The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1914-01-03
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I TAKES EXCEPTION TO Il
CLARENCE B. MILLER

The following communication is
written by a well known union man,
an officer Of the Federated Trades
and Labor Assem- bly,, and a former
soldier in the Philippines, a man who
ought to know.-Ed. e ~. -
10 The Labor World:
Congressman Clarence B. Miller hav-
ing recently returned from the Philip
pines where he has been on behalf OF
the minority members of congress
has given his views of the situation
existing there as he observed it. Fol-
lowing are a few extracts of his re-
port as published in the daily pa
pers: : " l
Important events are transpiring
In the Philippines. The rapid in
dustrial development Of recent years
has suddenly halted. Foreign capital
ready to mature long developing bus
mess plans, in the twinkling of an
eye has been withheld. Trade stands
still, partially paralyzed. Among the
Filippinos there is marked unrest;
among the Europeans and Americans
there is uncertainty, there is appre-
Why all this? A new administration
is in power at Washington, and a
consequent change in administration
has occurred in the Philippines.
Ever since American occupation
Of the islands, the Filipinos have
been given constantly increasing
share in their own government.
Nothing here to alarm; nothing here
SO vitality to affect the business and
social structure of 100000 Of people.
"The government heretofore exist
Ing consisted of a governor general
appointed by the president, a COM
mission of nine men, also appointed
by the president, five Americans and
four Filipinos, their duties being to
serve as the higher branch Of the
lawmaking body, and also, to serve
as executive heads Of departments
somewhat similar to the cabinet Of
ficers in America. The lower legis-
lative body, called the assembly, con-
sisted of S3 men elected by the Fill
pino people. To become a law, a
measure had to he passed both by the
assembly and the commission. The
power to veto rested In the congress
of the United States. The governor
general and a majority of the COM
mission being Americans, a complete
check existed an Filipino legislation,
and the entire. executive adrninistra-
ton could be controlled by the Amer
lean officials.
1.-THE plan was to give the F1lipinos
as full participation in their govern
ment as possible, but to have a guild
ing hand to direct their efforts and
an absolute check whenever the stu.
alton required it. In giving to Fill
! pinos larger. participation in their
government, this administration has
given to the Filipinos a majority of
the commission. It was stilletto
| thrust that pierced the heart Of the
governmental structure. That struc-
| ture had stood strong, balanced and
safe; it fell in a chaotic mass Of en-
| tangled and discorAant elements. Now
the F'ilipinos have full possession OF
the law-making power, having all the
| assembly and a majority of the upper
| body or commission; likewise by hav-
| ing majority of the commission, they
have the control OF the euextcive as
we'll. And there is no check
Think of it! Our Congressman
says: There is no check on the Fill
! pino legislation. And think again, he
| says the Filip1nos have been given a
| majority of the commission" What
do we, as a nation, want with a check
upon the legislative acts of a country
| whose population is more than double
| what our own population was when
the French helped us at Yorktown.
The French never asked to have a
! guiding hand to direct our efforts,
why should we as a nation retain
| enough men in the governmental
! structure of the Philippines to control
| legislation?
Last election in this country, where
! we have nearly 100,000,uO0 people, it
! was decided that a change was nec-
| essary to correct the manner in which
| our affairs have been conducted in
| recent years; and it is proper, fair
| and just to presume that the same
| conditions prevailed in the Philippines
J -prostituting the public welfare to
special interests, placing a law created
corporation above a God-created in
| dividual and granting franchises to
I
| an indirect extortion that al few may
live in luxury at the expense Of the
! masses. Do the interests fear that
| the Filipinos are not ready to assume
the control of their government? Or
| do they fear that they themselves
| will be prevented from enjoying the
fruits Of their carefully laid plans by
having legislation passed that will re-
store to the masses concessions that
that may have been granted by a
| controlled legislature? And is that
rot the real reason for the temporary
depression in business in the Philip
pines?
All this country needs is a few more
| men in positions Of trust of the presi-
dent Wilson type, men who actually
endeavor to live up to their platforms.
and not men who pledge themselves
to do certain things and go down to
Washington; write, home to their con-
stituencies that. they simply had to get
on the band wagon in order to obtain
any favors for the district.-A. G. c..
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