The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-12-09
PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE.

PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE.
One of Mr.. Bryan's hobbies. and
he has several Of them. as that the
United States should now declare its
purpose to withdraw from the Philip
pines IL turn the islands over to
their W inhabitants at the earliest
possible moment, to the end that there
may be established there an indie
pendent government. and that the
United States may get out of the bust
ness of carrying on colonial govern
mont, a business which Mr.. Bryan
thinks We should never have begun .
When MIR. Bryan wrote the democratic
platform he inserted in it everything
that he thought should be in a plat
form. and that document therefore
contained a reiteration of the doc
tiinc above described. Mr.. Bryan is
not alone in his belief. and many
members of his party believe that such
a declaration as he desires should now
he made. There is being prepared
for submission to congress a bill
known as the Jones bill, which pro-
Nides for the setting up in the Philip
pines of a local government conduct.
ed entirely by the Filipinos. but with
certain powers reserved to the United
States, among them being the right
of the president of the United States
TO veto any legislation enacted by the
Filipino congress. This system of
government is TO continue for eight
az ,lo arl f which %j,,, th1
United States is to withdraw entirely
from the islands. n to exercise no
further supervision over the acts Of
their legislature or people.
With reference to the probationary
period it may he said that this is in
consistent with the position taken by
many of the anti-imperialists, which
is h a we have no rights in the Philip
pines, and never had any; that there
a he no rightful government with
out the consent of the governed; that
the Filipinos have not consented to be
governed by the United States: and
that it is our duty to get out of the is
lands as fast as ships will carry us.
The fixing of a probationary period
Is in itself a denial of the oft-repeated
assertion that all people are capable
of governing themselves, and that
they should. be Permitted to do so in
their own way. without Interference
from any other power whatever.
When the supporters of the Jones bill
say that we are to remain in control
Of the islands for eight years they act
IN the principle that they are people
incapable of governing themselves,
and that others must do the govern
ing for them.
1t is admitted. apparently, that the
Filipinos are not now ready for indie
pendence. When will they be ready?
In enght years. we are told. How
does anybody know? Nobody does
know. We may all guess, but there
is not the slightest possibility Of actual
knowledge on the subject.
The position which the various re-
publican administrations of the past
fourteen years have taken on the sub
ject is the only sound one. 1t was
recognized that the present need Of the
1'ilipinos was not for an INDEPENDENT
national government. but for an OPP.
porJunity to develop their idustries,
their intelligence and their capacity
for governing themselves in an order
ly way by the enjoyment OF an era
of peace, by the establishment of
schools. by the development of nat.
ural so that the inhabitants
might have opportunity to employ
themselves probably, n by actua'
experience in the management of their
nII.n nffoicc in YnnnirfnolSf,, an l;c<r3o
N in general legislative bodies. AL
these things are being worked out
Inc United States government has
promoted in every way possible the de.
velopInent of all that ought to be de,
veloped on the islands. No human
being should f~oresee what the result
would be, Or when that result would
he complete. 1t was evident, as 4
must have been evident to every per
spn of common sense, that the worl
would require some years before i
Would be safe for the orderly people
who inhabit the islands to permit thu
establishment of an Independent gov
m there. How many year
that would be could not be predicted
And 1t was impossible to know wheth
er. when the necessary capacity TO
government had been developed in tn,
islands, there would then be any de
sire on the part Of their inhabitant
for n separate national existence, o
whether such separate existence woul'
be better for them, for us and for tn
world at large. Our government ha
thus far refrained from making an,
declaration of purpose concerning tn
territory. 1t has done wisely. 1t ha
left that subject to be decided whel
there is within sight the need 70
some decision concerning 1t. Tina
need does not exist now. 1t may exis
eight years hence. and it may not exis
for another generation. In the mean
time it is wise not to commit our
selves now to any action that we ma
want to reverse later on.
a CASE OF SELF DEFENSE.