Cañon City record., 1904-09-01
OUR FILIPINO WARDS.
DEMOCRATS NOT SINCERE IN
PROMISING INDEPENDENCE.

DEMOCRATS NOT SINCERE IN
PROMISING INDEPENDENCE.
Rspuhlican Policy Of Educatin9 the
Loas~Oppssssed People Toward self.
0overament Is the Only Safe One
Resent Incident AZ the world's Fair.
Washington, d. c., August 26.-In NO
other country In the world but this could
one see the Speaker Of the National
Legislature sitting on the grass just out
side the ONCE of the Chief Executive,
telling funny stories to the Secretary Of
War, and both of the men absolutely
unconscious of the exquisite democracy
of their attitude. So long as such things
as this can take place just outside the
White House. the American people may
well be assured that their lives and their
liberties are in good hands. Foreigner
who come here always fail to recognize
the real democracy of the public men
Of America, and frequently they 60
away with the impression that the Amer
lean citizen worships only the dollar, be-
cause they do not realize that the men
they run up against on the street cars, or
tno peopic tney Josue VI CtoWueu cot-
ners are the elected rulers Of the Amer
ican people who step up one day and
down the next, and who are not injured
either by their elevation or by their
period Of subsequent retirement
Speaker Cannon and Secretary Taft.
Joseph G. Cannon. the Speaker Of the
House Of Representatives, In an excel
lent type Of the sturdy western agricul-
tural class. He has not . stuck-up hair
In his head, and while he never does
things which are out Of place. he In
never afraid to do things for fear some
one might accuse him Of lack of dig
nifty. 1t was perfectly natural in him
when coming out Of the White House
the other day to plump himself down
on q grassy terrace for the express pur
pose Of telling a series of funny stories
to his companion who happened to be
Secretary Taft. The Secretary Of War
Is big man In every sense Of the word.
physically as well as mentally. 1t was
no easy job for him to get his $50
pounds down on the White House lawn.
and 20 he leaned against a convenient
tree. and the passers-bY who saw two
ordinary Americans laughing over q good
story had but little iden, perhaps, that
these were two Of the great men Of the
country who had been intrusted by tho
people with vast power. but who never
theless had lost none Of their Republican
simplicity.
Secretary Taft but year ago was the
Governor Of the Philippines. He re-
signed that once to accept the position
he now holds only because he believed
that a. Secretary Of War he could do
more for the Filipinos, the little brown
people he had come to look upon a. his
own children, and who In their turn be-
lIevs Taft 10 their best friend. It was
the Secretary Of War who declined q
position on the Bench Of the Supreme
Court Of the United States because hc
wished to finish his work for the people
Of the far-away Pacific Islands. and he
would not abandon their interests even
to accept an ONCE to which he had hon.
estiy aspired every since tho day when
he rowed with the crew at Yale and wns
known - the strongest athlete in that
great University.
II was perfectly natural therefore af-
ter the funny stories had been told. and
the last hearty laugh Of the big-chested
Secretary Of War had hoated around the
White House corner. that the conversa-
ton should drift toward the subject Of
the Philippines
wouid Haul Down the Flag.
II wish we could mako the campaign
on the Philippine issue" said Mr.. Can
non. The Democrats in their platform
have pronounced for the ultimate inde-
pendsnes Of the Filipino. They have
denounced Us for cndsa voring at the
present time to improve conditions In the
Island, and they have In effect declared
that II they had the power they would
haul down the American nag at the FIRST
opportunity. l think I know she peo-
pie Of this country. I know they are
In hearty sympathy with the policy OF
the Republican party In regard TO the
Philippines. They know the work you
did out there. and they know tho work
your successors are doing. They have
no notion Of giving up the Philippines Mt
the present time. but they intend TO APP
ply American institutions, American
ideas, and American civilization to the
people Of the Island. II Is not a ques-
tion Of independence at all at the pres
ent time. but Of civilization. II we could
make the campaign on this one issue of
Imperialism so-callcd. taking the Repub-
licnn platform and the Democratic plat
form just ms they stand, Roosevelt would
defeat Parker by an extraordinary ma
jority, and the people would repudinte
the reactionary policy Of tho Democrats
quite as completely as they rspudinted
their financial policy Of four and eight
years ago."
This casual tnlk between the 6penk-
er and the Secretary Of Wnr. and their
firm confidence In tho good sense Of the
American people. as well NJ in their
good faith toward tho Filipinos, merely
adds q point to curious incident at
the ct. Louis Exposition the day after
the adjournment Of tho Democratic Con-
vsntion in that city.
The Philippines Exhibit.
Hvsrvona tnovr~ now that thu r1ouS In