The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1916-03-31
Former Head of Islands Discus
ses Question Before Large
Audience
from Saturdays Daily.

From Saturdays Daily.
That it would be a most serious
mistake to make an independent
nation Of the Philippines, within the
next few years, as contemplated by
the Jones bill, which has already
passed the United States senate, was
an opinion emphatically expressed
last evening by Judge c.. B. Elliott
of Minneapolis, in an address at a
banquet held in the Elks' club
house by the Good Fellowship club
of the Episcopal church.
The judge spoke right from his
own experience, having had years of
experience in helping to govern and
shape the destiny of those islands,
both IS a member of the Philippine
supreme court and as head Of one of
the administrative departments.
Judge Elliott was for twelve years
On the Minnesota supreme bench.
The gathering consisted of seventy
men, members of the club and their
guests. Rev. Edward Constant Of
fered prayer. A splendid supper
was served under the direction of
w. r. Clark, secretary of the Elks'
club
Fred l. Packard called the meet
ing to order and stated that it had
been his intention to have Judge w.
j.. Comstock of the district court as
postmaster that evening, but I'M
fortunately Judge Comstock was i'll :.
However, Judge Lorin Cray was at
hand, and was called upon to take
charge of the chair.
Judge Cray remarked that such
gatherings showed we'll the spirit of
brotherhood that existed among the
people of this community. There
were men who were competitors in
. business and belonged to different
church denominations, but all sorts
of rivalry were readily laid aside
when there was social good time
for all and chance for a discus
sion of great and intensely interest
ing public questions.
Thanks of the Club.
After Judge Elliott had concluded
his address, Rev. C.. J. Shut of tie
Episcopal church, extended the
thanks of the club and of all pres
ent for the judges presentation OF
the great subject of Philippine in
dependence. The judge had held the
most earnest attention Of all of his
| hearers from first to last. 49,.
A quartette of local singers
rendered two highly pleasing selec-
tions. The quartette consisted OF
| Howard Johnson, second tenor; Pau
Ford, first tenor; Harry French, first
bass; and Clarence Parker, second
bass. The songs were Loading Ur
! the Mandy Lee" negro melody, and
Farewell or "Alohe De-" a selec.
| ton from 1.-THE Bird Of Paradise"
| Judge Elliott condemned the idea
of granting independence to the
Filipinos within the next two to foul
| years, or even after a much longer
time than that. He was not favor
| ably inclined to the idea of indie
/ pendence for the archipelago at all
! but he declared that if the present
} democratic program for setting III
an independent government there
should be carried out, the results fol
| the inhabitants of the islands them
| selves would be very bad. He sale
| the roads would be allowed to fal
into ~decay, the splendid harbOr a
Manila would fill up and it's value
would become greatly impaired, the
tutelage that the people were receiv.
ing at the hands of the American!
would cease and there would bt
many other i'll effects The develop.
ment Of the country would come to
| stand-still.
Would Not Look For Disorder.
The judge said he did not share il
the fear of those who declared tina
there would be instructions. HI
would not look for disorder. He die
not think the Filipinos were in.
clined to do any thing of that sort
But they were not yet suf.
ficiently schooled so that the,
could be safely trusted to run thei
own affairs. Above all, they could no
manage their finances. They were
eager for education, and they were
anxious to get their independence
but they were not fit for it. They
would appropriate money without
knowing whether they had it or not
They needed American guidance.
| ne iuuSSr utCluicu IlidC 3lllc pres
ent day Filipino, in his partly edu-
| Gated state, was really less fit fol
| government than the people d
they were when the United States
first took hold Of the task of recon
structing things there. The old time
| Filipino had been through great
| deal of trouble and he would be
! pretty careful to steer clear of it
but a new generation had beer
growing up. These younger people
could not be trusted to run things
| The speaker quoted President Taft
as having said that after the United
States had completed the task OIL
! educating the Filipino people to run
their own affairs, the feelings oil
union between those people and
America would be so close that the
| Filipinos would not care to have q
| nation of their cwn. They would
then be eager to stay under the
| Stars and Stripes. Judge Elliott said
he shared in this view but it would
take generation or two more to dc
all of that work The job had only
| gotten started.
| Blamed w. j. Bryan.
| The speaker blamed William s..
Bryan and other prominent demo-