Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-05-28
CITES WORK OF
>FILIPINOS FOR
THEIR OWN RULE
Former Congressman Tayenner
Points Out Rapid Strides Of Is
land Folk in Government.
Is CREDIT TO Q. S. CONTROL
Philippine Mission Seeking Final
Independence Declares People
Are Now Ready.
BY FORMER CONGRESSMAN
CLYDE H. TAVENNER.

BY FORMER CONGRESSMAN
CLYDE H. TAVENNER.
Especial Correspondence of The
Argus.)
Washington, May 26.-The Phil
ippine islands do not have as yet
the boon of complete independ-
ence. But three years ago they
Lere given a large measure OF
self-government, and during this
lPeriod in which they had affairs
practically in their own hands they
have made a record in government
that is without parallel in all his
tory. It is on their record o!
achievement during the last three
years that they are basing their
argument that they are fully quail
fled to take over the complete
government of the islands.
A Philippine government is the
goal toward which all Filipinos
are looking. and will ever look.
There are 10,500,0O0 of these peo-
pie. and they are an intensely pa
triotic people. They are a unit in
a desire to have their own gov
eminent, and anyone WHO knows
these people at all knows that as
long as water runs and grass
grows they will keep on working
for independence.
The United States will either
have to grant the Filipiuos their
independence, as we promised them
we would whenever they could es-
tablish a stable government, or
= else Uncle Sam will be in the en-
R-Trassing position of denying
them their liberty one season after
another, for the Filipinos will
hand down the Sght for independ-
ence from one generation to an
other, and will keep knocking at
the doors of the American con-
gress, asking for their promised
liberty, forever.
The Philippine mission, which
was empowered by the Filipino
legislature to come to the United
States and ask for a final solution
of the Philippine problem, con-
tends that the Philippines today
have an absolutely stable govern
ment, and there is therefore no re-
naming reason why they should
not be granted independence.
Governor General Francis Bur-
ton Harrison and Vice Governor
Yeater. the two highest and prac-
tically the only two American Of
ficials still occupying high places
in the Philippine government, de-
clare that the representations OF
the Philippine mission are true in
every respect. They say these
people are prepared for independ-
ence and should have It
In no territory under the Amer
lean flag has more effective and
successful control been exercised
over public utilities and the eco
nonic resources than in the Phil
ippines since the Filipinos have
been in the saddle
First, a public utility commits
sion was established to fix the
Yates for public service corpora
tons. This step went a long way
toward preventing exploitation by
keeping a vigilant eye on the work
ing methods of capital.
The completely Philippintzed
legislature passed a law creating
a bureau Of labor, and to be sure
that this department would be run
by men in sympathy with labor,
two labor leaders who had tbs
confidence OF the workers were APP
pointed director and assistant d.
rector Of the bureau.
There is no compulsory arbitra-
ton OF labor disputes in the Phil
ippines, / am informed. but the
system OF voluntary mediation is
being successfully applied.
The Philippine legislature has
made It practical and possible for
laborerB TO secure homeateads by
undertaking policy OF financing
Asettiers who wished TO obtain
ZONES OF their own by emigrating