The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1919-06-05
THE PHILIPPINE DEMAND

In 1898 when Admiral Dewey flash
ed the news of the sinking of the
Spanish feet in Manila Bay the aver
age American had TO brush up on his
geography 10 find out the geograph,-
cal location of the Philippine Islands.
At the St Louis Exposition Americans
were given their first intimate" ()
insight into the traits and character
istics of the Filipinos in the famous,
or Infamous, Philippine Village. While
the St Louis Exposition had many val
liable features ii had better never
have been held than to have implant-
ed a libel Of 100000 Filipinos in
the minds of the people of this coun-
try. Just as the Europeans-and even
some of the Yankees who were rear
ed down east used to judge the
western part of our own country
wardecked Indians. or the reading of
blood and thunder novels, so quite nat
urally the savages collected in the
Philippine Village confirmed the sto-
ries, easy enough to believe of a peo-
pie whom American arms had sub
dued, that the Filipinos were lot of
degenerates-and a hopeless lot.
The shadows that moved across the
diaEpiate since those days, have vim
dicated the west and the Philippines.
The Philippine Mission. lately ar
rived, has made a distinct impression
upon official Washington. Our Pa
cific wards state very frankly that
they have come to collect the twenty
year-old pledge of the United States
to grant them independence. Presi-
dent Mckinley assured the people of
the Philippines that they would he
given their independence when they
demonstrated that they were capable
of self government. The pledge has
been suce ceessively repeated by Presi-
dents Roosevelt Taft and Wilson.
The Philippine Mission asserts that
| it is here with the goods" to prove
that the Philippine people are not
only capable of self government, but
that they have demonstrated that fact
beyond the shadow of doubt. The
Mission is composed of forty of the
most progressive and best known Fill
ipinos Of the Islands.
Mr. Maximo NJ Kalaw, secretary of
the Philippine Mission, has establish
ed a permanent publicity bureau in
Washington, and he is seeking to Sc
cure better understanding in this
country of the conditions that exist
among his people. He quotes Cover
nor Harrison, who has been for six
years governor general of the Islands,
as saying that "by temperament, by
experience, by financial ability, and in
every way the 100000 Filipinos are
entitled to be free from every govern
ment except of their own choice.
These officials are today governing l.
900 municipalities and AZ provinces,
economically, efficiently and for the
good of the entire people" Governor
Harrison says: They have a native
congress including many graduates of
Yale, Princeton. Harvard and other
American universities. Other mem
bers are graduates of Santo Tomas
and other Philippine universities, and
in education and ability they COM
pare favorably with any ] know"
At this time it seems strikingly ap-
propriate that the ideals so painstak-
ingly outlined to secure the happiness
and comfort of Europe, in which we
have persistently declared our disin-
terested purpose should likewise be
applied in places where We are de-
cidedly interested and concerned. I'll
is not hard to fall in line with the
thought that the rights of small ma
tions," are nowhere better evidenced
in the conscience of Americans than
in our relations to the Filipinos. Long
years have lapsed since the impress
sion gained at St. Louis began to be
dispelled, and in the interim the best
brains of America have concluded that
the question of the ability of the Fill
ipinos for self government has been
settled in favor Of our wards, to whom
the pledges of the United States gov
ernment should be fulfilled.
President Wilson authorized the
| creation of federal commission to in
vestigate conditions in many cities
| where street railway companies have
been unable to obtain approval of 10
cal authorities for rate advances. Sec
retaries Redfield and Wilson explained
| to the president that fifty or more
street car systems already were in re-
ceiyers' hands and many others were
threatened with similar situation,
,,.for the industry as whole is virtu-
ally bankrupt" The industry presents