Grand Forks daily herald., 1915-11-29
TAFT CRITICIZED
FOR HIS ACTION
Lent His Name to State
ments Said to be Mis-
chievous in. Intent.

sued fOrmal StaCenent toody SAa!
ly arraigning former President Will
to what are termed Statements men
dacious in character and mischievous
in intent" with relation to conditions
in the Philippine Islands under the
present administration. Circulation
Of these statements, Mr.. Garrison
charges, show plainly that the re-
publican politicians are attempting to
lay the foundation for campaign ma
terial with respect to the Philippine
Islands"
Particular attention is given by the
Garfield Jones, and published in q
California newspaper and later repub-
lished in pamphlet form under the
title Unhappy Conditions in the Phil
ippine Islands," with an introduction
by Mr.. Taft. The, introduction attri-
buted the conditions described to the
"blind and foolish policy of President
Wilson and Governor General Harri-
son." .7t,E
In connection with his comment
Mr.. Garrison makes public a letter
which he says was written recently
by Jones to the department, asking
where a newspaper market might be
found for a much better article"
which he had prepared on 1.-THE Fiji
pinos and the Democratic Regime"
declared to be highly favorable to the
administration. f.a
To Lay Foundation.
The statement follows:
1T Is becoming very plain that the
republican politicians are attempting
to lay the foundation for campaign
material with respect to the Philip
pine Islands. There have recently ap-
peared a series of interviews or arti-
cles exhibiting a shameless intention
mendacious in character and mis-
chievous in intent. Many Of them
proceed from sources so inconsider-
ate as to carry little If any weight,
even II denied. Others, however, are
fathered by men whose names and
prominence supposedly lend weight to
their utterances. It is inconceivable
that even PARTISAN zeal would lend
these men to SO stultify themselves.
Realizing that the honor and good
faith of this nation were involved in
its relations to the Filipino people,
have absolutely abstained from any
partisan comment or conduct with re-
spect to this subject. The United
States took over an enormous respon-
sibility which should bepcarried out in
the highest spirit Of good faith and
altruism. and all those who respect
the good name Of this country should
at least refrain from misrepresenta-
ton and false statements concerning
conditions
Government is Success.
"The government instituted in the
islands by the United States was con-
ceived In the best spirit and has in the
| main been carried out In the most
worthy way. Such mistakes as have
been made were only such as are in
evitable in the conduct Of human af-
fairs That government has been, con-
tinued in the SAND spirit by the pres
ent administration, and conditions,
soyernmentally conTdered. we're nev-
pine Islands today.{
THE bill which Se pending in the
last congress and (which will be
brought before the next congress ID
exactly In line with all that has here
tofore been done in the islands, and ID
simply the next proper logical step to
be taken toward developing the peo-
pie thereof for self elf-eovernment. No
honest reading and consideration of
conclusion. Because the preamble of
that bill repeated In concrete langu-
age that which has been substantial
ly stated to be the position of this
country from the time of President
Mckinley on down, it has been falsely
labeled an independent bill, and the
impression has been widely conveyed
that it alters In some vital, radical
way the orderly progress Of the self
Such an Interpretation creates an alb
solutely false impression.
president Taft. when governor
general Of the Philippine Islands, was
the first one to announce that the
motto Of the American administra-
ton was the Philippines for the Fill
pinos He properly and bitterly re-
sented criticisms against him for TAX
Ing this position. He constantly stat
which any one, acting in good faith
and with the honor Of his govern
ment in his keeping, could take; that
from the very beginning this was the
announced policy of this country con-
stantly iterated and reiterated by the
presidents of this country, by its rep
resentatives, and by it's congress. No
one had SO plainly set forth az ha.
President Taft the malicious misrep-
resentat.ons, the mendacious state
ments. and the vicious assaults that
proceed from those in the Philippine
Islands who are not permitted to ex-
ploit the natives and the country for
their own benefit.
Taft Justihed
President Taft was absolutely 1usti-
Ned in this bitter denunciation of
these attacks, which makes It all the
moro amazing to find him INDUCING
IN exactly the same conduct toward
those who are now occupying posi-
tons OF trust and responsibility in the
Philippine government.
s"Th0rA 1ate1v onnoornA ~>~S>. -
articles In q newspaper called the
Oakland Tribune Subsequently they
were published in q pamphlet entitled
The Unhappy Conditions in the Phil
ippine Islands," by o. Garfield Jones,
former member of the Philippine de-
partment of education. with an intro
duction by ex-President William
Howard Taft. former governor gener-
al Of the Philippines.' In the intro
duction ex-President TAFT Saws:
have read with much interest
Mr.. o. Garfield Jones' article on pres-
ent conditions in the Philippines pub
lished recently in the Oakland Til
bune. 1t is not news to me. M
What he says Of the demoraliza-
ton IN the present government, due
to the blind and foolish policy 81
President Wilson and Governor Gen.
eral Harrison, is confirmed by every
report that receive from the H.
lands
Undoubtedly any SANDER or lying
statements can be confirmed by re-
ports received from the islands. Mr..
Taft has pointed out with entire clear
ness where such reports come from.
He said, when suffering from similar
Misrepresentation, speaking with re-
spect to the American press ana the
three newspapers in the islands who
tn Y ~ A