New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-19
Tells Ohio Society JoneS's Bill
Granting independence in
Eight Years Would Ruin
Islands and People.
DENIES NATION WANTS IT
President Receives Ovation as
He Enters Dining Hall Es-
corted by Drum Corps
Again Jokes at His De-
feat at Election.

| President Taft, in his speech at the
Waldorf last night. came out strongly
against the bill before Congress pro-
| vidng tor independence for the Philip.
pines in eight years
IF / We're a partisan | shouldn't ask
| anything better than that the Demo
cratic party should pass this bill and
! go out of the Philippines in eight
! years" he said The passage Of this
| bill would make a mess and "A muss
! that would return to plague the men
responsible for ii for twenty-five years.
| is il possible the President asked,
that little as this Democratic admins
tration knows about the Philippines
they are going 10 let them 90. and de-
| feat our efforts 10 raise and educate the
! Philippine people? Is it possible that
| il is going To do that with no founda-
| ton whatsoever and without the ap-
| proval Of somebody who knows the ISL
ands? | hope not. Possibly | am inter-
ested i'm the case but ! am interested
! chiefly in the Philippine people"
q The President said the Republicans
had argued for the retention of the
islands, and the nation had decided
/ that the islands had come TO us not Of
our own seeking. The record of col
onization there, he said had been one
! that all Americans were intensely
proud OF.
Cost is Not Heavy.
Then why" he asked, should we
project the whole situation into poll
tics simply TO hold out the offer Of
office to lot Of persons who don't
want il? The Philippines prefer 10 be
associated with us. When they prefer
| 10 leave us they can do so. Some per-
sons gay the cost is too heavy. Why,
outside of the S3OOO,O0O annually for
! the military protection we haven't
spent one dollar toward the civil gov
! ernment of the islands, and We h.t e
given them every thing, including free
markets in this country
The President said the Democrats
ought to call all the missionaries on the
, islands TO tell them what they thought
Of the proposition Of throwing the ma
/ tives back on their own resources. The
Morros. he said. would make trouble
constantly, while under the authority Of
+ the United States they were perfectly
/ content to remain i'm subjection.
Let ms go on with the policy of edu-
cation and civilizing that has been a
source of Wondcrment and admiration
! TO the whole world" he said
/ This policy" he said. would he sui
7 cidal. FOR the benefit Of none but poll
/ ticians. | don't ask the Democrats TO
take my word for this. Let them ask
any Of the governors. half of whom
have been Democrats. We are the
trustees Of the poor people on those ISL
ands. and those poor people need more
education to understand what are their
rights.
/ No Demand for Freedom.
/ Nov. is it possible that this new
administration. with the little knowl-
edge it has Of the needs of the islands,
can propose 10 throw them off and
leave them TO the tender mercies Of
half a million Moros? Twelve years ago
| this issue was paramount in the Pres
| dental campaign. Eight years ago it
was modified somewhat. Since that
time I have not heard the issue men
toned i'm any annual election. 1t
seemed that the Democrats had wisely
| acouiesccd and had agreed that We
were solving tho problem Of the islands
and would take no steps 10 undo the
constructive work We had done. There
fore. / say. | cannot believe that the
verdict Of the last election can be con-
| strued into a purpose that We are nov
IN separate ourselves from or foster
! citizens.
.Do YOU realize" said tho Chief En-
ccutivc. that to-day more people
sneak English IN the Philippines than
/ Spanish. and this considering the fact
that the United States has had control
of the islands for ten years, whereas
the Spaniards have been there three
hundred years? When you think Of
what has been done TO promote the
health and prosperity of the Filipinos
YOU will realize that il is record
America may well he proud of. -
Those on the Oals.
Those on the uas were Henry W. Taft
Borough President McAneny, John Pur-
roy Mitchell President Of tnc Board II
Aldermen; Chief Magistrate McAdco,
General Nelson II. Henry. Surveyor Of the
Port. Major Rhosds. the Presidents aid
Charles u. Hiles. his secretary; Morgan
I o'BrIen. Thomas f. Ryan and Oswald
Garrison Willard.
Captain Richmond r. Hobson, Gicuten-
ant General Nelson A. Miles, Frank H.
| Hitchcock Postmaster General: John H.
| Clarke. president of the Perry Centennial
| Commission ana Commissioner Harry
Cutlar \. r. Sisson. w p. Huntington.
Mackenzie r. Todd. General J. Warren
I,sif.r John Wesley Hill, president of
u,. International Peace Forum; Samuel
"A Fairchild. president Of the Union
eayua Club; Mitchell Erlanger, Walter
IT, McCorkle. president Of the Southern