The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-02-20
WITHDRAW FROM
THE PHILIPPINES
A DEMOCRATIC RESOLUTION M
SENATE TO FIX a DATE IN
1918

1913.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 5.-The Demo- .
Gratis In the Senate are putting on
their lighting clothes ddd getting
ready to enter the political arena for
blood A number or ,he Democratic I
leaders, incensed over the effort to
trail the democracy along after Presi- .
dent Roosevelt are preparing to indi- /
yidualize the party and give it some
character of its own.
Leader John Sharp Williams gave
evidence of this in his speech in the
House yesterday, in which he outlined
some Democratic policies in addition
to or in application of the Roosevelt |
policies. Senator Rayner of Maryland
is preparing to make a vigorous APP
peal to the Democracy to stand on its
own ground, and other senators are
brushing up for a similar effort.
Senator Stone of Missouri wants to,
bring up the Philippines question as
a campaign issue. He introduced a
resolution in the Senate today provid-
ing that:
The President is requested on the
/ 10Th day of December, 19l3-that is to
say, fifteen years after the date of the
treaty of Paris-tO deliver the control
and possession of said islands to the
authorities representing the people
thereof, including also all govern
ment property therein pertaining tot
the administration of such govern
ment, and withdraw therefrom imme-
diately thereafter the army and navy
of the United States; provided, how
ever, that the United States shall re-
tain on such date and thereafter such
suitable coaling and naval stations as
in the judgment of the President may
seem necessary, and that the delivery
of said islands to such native govern
ment shall in itself imply the assump-
ton by it of the obligations then eX
listing and incumbent upon the govern
ment of the United States, and conse-
quent upon the granting of any fran
chise, as well as the assumption of all
outstanding obligations of the govern
ment at that time existing in said isl
ands."
According to the terms of another
section of the resolution the President
is requested to open negotiations with
Iother nations for the purpose of secur-
ing an agreement with them for the
e
ands and the recognition of their in
dependence whenever it shall be grant
ed by the United States.
The preamble of the resolution sets
forth the reasons for the proposed step
las follows: Whereas by virtue of the
treaty between the United States and
Spain December 10, 1898, the United
States established it's control over the
Philippine Islands; and
Whereas as a step toward their Ill
innate independence there was first
established by acts of the Philippine
commission in 1901 and thereafter a
schedule of provincial and municipal
governments, which governments in
the hands of the Filipinos themselves
under an elective system have achi9y-
ed and maintained order and stability;
land
Whereas, as a further step in the
same direction and two years after
proclamation of the complete paciii-
Ication of the islands, the United States
provided for an election of a Philip
pine assembly, which assembly inau-
gurated last October is now, as APP
pears from the reports of the Secre-
tary of War, in full and satisfactory
operation and
whereas the steps heretofore sue
cessfully taken have demonstrated and
are demonstrating the justice of the
claim of the Filipinos for speedy indie
pendence and their capacity for SELF
government; and
whereas it is frequently urged as
a reason for refusing independence to
the Philippine Islands that some other
nation would seize the islands if the
United States abandoned them; and
Whereas this danger can be remoy-
ed by an agreement between the Unit
ed States and the great nations of Eu-
rope and Asia, whereby the independ-
ence of the Philippine Islands shall be
assured and they shall be regarded as
neutral territory not open to the oc-
cupation of any other nation as the in
dependence of Switzerland has long
been secured in Europe; and
Whereas fidelity to the fundament-
al principles of government requires
that said government should aim to
secure and safeguard the independence
of said islands"