government and giving to
them assurances that it will come as
| 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
l:.l
| the Cubans; and l also favor making
the promise to them NOW to take such
action AS SOON AS 1T CAN PRU.
IDENTIFY BE DONE"
Aye, there's the rub! Give the prom
Use, and a Democratic promise at that,
| now. and redeem it las soon as it can
| prudently be done
Was there ever more fragrant case of
that Juggling with words that gives the
word of promise to the ear, but puts its
fufillment beyond the pale of living
| hope? Why promise now what in the
expediency and wisdom OF the future il
may never be prudent To fulfill?
| No wonder the Democratic New York
Times scornfully declares that 1.-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.
| and President Roosevelt would not -
| There is nothing either in his speech or
in his letter to Mr.. Miiburn which would
in any other than Needless anti-impe-
rialist mind lead 10 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 III 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
mn jority. They would vote il down be-
cause they are not insane and because
they are not heartless. Ii 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 70 take the trouble to express
their will upoc mere question of expe-
diency."
4 promise now to do something which
il may he prudent to do fifty or two hun
dred years hence. possibly never, would
seem to almost reach the unsealable
heights OF Democratic folly. Certainly
Judge Parker's promise now with it's las
soon as il can prudently be done" condi-
ton. eliminates the Philippine issue from
the Democratic category OF Republican
transgressions.