Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-09
He MUST TAKETHEOATH
OTHERWISE SIXTO LOPEZ CANNOT
RETURN TO MANILA.
Reply of Secretary to Fiske Warren's
Request That an Exception
Be Made

Secretary Taft has acted adversely on
the request of Mr.. Fiske Warren of Bos-
ton that Sixto Lopez, formerly Philip
pine insurgent, be allowed to return to the
Philippine Islands under bond, without be-
ing required to take the prescribed oath of
allegiance to the United States. The case
is stated in the following letter written
by Secretary Taft to Mr.. Warren under
yesterdays date:
Secretary Taft's Letter.
"Sir: am in receipt of your letter of
February n, in which you state that you
learn that your friend. Senior Sixto Lopez,
has been ordered deported from Manila on
account of his refusal to take the oath Of
| allegiance; that Senior Lopez has stated
! his reasons for refusing to take the oath
| in letter which he has written to Gov.
| Wright, copy of which you inclose- Your
| letter asks that an exception be made in
the case of Senior Lopez, on the ground
that 1T would tend to bring about better
understanding should this policy of lfber-
atty and frankness be followed. You also
| take occasion to criticise the government
for the prosecution of so-called seditious
plays, on the ground that that prosecution
is violation of free speech. Further, you
tender bond for any part of a hundred
thousand dollars guaranteeing the harm
| less and peaceful conduct of Senior Lopez
while in the Philippine Islands.
.'The letter of Senior Lopez does not set
out the specific reason why he does not de-
| sire to take the oath required by act 265.
Senior Lopez's attitude toward the present
| government of the Philippine Islands for
number Of years has been well known, and
from his attitude in this country and else
where it can hardly be denied that the col
lector Of customs would have reasonable
grounds for believing him guilty of hav-
| ing aided the insurrection. If Senior Lopez
comes within the description of act 265. an
act which is now the law Of the Philippine
| Islands, 1 have no power to suspend Its OPP
Grafton; neither has the governor or the
Philippine Islands. The Philippine COM
| mission might repeal the act, but it has
not yet thought it wise to do so.
No Reason for Exception.
81 know, therefore. no reason why Senior
Lopez should be excepted from act
which applies TO every one coming within
its terms. He is merely required to ac-
knowledge the sovereignty and authority OF
the United States In the Philippine Islands
and of the government constituted by the
United States, and to swear that while in
the islands he will support and maintain
the same. and that he will not at any time
hereafter. or at any place. aid, abet or In
cite resistance to the authority Of the
United States. of the government estab-
hshed by the United States In those islands.
'If he does not intend to do any of these
things. can really see no reason why he
should not take the oath. acknowledging
that he will rot do them If he hesitates to
take the oath that he will not do those
things. 1t is an indication that he intends
to do so. or at least that he does not wish
to put himself into an attitude where his
doing some of them would be a violation
of his oath.
I'm view of these circumstances Ii seems
to me that no ground is presented for maxi
ing an exception In the case of Senior Lopez.
Your statement that free speech ia not
allowed in the Philippine Islands is not rel
evant to the matter of Senior Lopez's de-
portation from the islands but perha DIS may
require answer. The law of the Phil
lippines prohibits the exhibition of those
plays which tend to incite the people to
violence against the government, and such
prohibitions are not at all violations of the
constitutional guarantees of free speech un-
der any government.
II have had no communication from Gov.
Wright upon this subject. and shall for
ward my correspondence with you to him
for such action by the commission it
may deem it proper to take