New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-07-08
The Jones Philippine Bill III Timed
and Useless.


Of the Philippines, has at last got Tue
from the White House TO go ahead. Inc io"s 'e
aved measure of emancipation over winch ie AZ"
bean Illuminating will be introduced th's "eeN
,rhon the suspense of year Will be over anu wv
country will know exactly how far TINS auillin'',
,ration is ready 10 go in disturbing 'he hep"
relations between the United states ana us al
Eastern dependency established unoer the piV
visions Of the Treaty OF PARIS
Tho Democratic national platform or lsl-
nledced the Democratic party to an lmmeu"'e
declaration of the nations purpose 10 recoehi%e
tho independence Of the Philippine Islands as soon
az a stable government can be estaDIlsheu' Inc
Iones hill will hardly live UP to that promise 1or
obvious reasons Mr. Jones is perfectly Wiling u
cast the Philippines off next week. But freslueh'
Wilson recognizes the inadvisability OF naming
any definite date for our withdrawal with apollo
,ios from q possession which we acquired legiti-
mstely and In which we have pursued pohc9
based not on selfshness but on real regaru ioi
tbe welfare and political and economic deVe'op'
ment OF a people brought by the fortunes OF war
under our control.
According TO forecasts OF Mr. Joness bill. II VIII
merely 60 a short half way toward setting up
Tilipipo independence. 1t will abolish the fhi-
innine Commission. now acting as an upper Drancn
Of the insuar Legislature and substitute for 1t an
oloctive Senate A Governor General, appointed
Ia, tho President will be left with a native law
making body on his hands. The experiment VIII
no tried ~ broadening the suffrage and loosenng
tho restraints under which the Fllipinos have been
taking their first lessons in the art of selfgovern'
mcnt.
hQ
more radical if the experiences OF the Harrison
administration with enlarged native controi hau
.,ot proved unfortunate About the only results
Of the displacement of Americans by natives IN the
insular service have been deterioration IN the
administrative and legislative departments ana
according TO local testimony, an increase IN the
number Of official defalcations. The Assembly be-
came dcmoralized soon after the new programme
Of nativism was put into effect and log rolling auu
recklessness in appropriations gave the Governor
General many hours of annoyance. Washington
DISPATCHES report that he is not as advanced an
advocate of independence in the near future as he
used to be and that his influence has been eXerteu
to discourage the Jones idea of immediate separa-
ton.
No practical man who has been in the Philip
pines and studied conditions there is likely to ad-
NIT that it is safe at this time to fix date for
judependence even IL he may believe that indc-
Incidence is desirable TO be thrust upon their
own resources before they learn the rudiments OF
Government would be cruelty TO the Filipino
people They would be prcyed upon by the poll
ticjans. who alone have anything TO gain from the
granting Of autonomy Left to themselves, they
would probably soon fall into the clutches Of ia
pan.
Idealists like Mr.. Jones do not shrink from pre-
pairing such fate for them. But most Americans
rightly feel that. having undertaken the burden of
ciyilzng and educating the Filipinos, the United
states ought to do a thorough and creditabe piece
q, work We should not drop the job before we
finish it, If We are moved by any real interest in
the Fipinos.
Moreover. if we are loyal to American traditions.
We shall not drop the job at all. The United
states has never retreated from any territory
which it has lawfully acquired. This Congress
would never consent to hauling down the fag in
the Philippines Future Congresses are conf
dent will feel the same wy about it. In 50 far.
therefore as the Jones bill is intended to be a
preparation for independence. il is merely meddle-
some and visionary. II is hut moro evidence
III the present Administrations inability TO under
stand American traditions and interpret American
sentiment