The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-04-26
FILIPINO LAND
OWNERS OPPOSE
INDEPENDENCE
Send Strong Protest Against
Passage of the Jones
Bill.

WASHINGTON. d. c.. April 26.
Filipino property owners. prOpriGtors
OF agricultural holdings aggregatlnG
twenty million dollars have petitioncd
Representative Clarence B. Miller. of
Minnesota, asking that the Jones bill.
granting independence TO the Islands,
be defeated. Representative Miller.
who made Il tour OF the philippines
two years ago. as Il member OF the
House committee on lnsular Affairs.
in speaking Of the petition today. said:
"'rhe petition is significant in many
vital ways In the first place, It is an
expression OF the earnest wishes Of 81
large group OF responsible Filipinos.
II represents the real views or a large
portion OF the Filipino people | have
long been convinced that the great
mass OF the Filipino people have been
entirely ignorant of the independence
agitation. Responsible property own
crs heretofore have not seen fit to Op-
pose the Immediate independence agi.
tation carried on by a portion OF the
might come at once aud
were willing 10 let the political leaders
make capital out of this propaganda.
sage of the Clarke Amendment in the
Senate. proposing TO withdraw the SOW
ereignity of the United States from
the Islands in from two to four years,
The responsible people IN tile Islands
found themselves confronted with the
question of immediate indeDendence
and their response is immediate.
have had checked over the ninety
two names signed to the petition by
people acquainted with that locality
and am informed these are the lead
ing men of the two islands Of EegroS
and Panay. as far as the agricultural
interests hrc concerned. am in
formed thai these men represent about
twenty million dollars worth Of prop.
erty, they and their families. In addi
tiOn. the sentiment which they here eN.
press no doubt represents the Senii.
mcnt o: practically all Of the property.
owning FilipInos throughout the Phil
ippine Islands. II is 10 he noted that
these men are farmers In the islands
uf Negros and Panay, where is pro-
duced the great bulk Of the sugar
grown in the Islands and where is to
be found the most prosperous agricul-
tural area in all the Islands. consid.
or this petition Of the very highest im-
portancc. as presenting Filipino wish
es that ought TO be respected by AM
erican people"
The petition Is as follows:
I've. the undersigned residents and
holders OF the islands OF
Panay and NcEros. Philippine Islands,
and ali Filipino citizens. respectfully
state that IL Is our opinion that the
OF the Jones bill In the form
that il was passed by the Senate of
the United States would he fatal to
social progress, to the development of
the commerce. industry and agricul-
turc and to the political wcll.beinE of
all the Inhabitants Of tho Philippine
Islands;
"Therefore, VIC earnestly beg the
Congress and the United States Gov
ernment and IFS citizens that they sus-
pend all action on the Jones bill. and
that the question of the political indie
penlcnce OF the Philippine Islands he
definitely suspended for a period of
twenty years, and that when this per-
iod arrives that no action as TO the
Independence OF the Philippine Islands
be taken without the vote OF the Fill
pins people.
"Iloilo, Proyinve OF Iloilo. Philip.
pine Islands, this day. the FIRST OF
March. of the year nineteen sixteen
a. y.
"Eusebio Lopez. E. r. de Luzuriaga,
Julio in. Moss, Juan Ledesma, ]. jaw
ellana. l.. C. Jaleno. Mebino Franan,
". E. Pinzon, E. Regalado. Jose Garcia,
S. Ledesna Ferd Santo. Maria Jopez.
lose Araneta, Parccual Cabana, R. Y.
JustInianza, MelecIo Lusahia, Julio
Lusabia. Rogue E5atitepa, Ernesto jail
Gregorio Dinson, Carlos ]
Mapa, Pedro Siudico. Pedro dc In Cruz.
Cornelio Sian, Jose NJ. Monunola Joa;: