El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-05-16

OPPOSES
THE FILIPINO BILL
Catholics Helped to Defeat
the Philippines Freedom
Measure in Congress.

Who killed the Philippine independ-
ence bill in the house the other day?
Not a Democratic insurgency that rea-
soned in consonance with Republican
doctrine that the people of the Philip
pines are not now and never will be
fit for self government; not the broad
visiOned Democrats who foresaw dip
lomatic entanglements in the Far East
that made it seem wiser not to COM
promise the United States in these
times OF stress with any future pledge;
not the Democrats who wanted to show
their indifference to president Wilson's
desires, their freedom from executive
coercion.
Washington has been seething with
gossip about one Of the most eXtraordi-
nary occurrences in the history Of the
American congress. out of the 80
Democrats who voted against indepenu-
ence thereby insuring its defeat All
but one or two were Catholics, whereas
out Of 1914 Democrats voting for the bill
only two OF three were Catholics. The
galaxy of Irish names recorded against
Philippine independence presented 10
many here a humorous paradox in view
OF the recent efforts on behalf OF indie
pendence made by members of the same
Warming Had Been Given.
But there was no paradox in the vote,
no contradiction that cannot be eN-
planned In fact, some days before the
mai vote was taken ominous warnings
were heard in administration quarters
or the certain defeat Of the Dill, De
cause the church is against it, Also.
few who voted for the bill were heard
TO remark that they cast their votes
because they wanted to register their
opposition to the church" one mem
Der OF congress who voted against the
bill remarked in a moment OF indiscre-
ton that certain church dignataries
wanted the bill killed. and he proposed
to follow their advice He mentioned
names, too. No one here belives the
church as a whole was interested or
even knew OF the controversy. But
the remarkable thing about the vote
was the fact that many knew the CO.
terie Of influential Catholics at work
to kill it, yet not a voice was heard in
debate courageous enough to charac-
terize the opposition.
The charges Of Catholic influence
emanate by no means from persons of
opposite religious faith alone. Denunci-
alton of the tactics pursued has come
most vehemently from Catholics them
selves. prominent in the national CAPT
tai They point out that such influence
as was eXerted on the Democrats in
congress could have had its effect only
by disappearing what the large body
OF Catholics in the country would do on
election day if n vote adverse to the
interests of property holdings in the
Philippines should be registered-in-
deed. that if the lobby" which has ex-
listed here were exposed. it would be
promptly repudiated by broad minded
Catholics Of the country who are Op-
posed to political pressure Of that sort |
Church Heavily Interested.
As for the Catholic chUrch's interest |
in defeating the legislation. there is no |
gainsaying its equity. It had natural |
and legitimate apprehen ions over the |
situation. The church has immense
property holdings in the Philippines. .
These might re disturbed If unrest |
were to be bred by a pledge of early |
independence. Holding this conviction. |
the church exercised its right as an in /
terested party to express its view. !
What disinterested observers here do I
not like about the business was the Sc /
crecy with which the campaign was i
conducted and the solid vote along re- /
ligiOus lines that followed Having !
found that the administration leaders I
did not believe the property Of the I
Catholic church or it's influence in the /
islands would be ieOpardized by the \
bill that was up for passage, the peo- !
pie who represented the property own !
ers kept up their fight, carrying it de-
family to the men who were religious /
ly sympathetic or feared that opposi- /
tiOn to the church might defeat them in 4
their districts-David Lawrence in New
Env