Mexico weekly ledger., 1908-07-16
rHrLpprsp NATURALIZATION

PHILIPPINE NATURALIZATION.
What shall we do with the Philippines
Like Binquo's ghost. that question VII
not down, During this kenesapho a e ns
gagged the attention Of the American POO
Die. The great struggle FOR the ftesl'
deacy In 1850 tagged around that queanon
ne a paramount issue. The Democrats eon'
tended, for reasons with which the SCUM,
try is familiar. hat independence should
10 granted 10 the F1lipinos. reserving Ger.
tain Important privileges and rights e
This country. What the Republicans stood
for In that campaign has never beer
know Is that they opposed the DemocratS
policy. and even now no maj can vel
what their ultimate policy " win teearc
to the islands and their people. Nothlns
serves better to Illustrate the mconlpe'
tency OF the Republican party as q con-
struotive organization than the hide
clslon and uncertainty with which II sur
rounds this question. In facti IL mas ~
pollcy; II is simply drifting like a rud-
derless ship. True, an %insnlar government
has been established, education promoted
sanitary conditions Improved, n indus
trial enterprises in a small way eneour,
aged. But all that relates 20 current ano
necessary administration. AS long as We
retain jurisdiction we must administer
/ their affaIrs with decency. The point l
/ make Is that the Republican party mas
never definitely declared an ultimate pol
| icy with respect to the Islands. There Is
no concensus OF opinion among the Re
publican leaders m the subject; on the
contrary, they seem to be hopeiessiy ul-
vided, Secretary Taft a declared that
the United States should retain 1urisdic-
rising generation shall be old enough, TO
direct their destiny. He leaves the m
preston by what he says that after mat
period the question OF philippine auton-
omy may be considered Other eminent
Republicans. like Senator Hale Of Maine,
are anxious to sever our political connec-
ton with them as speedily as posslble.
The Chicago convention OF last month dld
not outline or f~ereshadow a policy for the
party. All the platform y on the sub
ject is that insurrection has been sup
pressed, law established. life and prop
erty made secure, and that education and
practical experience are advancing the
capacity of the people for government
That, however. at the best, is only a
declaration OF things done. The aggre-
gated wisdom OF the Republican party,
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,
the convention was silent. l assert with
out fear that the Republican party Is
without a policy IN b particular. They
are simply drifting. Nevertheless, the
question Is ever present What shall we
with the islands, r
/ visited the Philippines in 1907. I trav-
eled over and became fairly familiar with
are beautiful islands. with great natural
The bulk of the population,
he Fflipinos, are an amiable, intelligent.
people. In whose hearts burn
he fires OF an intense patriotism Ia
Of the Islands there are tribes.
more or less numerous, who are primitive
md h~alf-civilized. But the great majori-
y OF the natives. the Filipinos proper,
ire, as l have said, not only civilized,
tut have been devout Christians for CEN
urles. They are the Christian people OF
In all the Orient. I do not hesi-
ate to affirm that the average of Intel
among the F1iipinos Is superior to
hat OF the people Of Cuba, and equal TO
o%untries to h south. The Chief Justice
4 the Philippine Supreme Court is a ma
i've Filipino, and l was told by some OF
rs. American associates on the bench,
nd by the Governor-Genera Of the
that In dignity Of character and
ange Of learning, as well as In native
orce and ability, he would grace the Su- /
RENE Court OF the United States. The
torney-Gencral is a Filipino. and is
ne Of the most accomplished young men
have ever met. There are several ma
Ives on the Supreme bench. and a ma
GRITTY Of the trial Judges are also Fiji
mos. The provincial governments, and
he governments of the large municlpali-
=. VtNHAAN Va nAANAAAtA ~ AtliNAAAliNlNNt w |
the natives. They elect their owu
mayors and other public
and conduct their own public
lffairs with ine intelligence and high In
legrlty. they nave successful bankers
percbants, manufacturers, miners, and
he learned professions are adorned BY
many men OF high repute. That these
are qualified for aelf-government l
ave no shadow OF doubt. i am not sure
q government modelled after ours
'ould be best suited TO their conditions
temperament, but neither would II be
} the Japanese or TO others who SUCCESS
ally maintain governments OF their own.
they most desire above all other
Is national Independence. Upon
nat proposition there Is practical una
Unity. We are holding these people,
government OF their own, and with an
Inpatient desire for such a government.
lbject to our Jurisdiction against their
I'll and protest. The present tatus OF
ne islands is so anomalous as to be
They are under our authority,
nd yet not a definite part OF our terri
Dry. We govern the people, but they do
enjoy the privileges Of American cit-
They are neither home folks nor
oreigners, neither domestic nor allen
this has been going on for nearly ten
ears: / am opposed to holding these
stands In this way. and opposed to this
oiicy of non-action- Those people have
ONE rights in the sight OF Heaven and
= 1NN tAANAAf aAAa We O96I u hiNc /
ome answer to them, and we ought to
NOW we mean ourselves to do. If
intend to hold them forever in the
OF our stronger hand, then we
'ught to say so and end the agony, / need
lot say that for US to do that would be
! crime against our own Institutions, our
ideals. and all the high things we
stood for before the world. More
as a mere vulgar proposition Of
investment, II would be a
'ostly. mistake. What are we going to
lor My countrymen, what we ought to
10 is to fix a definite date for granting
Independence to the F1lipinos, n then.
3 a part q the scheme. open negotiations
vith the leading powers of Europe and
asia for treaty agreements whereby the
Independence OF the Islands shall be as
'ured by making them neutral territory.
open to the occupation Of any other
lation. as the Independence of Switzer-
has long been secured in Europe. /
no kind Of doubt that the leading
including Japan. would willingly
inter- Into conventions Of that character.
treaties would remove all fear Of
snc~roachment from other nations after
the United States had withdrawn. We
to declare for some definite and
policy of that character and
i~naugurate the work OF bring
Ing It about. But the Republican party,
as now organized, Is incapable of dealing
with the question. It's utter failure to
deal with 1t lntelllgently demonstrates It's
l~ncapacity. II the American people want
to grant to the Filipinos the boon OF lib
erty for which they so devoutly pray,
the work OF developing a policy to that
end must be entrusted to some other par-
~. To have liberated these generous
and gentle people from Spanish thraldom,
TO have helped them along for years al
enormous expense, to nave established
schools and aided them to promote indus
trial development, and then finally to
crown them with the high dignity OF ma
tional Independence, with protecting
shields around them, would, all in ALI
constitute one of the most glorious chan
ters In the history of men. 1t would lit
the American republic high up as a beacon
light among the nations OF the world.
And now ! close this subject by quoting
a significant statement made By Presi.
dent Diaz OF Mexico in March last 10
Parsons Magazine:
when the United States gives In
dependence to Cuba and the Phillp-
pines" he said, ''she will a her
place at the head OF the nations, ana
al fear and distrust will disappear
from the American republics"