New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-30
President Warmly Urges Demo-
Gratis Not to Reverse the
Policy Justified by Ten
Years of Experience.
BOUND TO MEAN A FAILURE
Confusion and Humiliation Sure
to Follow Premature Indepen-
dence, He Declares-Speak-
er Clark Declines to De-
bate the Subject.

Washington. Jan. 29'-President Taft.
in his farewell speech 10 the Ohio So
ciety of Washington tonight. vigorous
lv attacked the bill now pending in
Congress proposing autonomy and in
dependence in eight years for the
Philippines.
is il possible" asked the President.
that the Democratic party is going 10
reverse the policy that has indicated
itself by ten years experience merely
Tor the purpose of conforming to the
cobNebbed planks Of forgotten plat
forms? VIII they not. before they take
such an irretrievable step obtain re
liable information as TO the conditions
that obtain in the islands? This issue
has been relegated TO the limbo Of free
silver or the narrow docline Of states
rights. Those who continue 10 give out.
their lucubrations on the Philippines
are now fewer than those who expect
to attend the next inaugural ball"
Speaker Clark. who followed the
President. declined to debate with him
the Democratic policy of independence
for the Philippines Il am not going
TO debate the question of Philippine in
dependence with President Taft" said
Mr.. Clark. Il have no inclination to
make a Philippine speech. and / am
not going to, either. / wish We were
out Of there in as good shape as we
were when We got in. But according TO
the Democratic platform-which
didn't make-we are committed TO A
policy. I believe that when a man gets
office on a platform he should reliC-
iously live up TO the planks that are in
that platform"
Would Mean Humiliation.
President Taft began his address with
an eulogy of President Mckinley.
From praise of Mckinley he turned to
the Philippines, and said. in part:
After three administrations and more
have passed. and after two successive
Presidential campaigns with silence on
tho Philippines as the issue, the country
is asked 10 make change. We are
asked TO meet a recrudesccnce of oppOsi-
tioL 20 our Philippine policy and the
threat 70 turn back the hands OF time: 20
reverse the verdict of a decade and TO
give I'd all our achievements for new
experiment, which can only result in
confusion and humiliation and involve rs
in international complications and brlne
US again with damaged prestige TO an
abandonment Of that policy.
Those OF us who. by reason Of orr n-
formation and experience. believe that
reversa OF that policy now viii lead to
national humiliation and embarrassment,
should not keep our mouths closed, but
We have a right t6 appeal 10 those VINO
are coming into power in the next ad-
njnistration-the Executive and the legis-
a,ors-to inform themselves well before
they depart from a course which has
been fraught with the utmost benefit 'oI
ths people Of the Philippine Islands.
The Philippine Islands are not yet
ready for self government, and no in
Husnoe could be more detrimental upon
their future than the enactment OF the
measure now pending in the House OF
representatives providing for q change
in their government
Senators Burton and Pomercne and
representative Cannon also made ad-
dresses. Justice Day, OF the Supreme
Court was toastmaster, and Justices
McKenna, Lurton and Lamar were
among the guests at the speakers
table.
The local Yale Alumni Association
at it's annual dinner tonight greeted
and bade farewell TO President Taft A
Continued on fourth page. seventh c"lurnn.