El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-07-12
ARE
.GONFIDENTOF
FREEDOM
Failure to Grant Independ-
ence Will Mean War Cost
ing Half a Billion.
IT is NOW UP TO THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY

7ASuINGTON, d. c., July IA
! MAJ That national victory OF the
W Democratic party in the Unit
! ed States should revive public interest
| in the question of Philippine 1ndepen-
| dence was inevitable, both in America
and in the Philippines. From the be-
! ginning the Democratic party has op-
posed the policy Of the government in
| dealing with the Fiipinos. and that op-
position has been voiced by every nom
/ inee Of the party for the presidency,
! Bryan. Parker and Wilson. Democrats
in congress did not hesitate to express
/ open sympathy with the FilipinOs even
when they were at actual war with
} American troops.
When the Democrats gained control
Of the house OF representatives Dy the
congressional elections Of 1910 they
placed at the head Of the committee on
iESular affairs. representative WlIllam
A Jones. Of Virginia, VINO had been
minority member OF the commute un -
der the Republican RUE, and VINO was
well known to favor independence Tor
the Philippines at the earliest pracLlca-
BILE time. Mr.. Jones had visited the
philippines, and had made close study
Of conditions in the islands.
Independence In 1921.
As those who oppose independence
dependence at some future time, the
Democratic attitude has been that II
is necessary to fix a date Tor turning
over the islauds-either by setting an
actual dav or by setting an ultimate
limit of time, to do something that
would positively assure the F1lipinos
that they would be set free on a DAY
certain and not IN the IullneSs Oh
Gods good time or in "a future gen
Grafton" So representative Jones in
trOduced in the SD congress bill Tx
WnHN
the senate and the executive were Ike
publican. the bill was not considered
il has been relnrrOduceu ana viii pc
brOughL up when the regular session OF
congress meets IN December, and un-
dOubtedly viii be favOraDly reported
from the committee. The day is not a
matter upon which Mr.. Jones or lne
committee stand with unalterable firm
ness. but IT is an indication OF their
desire and purpOSe-Whlch is TO prom
Use independence and TO promise il IN
such a definite ana particular manner
that the nation viii be III honor bound
to keep the obligation
A Platform Promise.
A great many persons, including
most of those who have had TO do
with the Philippines under Republican
administrations, say they believe that
the Democrats made the promises OF
independence only because they were
out and felt IN duty bound TO crltl-
CiZe and oppose whatever was done by
those VINO were i'm and that they do
not fear that the Democrats actually
VIII redeem their platform promises
No Democrat OF prominence in either
the legislative or executive branch OF
the government as yet has publicly
given any support to this theory.
AS far as the United states IS con
cerned, nothing has indicated that the
people are much interested IN the mat
ter. They are concerned with the tar
iff, the currency, the lobby exposures
and other more pressing matters.
Await Wilson's Action.
But in the Philippines IL has been
different matter Democratic victory
lie has always believed that the Amer
leans who came to the islands as the
allies Of the insurgents against Span
ish rule bound themselves TO turn over
the islands to their own people. This
has been confirmed by every American
authority, but the mOOted question has
been; Whenz Mr. Mckinley said, IN
substance, as soon as they are ready
Mr.. Roosevelt said the same thing, and
Mr.. Taft repeated IL, but with the in
dicatiOn that they would not be ready
soon Now what Will Mr.. Wilson sayE
The Filipino has always believed that
he would get his day in court If the
Democrats should win. The announce
ment of the election last November
meant TO him freedom and nothing else.
Manuel QueZOn and Manuel EarnshaWs
the two Philippine commissioners In
congress, are earnest and industrious In
their efforts to make It certain tnaI
this fact is well understood at Wash
fngton. Every Philippine assembly has
demanded independence by formal res
OlutIOn-
Up to the Democrats.
The inference is plain. If the Dem
ocrats, who nave promised lndepen-
denCe, go back on their word, the Fill
ipinOs will conclude that there IS no
honor in America, that the promises
made by American officials are but
empty words. that there is no hope but
the desperate nope of war, and reYo-
luton viii again kindle in every Fill
pinO barrlO. The last 1nSuTrecuOn cost
rearIy S2O0.O0O.OO0 by the most conser-
vative estimate, and was put down
partly by force of arms and partly by
promises Of ultimate independence In
case OF another revolution, promises
probably would not be efficacious.
Another war that would cost perhaps
S500,O00.O00 to keep in subsection an
unwilling people under a colonial sys-
TEN foreign to American ideals is
well in sight and this is one Of the rea-
sons why those who favor independence
wish now to make certain the removal OF
the cause Of such possible revolution
Oppose Colonial System
Other arguments are: We obtained
the Philippines in war that was
waged to free a people, and not to sub
Jugate enc however milo me ponds or
however benevolent the rule We prom
ised the Filipinos independence as soon
as they were fitted for self govern
ment and the fact that they are now
SLNEESoA lily operating 4oNe-A anu "a u
vincia1 governments and cooperating
with Americans in the general govern
ment proves that the time mas come
We are opposed. as q people. to a CO.
lOuial system, and our holding Of the
Philippines is repugnant TO the spirit
Of our institutions founded on the prin-
ciple that the only just basis of gov
eminent is the consent Of the gov
erned, and it is apparent that the Fill
ipinO people are anxious to get rid OF
US.
BY holding the islands we are in
constant danger OF entanglements with
Japan. because Japan could take the
islands without regard to any practical
bic precautions we can take. The Jap
anese conquest of the Islands would be
disastrous to the Filipino people, 1t is
possible under American rule, it would
be impossible under International neu-
tralizatiOn. 1t is not necessary to wait
until the Filipino people are perfected (
in the science of government. as Amer I