The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1908-10-21

and employees of the insu1ar COVER
ment are Fflipinos."
Then the establishment of the Fill
ipino government to take the place
of the Commission created by the
President and the Inauguration of
the popular assembly a year g is
described
"In the light of these undisputed
facts" declares Mr.. Taft, sit is diff
cult to understand how the action
of the Chief Executive, the Congress
of the United States, and the Com
mission as above set forth a be
denominated a disastrous experiment
in Imperialism. So far from its being
an experiment in Imperialism, it is
an experiment, and a novel one, in
preparing for self-government an I'M
developed people who had for nearly
four hundred years been under the
domination of a medieval monarchy"
Mr.. Taft points out h a the great
majority df Filipinos appreciate that
independence would not be a blessing
to them in the absence of a protec-
torate.
Il think il may De ~Irutnfully stat
3D." he says, that the Filipinos gen
orally feel that what we are doing
there is not a brake upon their legit-
innate aspirations, but an impulse
| given to their growth and develop
| ~a~~+ ~, g. nrl ~arrih1o 1innC "
Policy Should Be Known.
Mr.. Bryan thus begins his article:
Honesty requires that our policy
regarding the Philippine Islands be
right to know; other nations are en-
| titled to the information: and our
own position would be strengthened
| by a declaration OF the nations pur-
pose. So long fs there is a doubt
there will be discussion; so long as
| there is uncertainty the F%flipinos
| will suspect the worst, other nations
will accuse US of insincerity, II our
own people will be embarrassed in
the advocacy of the principles of gov
eminent which we apply here and re-
fuse to apply in the Philippines. A
republic cannot hold colonies, for a
colonial government rests upon force,
while in a republic the government
rests upon the consent of the govern,
ed. To say that the F%ilipinos have
eminent and in the shaping of their
own destiny raises a question as to
mans inalienabIe rights, and the
citizens of a free country cannot at
ford to raise such a question"
Mr.. Bryan tersely says then that
improvement in the islands does not
mean that a better policy might not
have brought greater improvement.
He declares the experiment in inn
p%erialism to have been an expensive
one, and he charges the increase in
army and navy expenditures to moth,
ing that has happened in the United
States to make them necessary, but
to the foreign dangers connected with
the possession of the Philippines.
Suppose" he says, chat Japan
wants the Philippine islands-altho'
there is nc reason to believe that she
does-wou1d we not be in a better
position to defend the islands if they
were independent? If the Filipinos
were in charge of their own govern
ment they could have an army and
arms and ammunition. We, as a pro-
~tector, could supply what they need,
ed, and train the soldiers. The Fill,
pinos would be willing to fight for
independence, and when we remem
Der how stubb9rnly they resisted us,
we can appreciate they would render
us If any other nation should attempt
to enforce sovereignty W. them.
By reserving qoaling stations and ma
val bases, we would have all the ad.
vantages that we now have, without
the disadvantages of our present po-
sition. And then, too, there is the
likelihood, if not the certainty, that
we would secure the naturalization
Of the islands by agreement, and thus
relieve ourselves from all expense
or care"
Mr.. Bryan protests that the Dem
~ocratic policy does not contemplate