The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1911-05-17
Filipino Leader Makes
Eloquent Appeal.
PROMISE OF UNITED STATES
Made Thirteen Years Ago
Should Be Fulfilled,
He Urges.
SOME FILIPINO CELEBRITIES

1
the resident Commissioners of the
Philippine Islands, has made bold
demand for Filipino independence,
declaring it is high time the United
States made good its promise of
thirteen years ago that his people
would be held as wards only until
they we're fit for self-government.
"As the representative of the
eight million people of the Philip
pine Islands and as their mouth
piece, am directed to say that they
seek from you that which it will
cost you nothing to concede and
something which is, and ever will
be, more to them than wealth and
life-their liberty"
Commissioner Quezon, whose stat
us in Washington is that of dele
gate in Congress from the Terrific
ries, claims to be the only real rep
resentative of the Filipino people,
although he has colleague here,
Commissioner Benito Legarda. Que
zon was chosen by the Philippine
Assembly, being the unanimous
choice of all parties. Legarda is the
representative OF the Philippine
Commission, and, therefore. it is
claimed, is not in sympathy with
the demands of the Filipinos for
immediate independence.
Continuing, he said:
when the people of the United
States came in contact with the Fill
ipinos the first time, the only thing
they knew about them was that
there were some uncivilized people
in the mountains, and the people of
the United States took for granted
that all the rest of the islands were
more or less in about the same con-
dition. President McKinley's inves-
tigating commission found that the
Filipinos, even at that time, were
in much better condition and were
more fit to govern themselves than
were the people of Cuba, to whom
independence was given immediate
! ly.
you of the United States do not
know that all branches of science
or art are, and have always been,
we'll represented in the people of
my race. We have a Rial, who
became world-known celebrity,
whom the Filipinos worship as much
as the Americans worship Wash
lngton. There is a Luna, whose
paintings have been the admiration
of the whole world. There is a
Ycaza and a Moreno-Lacalle, whose
learning in the law made them OBJ
jects of admiration at the highest
courts of Spain. There are num-
berless doctors who rank with the
highest of their profession in Eu-
rope or this country. There are
politicians that can occupy any
place in any legislative body of any
nation, and fill that position in
creditable manner.
1.-THE Government of the United
States pledged itself before the
whole world that in governing the
Philippine Islands, the welfare of
the Filipinos should be given first
consideration, and this, l regret to
say, has not been the case. A grad
ual letting in of the Filipinos in the
Governments management has been
promised time and time again, but
although there has been some pre-
tense that this has been done, no
such thing has occurred, and the
most important positions continue !
to be filed by Americans and not by
Filipinos. The high salaried posi-
tions are occupied by American cit
liens. and only the minor and un-
important ones are given to the ma
tives.
"The occupation of the islands is
costing the Government of the
United States millions yearly. The
Longer the United States retains the
Philippine Islands, the greater will
be the temptation for American cap
ital TO exploit the islands. The more
American capital Is entrenched in
the Philippines. the more difficult
will 1t be for the United States to
grant us our independence, because
the American interests will demand
of Uncle Sam that he remain there
and protect them. And we do not
want American capital to take hold
of our lands and our farms.
President Taft said that the
Philippines are for the FiIipinos.
and those words have been engraved
in the heart of every Filipino. and
when we see that the conduct Of the