Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1913-06-21
Arguments Of opposition.


II know there are two Forthcoming
answers TO this remark Of mine. /
have heard them many time. have
read them III print first. that 1t Is not
true that the masses of the Filipino
people want Independence: that. on
the contrary they are perfectly con
tent to live under American rule; TINT
they do not know what independence
means and w0uld not know what to
do with 1t IL they had it. that only n
small and noisy group of irresponSi-
Bile defnagogues, office seekers and pol
iiicians who hope or expect to be in
power IN the event Of Philippine in
dependence. Is crying loudly against
American rule.
Second, that The words OF Presi-
dent Wilson arc not applicable TO the
present condition Of the Filipnus, be-
cause. although they do not have M.
tlonal independence, they have indl-
vi1tIal freedom.
ITO those who hold the first theory
let me say that they are deadly wrong.
The Filiplnos have given all possible
evidence in words as well as in costly
deeds Of their unanimous and very
earnest desire Of becoming an indie
pendent nation. Only an inexpicable
blindness can fail to see this fact.
Force. and very superior force alone,
can keep the Fllipinos in subsection.
Not Free People.
ITO those who assert that the Fill.
pinos, although under American guard.
fanship, are free people let me say
that freedom and guardianship are
two Incompatible ideas. The fact that
the Filipinos are given In the organic
act the same individual rights that
the American citizens have, with the
exception Of the right to bear arms
and be tried by jury, does not make
the Filipino as free as an American
citizen. as has been alleged. A free
man is he whose rights are secured by
himself and cannot be taken away
from him at will Our so called indi-
yidual rights are granted To us by con
gress, which has reserved the right TO
take them away from us at any time.
The case of Canada. Australia and
other self governing british colonies
has been cited TO prove that a people
may not have national independence
and vet be free. But the, people of
these colonies are n free people be-
cause their very loose connection with
Great Britain is OF their own WILL and
the mother country may not interfere
with their affairs, Our status is Who'll.
ly at variance with the Canadians or
Australians. We are not free either as
people or as individuals.
Growing National Spirit.
NOW, gentlemen, am sure that L
am correct when | say that nothing
short of Philippine independence grant.
ed now or promised to be granted
within comparatively short time will
satisfy the Filipinos, and every days
delay In doing this makes the Fill
pinos more unhappy and diseontentod.
And my knowledge of the feelings of
my people cannot be successfully chal-
lenged
Il have been fortunate enough to be
associated with all classes of Filipinos.
| have mingled with the poor as well
MS with the rich. Moreover, ! have
witnessed from my childhood this
growing sentiment of nationality and
desire for Independence was reared
by that same feeling When ] express
the feeling of my people am sure
that am not wrong, because am ex
pressing my own feelings. and when
| express my own feelings know that
l am nNnrnSSin,r fhn.n &c ~. ,,nn,,Il.