Monroe City Democrat., 1908-07-16
PHILIPPINE NATURALIZATION.

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hills.
PHILIPPINE SPECIALIZATION.
Like Banquo's ghost, that question will
not down. During this generation no
question of prOfOundeT interest has en-
gagged the attention of the American peO-
pie. The great struggle for the PreSi-
denCy in 1870 ragged around that question
AS a paramount issue. The Democrats con-
tended, for reasons with which the coun-
try is familiar. that Independence should
be granted To the FflipinOs, reserying GER
tain important privileges and rights to
this country. What the Republicans stood
for in that campaign has never been
clearly or definitely known. About all We
know is that they opposed the Democratic
policy, and even now no man can tell
what their ultimate policy IS with regard
to the islands and their people Nothing
serves better to illustrate the incOmpe-
tcIcy of the Republican party rs 4 con-
StructiVe organization than the nde-
CiSiOn and uncertainty with which II sur
rounds this question. In fact, il has no
policy; it is simply drifting like rud-
dCrleSS ship. True, an inSular government
has been established, education promoted.
sanitary conditions improved, and indus
trial enterprises in a small way encOur-
aged. But all that relates to current and
necessary administration. AS long as we
retain jurisdiction we must administer
their affairs with decency. The point 1
make is that the Republican party has
never definitely declared an ultimate pol
icy with respect to the islands There is
no cOncenSuS of opinion among the Re
publican leaders on the subject; on the
contrary. they seem to be hOpeleSSly di-
vided. Secretary Taft has declared that
the United States should retain juriSdic-
ton over the islands at least until the
rising generation shall be old enough to
direct their destiny. He leaves the i'm
preston by what he says that after that
period the question Of philippine autOn-
omy may be considered. Other eminent
Republicans. like Senator Hale of Maine,
are anxious to sever our political cpnuec-
ton with them as speedily as possible
The Chicago convention of last month did
not outline or tOreShadOw policy for the
party. All the platform says on the sub
| ject is that insurTectiOn has been sup
pressed, law established. life and prop
| erty made secure, and that education and
practical experience are advancing the
| That, however. at the best, is only
| declaration of things done. The aggre-
gated wisdom of the Republican party,
maSSed in the Chicago convention, was
| unable to go farther or do better than
| that Upon the all-important question of
| the ultimate disposition of the islands,
out fear that the Republican party is
| without a policy in that particular. They
| are simply drifting. Nevertheless, the
question is ever present: What shall we
| do with the islands, y
| I visited the Philippines in 1907. l trav-
| eled over and became fairly familiar with
them from personal observation. They
| are beautiful islands, with great natural
| resources. The bulk of the population.
| the FilipinOs, are an amiable, intelligent,
| Christian people, in whose hearts burn
| some of the islands there are tribes,
more or less numerous, who are primitive
and half-civiliZed. But the great majori-
| ty of the natives, the Fflipinos proper,
are, as I have said. not only civilized,
but have been devout Christians for CEN
| turies. They are the Christian people of
moment in all the Orient. I do not hesi-
| tate to affirm that the average of intel
! iigence among the Filipinos is superior to
| that of the people of Cuba and equal to
| that of the people Of Mexico and other
countries to the south The Chief Justice
| of the Philippine Supreme Court is a ma
| tive Filipino, and 1 was told by some of
| his American associates on the bench,
and by the Governor-General OF the
| islands, that in dignity of character and
range of learning, as well as in native
! force and ability, he would grace the Su-
preme Court of the United States. The
| Attorney-General is Filipino, and is
one of the most accomplished young men
| I have ever met. There are several ma
tives on the Supreme bench, and ma
| jority of the trial judges are also Fill
pinos. The provincial governments, ana
| the governments of the large municipali-
| ties outside of Manila, are administered
| by the natives. They elect their own
Officials and conduct their own public
! affairs with fine intelligence and nigh IN
tegrity They have successful bankers,
merchants, manufacturers, miners, and
| the learned professions are adorned by
| many men of high repute That these
| people are qualified for Self-gOvernment
| have no shadow of doubt. am not sure
| that a government modelled after ourS
would be best suited to their conditions
| and temperament, but neither would u pc
| to the Japanese or to others VINO success
| fully maintain governments OF their own.
| What they most desire above all other
! things is national independence. Upon
| that proposition there is practical una
nimity. We are holding these people,
| capable of establishing and administering
a government of their own, and with an
| inpatient desire for such a government
subject to our jurisdiction against their
will and protest. The present status OF
| the islands is so anomalous as to be
| ludicrous. They are under our authority
and yet not a definite part of our terri
tory. We govern the people, but they DO
not enjoy the privileges OF American cltl-
| zens They are neither home folks nor
| foreigners, neither domestic nor alien;
and this has been going on for nearly ten
years 1 am opposed to holding these
| islands in this way, and opposed to this
policy of nOn-action. Those people nave
| some rights in the sight OF Heaven ana
of honest men. and we ought 70 give
| some answer to them, and We ought 20
! know what we mean ourselves to do. II
we intend to hold them forever IN the
| grasp of our stronger hand, then we
| ought to say so and end the agony L neeu
not say that for US to do that would be
| a crime against our own institutions, our
own ideals and all the high things we
have stood for before, the world. MORE
| over, as q mere vulgar propOSltlon OF
commercial investment, it would be a
| costly mistake. What are we going to
do? My cOuntrymen. what We ought 70
| do is to fix a definite date for granting
| independence to the FilipinOs, and then,
as n part of the scheme, open negotiations
! with the leading powers or Europe ana
| Asia for treaty agreements whereby the
| indenandence of the islands shall be as
| sured by making them neutral territory,
not open to the occupation OF any Other
nation, as the independence of Switzer-
land has long been secured in Europe
have no kind of doubt that the !eadnS
powers, including Japan would willingly
enter into conventions OF that character:
| Such treaties would remove all fear OF
encroa achment from other nations atter
| the United States had withdrawn we
ought to declare for some definite ana
humane policy of that character ana
DrOnlptlv inaug11rate the work of bring
ing it about. But the Republican party,
as now organized. is incapable of dealing
deal with it intelligently demonstrates its
incapacity. If the American people want
to grant to the F'ilipinOs the boon OF lib
erty for which they so devoutly pray.
the work of developing 4 policy to that
end must be entrusted to some other par
ty To have liberated these generous
and gentle people from Spanish thraldonl,
to have helped them along for years az
enormous expense. to have eStaDlSned
schools and aided them to promote indus
1 trial development, and then nnaIiy 10
crown them with the high dignity of ma
tionaI independence, with protecting
shields around them, would, all IN all
constitute one of the most glorious chap-
ters in the history of men. 1t would lift
the American republic high up as beacon
light among the nations of the world
And now I close this subject by quoting
a significant statement made by Presl-
dent Diaz of Mexico in March last to
Pearson's Magazine:
"When the United States gives in
dependence to Cuba and the Philip
pines" he said. "she will take her
place at the head of the nations. and
all fear and diStruSt will disappear
from the American republics"