Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-20
DEFENDS OFFICIAL COURSE
Declares Republican Policy Was
Best for the Islands.
WISH OF THE INDEPENDENTS
Says Their Leader Assured Him His
Election Was Preferred to
That of Bryan.

gathering OF the citizens OF NORWOOD
Ohio. in the assembly room OF the Sim
ton Hotel. His remarks were confined to
a discussion of the Philippine question,
which he declared to be an issue in the
campaign because of the position taken in
the democratic platform. He took occa-
sion to answer the recent criticisms of
Mr. Bryan with reference to the railway
franchises and friars' lands sale.
The democratic party" he said, has
declared In its platform that rs soon as
stable government is established in the
islands we should leave them. A stable
government is established, so that this
is equivalent to a resolution in favor of
immediate withdrawal"
Judge Taft reviewed the alternatives
presented to the United States with ref
erence to the Philippines at the close of
the Spanish war. and asserted the con-
cluSiOn that there was no other course
but to assume the responsibility.
And he added. Mr. Bryan and his
followers were responsible for the cost
and suffering and loss Of life on both sides
which arose during an unnecessary year
of war"
Railway Franchises
On the subject of railway franchises in
the islands. which has been critically re-
ferred'to by Mr.. Bryan recently, Mr.. Taft
said:
Inc greatest neeu IN the material Oe-
VelopMent of the islands is the construc-
ton Of railways. Under the organic act
of 1902 Congress gave US authority to
grant railway franchises. but try We
would we were not able to enlist capital
lists in the enterprise. except in the con-
struction of two small lines, branches Of
the old road.
I'm 1905 Congress passed law enabling
us to guarantee the interest on the bonds
of any new railway to the extent Of 4
per cent for thirty years. the amounts
paid to be a second lien on the railroad,
payable after thirty years. BY this means
have secured the construction Of 100
miles of railroad in each of the three
islands og Negroes Cebu and Panay. In
Luzon we secured the construction of 400
miles of additional railway without any
guarantee. 1t was secured in this wise
The Manila and Dagupan road had been
built under Spanish franchise. creating
a partnership in the railroad between the
government and the company, and having
among its many terms guarantee OF
fixed income to the company during the
life of the franchise for lightweight years.
Under the advice of the Attorney Gen
eral of the United States that the pro-
visions Of the charter and especially the
guarantee. were not binding on the
United States. the military governr,e nt
before ] became governor. had declined
to pay the income when demanded and
repudiated the obligations of the charter.
Ills ielI Inc IEdU-iIlSt All UoSl liIut-
terminate condition. In subsequent nego-
tiations We secured a contract with the
company to construct 400 additional miles
In Luzon under perpetual franchise by
bringing the old railroad under the same
franchise. All the railroad franchises
authorized by the present government in
the Philippines are perpetual, just as
they are in this country. They all con-
tain the provision, however. that they are
subject TO amendment or repeal by Con-
ont }lx,f Pow
the public benefit.
This is the part of my record in the
Philippines to which l suppose Mr.. Bryan
means to call my attention. He speaks
of the Benguet railroad franchise. There
Is no Benguet railroad. l wish there was.
presume he refers TO the Manila and
Dagupan railroad franchise. 1t was fully
described in an elaborate report l made
to Congress in 1906 1t was approved by
the President and the abinet after full
consideration. Mr.. Bryan is the first
person, so far as I know, to question its
wisdom or p.opriety.
Purchase of Friar Lands.
Next We bought the friars' lands and
paid $7,0O0,No0 for them. This was done
to save a new insurrection by the 10000
tenants on the lands who refused to pay
rent to the friars. The friars had good
title to the lands, but they had become
unpopular and the tenants refused to rec
ogniZe their title, claiming the Aguinaldo
government had passed a law nationally
ing these lands and that, therefore, they
would not recognize the friars as their
lawful owners. The purchase rid the
government of the necessity of enforcing
at the instance Of the friars Judgments
in the courts for the election. of 10000
tenants and thus averted a new war
"And not only in the matter OF friar
lands. but in the matter of many charita-
BILE trusts we have effected compromise
by which the church takes over some
charitable trusts and We take over others.
All the church questions are settled. well
settled and fairly settled. Meantime the
influence of the Catholic Church in the
Philippines for good has been increased
by the substitution of an American HER
archy for the Spanish hierarchy. Epis-
copal. Methodist Presbyterian and Rap-
fist churches have been established there
and a great improvement has come over
the islands with respect to religion ard
morality. after the denlora lization of
four years of war and desolation.''
Desire of the Independents.
'In an interview I said that even the
independistas-that is, those in favor of
immediate independence in the islands
prefer republican victory to Mr. Rryan's
promises. Mr.. Bryan now responds with
a cable from Alberto Rarretto. denvin~
this on behalf of certain authorities in
Tie luuFpSliuiStd party. relleu my
statement on a conversation I had last
month with Senior QuoZon. who is the
leader of the 'independstas in the national
assembly. in which he told mo that al
though the independents like Mr. Bryan's
platform they preferred my election as a
friend of the Filipino to Mr.. Bryans
promises. This statement Senior Quezon
subsequently repeated in a published in
terview. There Is evidently difference
OF opinion among the independistas'
Mr.. Taft referred to what he said was
the helpful work of the churches in the
islands. particularly in view of the re-
ligious nature of the natives.
Policy as to Independence.
The speaker then took up what he said
was Mr.. Bryan's claim that the repub-
lican party had adopted his policy with
reference to the islands. that he desired
to give them independence and that we
propose to give them Independence
Mr.. Bryan'S method Of giving them in
dependence 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. to de-
cent self-government And his further
method was to interfere as much as DOS
hement denunciation of our policy with
the efforts which We were making to bring
tranquility and peace to the islands We
have always contended that the imme-
date independence which Mr. Bryan
wishes to give to the Philippines would
result in the utmost misery to the in
habitants of the islands.
Il submit there is not the slightest re-
semblance between our policy and that