Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-30
Congress and the Philippines.

The indianapolis News differs from The
Star on the subject of the approaching visit
of Secretary Taft and party OF senators
and representatives to the philippines.
Quoting from The Stars approval of the
visit, 1t asks:
Does The Star really think that what
our Congress lacks is information? If SO,
is not that rather severe indictment or our
system of government? 1t with all our
machinery civil and military, with gov
ernors and commanders and boards all
these years our national legislature Is still
lacking in intelligent information. then
surely. to use slang phrase , we are IN not
ment pleading the necessity of a personal
acquaintance with India in order to legis-
late for 1t intelligently'
Yes. The Star really thinks that Congress
would benefit by irst-hand information
about our Philippine problem. and that as
many of its members as can be induced to
make the trip should be approached to that
end Personal inspection of problems Is
made right here at home. Many river and
hsrbor committees have been well In
structed by visits to localities where gov
eminent improvements were In contempla-
ton or in progress. Only few weeks ago.
indeed, members of the river and harbor
committee of the last House, and who ex-
pect to be members of the same committee
of the present House, returned from visit
TO Porto Rico, where some harbor improve
ments under American rule are being urged.
They expressed themselves as we'll In
structed by their visit, and doubtless they
were.
The News is not fortunate in citing the
case of the British parliament and India.
II at the beginning of British rule in India
mittee inspection or otherwise, of what was
going on and what was possible In that
country, many of the performances of Give
and Hastings, which disgraced the Brit
ish name and shocked humanity, would
never have taken place. Parliament neg
lected it's duty, and the East India Com
pany, through its officials, abused its OPP
portunities. A hundred and twenty-five
years from now there will, be as little need
for committee of Congress to visit the
Philippines as there is today for COM
mittee of parliament to visit India.
Continuing, the News says:
Congress knows very swell what is the
matter, and so does all the world. The
protected interests that control Congress
will not permit that body to enact the com
mercal legislation that every governor and
every national board has declared is neceS-
sary That is one fault. The other is that
Congress persists in keeping the control Of
the islands in it's hands instead of letting
this be in hands of men on the spot So
what happens is that the natives know that
the real government is at Washington, not
in the islands, and that the board that
governs them can do nothing but look
diguifed and forward requests TO Congress
to have them turned down in almost every
case"
The News and The Star are probably at
one far as tariff legislation for the
Philippines is concerned. The Star. at any
rate, hopes to free trade established
between the islands and this country, and
is inclined to think that first-hand informa-
ton on that point alsowill be valuable to
congressman. AS for the participation Of
the islanders in their home affairs, that is
coming as rapidly is advisable.