The Irish standard., 1909-02-20

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the Nethersoles and Hoffmans.
CARPET BAG GOVERNMENT.
A carpet dagger is defined by Web
ster' as IAN adventurer; a term Of
contempt for a Northern man seeking
private gain or political advancement
in the southern part of the United
States after the Civil War" After
the reconstruction period, the carpet
bagger disappeared from the South but
the name is yet held in odium and
contempt in that part of the country,
and there is good reason for it. Now
the North and the South are reunited,
good feeling exists between the sections
and it is fondly hoped that carpet
baggism in this free land has vanished
for ever. But how is it in the Phil
ippines and Porto Rico, which "fell
into our laps after the Spanish Amer
lean war?
The natives of these foreign possess
ions of the United States are discon-
tented with the system of government
they live under, and pining for the
day when they shall be permitted to
govern themselves without any in
reference from outside nations. In
his speech to the Methodists in WASH
ington. published in the Irish STAN
dard of last week, President Roosevelt
said:
I'm our treatment Of the Filipinos
We have acted up to the highest STAN
dard that has yet been set as marking
the proper way in which a powerful
and advanced nation should treat a
weaker people. Cuba we are at this
moment leaving for the second time to
work out a destiny which we now
hope and believe will be one of stable
and orderly independence and prosper
fly. In the Philippines we are con-
stantly giving an increasing measure
OF government"
Roosevelt said nothing Of giving
them full independence at any time
in the future, nor Of withdrawing from
the island, and his successor, Taft,
has declared that the Filipinos will
not be ready for independence for
generations to come. In the mean
time, the Philippines will remain in our
possession, unless they are taken
from US by the Japanese after a long
and costly war. The natives believe
they are capable of ruling their own
destinies. They desire independence.
They are FESTIVE under American car
pet-baggism, and why not?
The American colonists were discon-
tented under British rule and drew
up an indictment against George ILL.,,
declaring that the United Colonies are,
and of right ought to be, free and
independent states; and for the sup
port Of this Declaration, they mutu-
ally pledged their lives, their fortunes
and their sacred honor, and after a
seven years war drove the British SOL
diers and mercenaries forever from
these shores. AS said in the letter of S. A.
Al1ma, which appeared last week in
these columns his countrymen are not
placated by the development of the
islands by American trusts, but want
to govern themselves, having a proper
value of freedom. 1T is that same
spirit of discomfort which arose in the
hearts Of your people in the time of
Washington, he says. 1.-THE discomfort
of those colonists could not have beer.
dispelled if King George III. had sent
a syndicate like the East India COM
pany." Who will deny the truth of
that statement?
In Roosevelt's speech referred to
above, he made no allusion to the
Porto Ricans. Perhaps, he thought
them too insignificant to mention along
with the Filipinos and Cubans. They
are few in number compared with the
others and consequently not worth
talking about. But small and weak
as they are, they do not like to be
preyed on by American vultures, and
are justified in using the words ap-
piled by the American colonists to King
George, to wit: HE has created a
multitude Of new offices, and sent