The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1912-12-12

ner leave his archipelago, but holds
a regular celebration at the bare
prospect of it. More than twenty
thousand Filipinos, dispatches tell
u.s. paraded the streets of Manila in
widest jubilation" over the election
OF Woodrow Wilson to the Presiden-
cy, and listened to addresses in
which the rule of the United States
was declared practically at an end"
On this occasion, moreover, Emilio
Aguinaldo, the leader of the Filipino
insurrection following the war with
Spain, made his first public appear
ance and political speech since his
capture by General Funston in 1901.
These facts, as we'll as the comment
OF the Filipino press, say the CORES
pondents, reflect a prevailing belief
in the islands that one of the first
acts of the Democratic Administra-
ton will be to arrange for their in
dependence. Nor is this impression
entirely confined to the FilipinOs. In
a Washington dispatch to the New
York Sun Gnd.), we read that
'some of the Democratic leaders are
talking of giving the Philippines
limited independence on July 4,
1913" and the same correspondent
quotes Chairman Henry of the House
Rules Committee as predicting that
one Of the first measures to go be-
fore the House will be the Jones
Bill, which provides for qualified
self-g government at once and COM
plete independence at the end of
Speaker Champ Clarks declaration
ho4 10 3I,4O Ic ~
deavor' to free the Filipinos "for
their good and our own
The Philippines plank in the Dem
ocratic platform, it will be recalled,
reaftirms the party's opposition to
"a policy of imperialism and colonial
exploitation in the Philippines or
elsewhere" and asks for IAN imme-
date declaration Of the nations pur-
pose to recognize the independence
of the Philippine Islands as soon as
a stable government can be estab-
lished, such independence to be
guaranteed by us until the neutrali-
ZatiOn of the islands can be secured
by treaty with other Powers This,
remarks the New York Evening
Post IndD, is not a promise of ''im-
mediate independence" but of "the
immediate adoption of a pledge of
independence at the earliest practi-
cable date" I'm way this declara-
ton does not go beyond that made
by the Republicans in the past" re-
marks the Chicago Post (Prog),
which adds, however, that "the Re-
publicans always had an idea that
the Filipinos could not safely be
turned loose for forty years." and
that "the Democrats hope to do the
thing more quickly" After all, it
continues, this question ought not to
be political one at ali; lit ought
to be a matter of plain American
ism, Of a belief in the right of
all people to rule themselves if they
know how" 1t is on the question
Of how soon the Filipinos will
know how that we find the widest
divergence of editorial opinion. Thus
while some papers cite facts and au-
thorities in support of their belief
that the Filipinos are already COM
petent to manage their own affairs,
others cite other facts and authOri-
ties to prove that dire consequences
would follow our withdrawal from
the islands now or in the near fu-
ture. To quote again from the New
York Evening Post:
1.-TWO serious arguments will,
however, be used to impress those
who have thought only specifically
on this matter. How about the wild
frihoc2 will ba asked And about