The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-06-29
TAFT ON DUTY
IN PHILIPPINES
Secretary Talks TO Harvard
Law School.
DEFENDS PRESENT POLICY
THINKS AMERICA DID THE
PROPER THING.
DEFENDS PRESENT POLICY

Cambridge. Mass, June 2S.-Members
- the Harvard Law school assocla-
tion assembled here today for the hrsg
general meeting since 1888. The occa-
sion was also OF special significance be-
cause attended by many men prominent
throughout the country. secretary IdLl
has accepted an invitation 10 denver
the Grafton at the meeting ana cAleL
Justice Melville w. Fuller or the su-
preme court of the United States was
10 preside.
The members Of the association as
sembIed iu front of Austin han ana
marched 20 Sanders theatre, where the
exercises took place.
At the annual business session Chief
Justice Fuller. so. was elected president
OF the association. Among the vice
presidents chosen are Richard Olneys
'b8. OF Massachusetts Oliver Wendell
Holmes. '6S, associate justice OF she
supreme court Of the Pgm-ed states
George Gray '65, Of Delaware, Justice
or the United States circuit court Ed
ward o. Walcott, -, or colorado
Robert u. Lincoln, '65, of Illinois,
Secretary Of War TAFT was unaui-
m0usly elected an honorary member Of
the association I'm introducing SeCre-
1ary Taft. Chief Justice Fuller said;
"TO q man who comes TO as with
marked success In a political career
the association extends heartfelt well
come"
Mr.. Taft discussed the relation Of the
United States to the Philippines from
nearly every point OF view reviewing
events in the islands from the time
when their disposition was left an open
question iu the protocol with Spain 10
Ihe present day, and declaring his ideas
has to the future.
Gould we have given the islands
back 10 Spain2" asked Mr. Taft. with
our consent and indeed ar our instance
and with arms furnished by us, Agui-
DaldO had raised an army which as
sisted as iu investing Manila and en- its
capture, and which, during the sus-
pension Of hOstllitles, had gone on
driving the Spaniards out of their in
terror posts. We were, in a sense, all
lies of AguiualdO and his followers,
united for the purpose OF driving Spain
out of the Philippines, they TO avoid
1orther oppression by Spain, we TO
cripple our enemy by taking what we
had. liz was our destruction of the
fleet In Manila bay that broke the pow
er and prestige of Spain I'm the islands,
and on this AEuinaldo bUilded in his
subsequent conquest of other points
I'm the archipelago, but for more than
uEe months our action was joint. TO
desert him as am ally, 10 restore 10
Spain Manila which was the KEY OF the
MIN back into the interior and finally
dlsperse his forces, would have been
violating an obligation which the cir
CumstanCes of our joint action created
and would doubtless have subjected the
islands 20 another and a bloody war
Gould We have taken the islands
from Spain and then have turned them
over 10 AguiualdO and his government.
were we under obligation 40 do sop
inquired the secretary.
Dewey VS.. Aguinaldo.
Replying 20 his own questions. Mr..
Tart referred 20 Aguiuald0's claim that
Admiral Dewey agreed on behalf of the
United states that this country would
aruuies-e in the Independence OF the
islands. i'm reputation, he cited the de-
mails of Dewey and Consuls Pratt and
WildWau that any such agreement or
promises had been made, and said that
now q document has come 10 light,
signed by Mabini as Aguiualdo's seCre-
tary of state, containing secret instruC-
lions TO two ENJOYS i'm respect to me-
Eotiatious with General Otis, ia which
occurs the statement that the United
States and AguiuaIdO had made no
agreement. but had merely united with
common purpose 10 drive spain cut
OF the islands.
Records of the Leader.
aIr. Taft sketched AguiuaIdo's career
ul To the present time. reviewing his
relations with Dewey and relating the
circumstances of the killing of iBui-
tsf0 the founder of the katipuuau So
Cletyr and of Antonio Luna, the iusur-
gent leader. THE persons in this couu-
arg who have ideslized Aguinald0 have
Indignantly repealed the charges that
AEWualdo comprised those two
deaths" continued Mr.. TaEt5 but one
must say that the moral evidence is
very strong against him.
OF DO not wish To traauce Aguinaldo,
or 10 show that he Is murderer in
our sense, because 1 do not now so re-
gard him. What he did he doubtless
thought 20 be Justified by political exi-
Eency and self-defeuse. But I deem it
important To bring ont the facts iu or
der 90 show the character of govern
meut that he was establishing that It's
cornerstone was violence and blood
shed; and that under such govern
meat there was no hope OF civil lib
Anarchy Would Follow.
''To sum up. then. it is clear that the
corruption and abuses OF Aguinald0's
government and the certainty of an
archy that would follow, due 20 the
peculiar conditions I have just de-
scribed, would have made it am act of
folly ou the part of the American peo-
pie strongly 10 be condemned TO abau-
don the Islands
eff then" said AIR. Taft "the gov
eminent could not be turned over 90
AEuinaid0 and his followers, the only
other course was that America should
accept sovereignty over the islands
ard conduct a government there for
the benefit of the Filipino people
No Independence Yet
'I am in favor Of teaching the people