The Red Cloud chief., 1904-09-30
THE PHILIPPINE ISSUE.
Marked Modification ofJudge Parker's
Position.

fOntttOns
Nothing in the conduct OF the Demo
cratic party is more conducive TO the
public veal than the ease with which
IL abandons nntenable issues after pledg-
ing eternal fcalty to them.
For eight years IL was indissolubly
welded to the free and unlimited coin.
age OF silver Mt an arbitrary ratio-only,
at the telegraphic behcst of its candidate.
to accept the gold standard as firmly
and irrevocably established by the Re.
publican party.
From time beyond the memory Of the
| oldest voter the Democracy has been full.
minating against ''protectionism as n
robbcry'-only TO have David Il. Hill
waive the tariff issue into the back yard
and abysm Of time. because it Is a ques-
ton Oh which very few OF US Demo
Gratis, agree"
Nothing could have been more beau
tiful to see" than the sham frenzy with
which Democrats and "anti.imperiafsts''
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 its vo.
c%iferous scruples and resolved that.
when entrusted with power it will con
struct the Panama canal speedily. hon
estly and economically" No wonder the
hooking echo, when entrusted with
power" reverbcrated through the rcpub-
lie.
And now comes Alton II. Parker and
draws the pen OF ante-clection expectancy
through the Philippine plank OF his par
~. 1--WE insist" reads that sibillant doc.
umcnt, that We ought to do for the Fill
pinos what we have lone already for
the Cnbans. and it is our duty TO make
that promise NOW"
At the first opportunity Judge Parker
was given to unburdcn his soul over the
wrong pcrpetrntcd in substituting Amcri-
can justice, liberty and security for Span
ish cruelty. eXtortion and oppression in
the Philippines. he modified the nov"
in the above quotation with these ESQ.
pcan words:
1.-THE accident Of war brought the Phil
ippines into our possession and we are
not at liberty to disregard the RESPONSE.
hillty which thus came to us, but that
responsibility will he best subseryed by
preparing the islanders as rapidly ms pos
siblc for sclf-government and giving to
them assurances that it will come as
soon as they are reasonably prepared
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: 81 am in
hearty accord with that plank in the
Democratic platform which advocates
treating the Filipinos precisely as we did
the Cubans: and | also favor making
the promise to them NOW to take such
action AS SOON AS IT CAN PRU-
IDENTIFY BE DONE"
Aye. there's the rub. Give the prom
Use, and n Democratic promise ut that.
now, and redeem it las soon as it can
prudcntly be done"
Was there ever a more fragrant case Of
that Juggling with words that gives the
word OF promise to the ear. but puts its
fulhllmcnt beyond the pale of living
hope? Why promise now what in the
eApediency and wisdom of the future it
may never be prudent to fulfill?
No wonder the Democratic New York
Times scornfully declares that ''the only
perceptible difference between the Demo.
cratic position and the Republican posi-
iion 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 n needless nnti-impc-
rinlist mind lead to the conclusions that
were he in the White House he would
pursue toward our possessions in the far
East a 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 dow ten to one. perhaps
twenty to one. certainly ny an exemplary
majority. They would vote it 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 to take the trouble to express
their will upon Il mere question OF eXpc.
dicncy."
\ promise now 10 10 something which
IT may be prudent 10 do fifty or two nun
dred years hence. possibly never. would
seem to almost reach the unscalablc
heights OF Democratic folly. Certainly
Judge Parker's promise now with its 'as
soon as il can prudcntly Ice done" condi-
ton. eliminates the Philippine issue from
the Democratic category NJ Republican
transgressions.
I'm per iaiis IN of steel.
When the great iron and steel indus