The Elbert County tribune. [volume] (Elbert, Elbert County, Colo.) 18??-1920, 1904-09-29
THE PHILIPPINE ISSUE.
Marked Modification of Judxe Parksr's
Partition.

Nothing In the conduct OF the Demo
cratic party is moro conducive to the
public veal than the ease with which
il abandons untenable issues after plsdg-
ing eternal feaity to them
For eight years IL was indissolubly
welded TO the free and unlimited coin
nge OF silver at an arbitrary rntio-only.
at the telegraphic behest of Its candidate.
to accept the gold standard as firmly
and irrevocably established" by the Re
publican party.
From I;me beyond the memory Of the
oldest voter the Democracy has been full
minating against "protectionism rs a
robbery"-Galy to have David b. Hill
waive the tariff issue into the back yard
and abysm OF time. because 1t is guess
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 contemporaries"
denounced the prompt action by which
the United States seized the opportunity
and became possessed of the authority to
dig aud coctrol the Isthminn canal-ex-
cept the avidity with which the Demo-
cratic convention swallowed all Its vo-
ciferous scruples and resolved that
when entrusted with power it will con-
struct the Panama canal speedily. hon.
ostly and economically" No wonder the
mockins 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. 1--WE insis:," reads that sibillant doc
ument, that we ought TO do for the Fill
pinos what we have done already for
the Cubans, and 1t is our duty to make
that promise NOW"
At tie 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 ana oppression IN
the Philippines, he modified the now
in the above quotation with these ESQ
penn words:
THE acci6ent 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 be best subserved by
preparing the islanders MS rapidly as pos
sible for self-government and giving to
them assurances that 1t will come as
soon as they are reasonably prepared
for it
When interrogated by John u. Mil
burn OF Buffalo ms 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: Il 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 IL CAN PRU-
IDENTIFY BE DONE.
Aye, there's the rub! Give the prom
now, and redeem 1t 'as 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
fulhllment beyond the pale of living
hope? Why promise now what in the
cxpediency and wisdom OF the future 1t
may never be prudent to fulfill?
No wonder the Democratic New York
Times scornfully declares that "the only
pcrceptible 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.. Milburn which would
in any other than needless anti-impe-
were he in the White Uouse he would
pursue toward onr possessions In the far