The Washington times., 1908-09-20
Declares Bryan's Views
Have "Cowardly" Action
as Their Object.
WARMLY GREETED
BY LARGE CROWD
Speaks in Cincinnati, Especially
for Delegation From Norwood,
g Suburb of the City.
By JAMES Hay, i.

-cowardIy'' action on the part Of this
country, WIS The keynote Of a speech
delivered here tonight By William
Howard TafS. explaining his attitude
and the policy cf his party toward the
islands
Taft spoke in the assembly hall Of the
Slnton Hotel to a delegation Of LOO
/ people from Norwood, an industrial
town on the outskirts o. Cincinnati. He
was frequently interrupted by applause,
and at the conclusion Of his speech ne
was given a tremendous ovation
After reviewing ell that this country
has done for the islands in the way OF
education, Improvement Of commerce
and business, and sanitary caIes Taft
said:
The greatest need n the material de-
velopment Of the islands Is the con-
structiOn OF railways. In 1905, Congress
passed a law enabling us u guarantee
/ the interest on the hOPds of any new
railway to the extent Of 1 per cent for
thirty years, the amounts paid TO be a
| second lien On the railroad payable
after thirty years. By this means, we
have secured the construction OF 100
miles OF railroad IN each OF the three
islands OF Negroes, Cebu. and Panay.
Of 800 miles OF additional raj way with
out any guarantee
Record in Islands.
This is the part OF my record IN the
Philippines to which I suppose Mr..
Bryan means 70 call my attention He
| speaks OF the BenEUet railroad fran
chise. There is no Bengu I railroad. I
wish there were. presame he refers
/ to the Manila and DaE upan railroad
/ franchise It was fully described IN
an elaborate report made to Congress
/ in 1906. II was approved by the Presi-
dent and the Cabinet after full consid-
| Grafton Mr. Bryan Is the first person
so Ear as I know to question its wis
dom or propriety.
In an interview I said that even
| those IN the islands IN favor Of i'm
mediatc independence prefer Republican
victory 20 Mr.. Bryan's promises. Mr..
| Bryen now responds with q cable from
Alberto Barretto denying this on be-
/ half OF certin authorities in the hide
/ pendista party.
| i relied Tor my statement on a con-
versatiou I had last month with Senior
/ QuezOn. who Is the leader OF the hide
/ pendistas IN the national assembly, in
/ .7hich he told me that although the
Lndependistas liked Mr. Bryan's plat
EorTn they preferred my election as a
| friend OF the Filipino 20 Mr.. Bryan's
| promises. This staten ent Senior Quezon
| subsequently repeated in a published in
/ te-view- There Is evideE.}y a difference
Of opinion among the Independistas-
A CowardIy Policy.
In my Judgment, II would be q cow
ardly -olicy Tor US 10 give up our work
in the Philippines when so much re-
mains to be done IN order 10 secure the
| permanent effect Of our policy. BY
making free trade between the islands
/ and the United States, as recommended
4 by the Republican platform, we shall
bring advantage TO both countries, and
We shall see a prosperity n the islands
| that will make their trade worth hav-
| ing.
II do not advocate this policy merely
to benefit the United States I am more
interested In It really for the benefit OF
the Philippines. because the United
| States is such u prosperous country that
II can AFFORD 10 get along without addi-
| tioDal Philippine trade. Nevertheless,
the result Of our altruistic policy, the
result Of our dealing with the Philip
pines for the benefit Of the Filipinos
only, in the end win turn out to be the
| best possible course for the betterment
OF our American trade with the islands.
Mr.. Bryan says that we have adopt
ed his policy in the Philippines, that he
has desired TO give the Philippines in
dependence, and that we propose to
give them independence. Let US ex-
anime the facts in respect 20 this state
ment Of Mr.. Bryan and see whether he
fairly states the whole truth
Mr.. Bryan's Method
''0Ir. Bryan's method Of giving them
| independence was TO release them at
| once, Immediately after the treaty OF
Paris, and let them make the best way
they could through bloody faction and
chaos 10 decent government. And
his further method was to irJerfere as
much as possible, by agitation IN this
country and vehement denunciation OF
our policy. with the efforts which we
were making to bring tranquility and
peace to the islands.
I'VE always have contended that the
| immediate independence which Mr.
Bryan wishes to give the Phfiippines
would result In the utmost misery to
the Inhabitants OF the islands we
thought that the best method OF pro
cedure was to take over the islands
give them good government, to edu-
cate the ignorant. to practice the people
! in partial self-government until thew
! should be Mt to take over the govern
nent themselves, and then, II thew de-
sired 1t, to turn 1t over TO them
/ We felt, and still feel that IL would
be unwise definitely to onnise indie
pendence to the F1lipinos, for the rea-
son that 1t encourages constant aCfta-
/ ton. and a construction Of the promise
| 20 mean independence in the near tn
ture, whereas there Is the strongest
probability that the people OF the is
| lands win not be fit for completes self
government under two generations.
Must Be Taught.
How can liberty be given TO a neo-
pie so dense IN ignorance that thew
don't understand what liberty is. They
must be taught. Our real ' ards are
not the really educated wealthy peonIe
of the Philippines, numbering but ) or
10 per cent OF the population; they are
the ignorant 90 per cent, and we shall
not discharge our plighted duty to them
until we can be sure that the govern
ment which is TO be established over
them will secure to them their rights
and not maintain them IN a permanent
state Of darkest Ignorance,