The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1920-05-14
n wi

EE&Ninfo vs.. F>%ia"' moan IN DlocK
aAd whlta7
asneter Shotgun n1ay hlnk no people
ts capable OF, saa.a government that does
net establish the judicial recall, or that
has ne Billy Sunday John Smith OF
Eosn eSviHe may think no people IL
capable CT sclf-goy ernnent that doeS
A0t vote lis democratic ticket, or 80 to
church ea Gundgys.
Capacity for self-goveCnment" Is as
bread and elastic aE the world, and il
that should be the criterion for tbs
grating of Philippine Independence,
America might as we'll say TO the Fill
plnos, 81 VIII give yop Independence
Nhen It ple~ses me TO do So"
Fortunately, the American promise
70 the Philippines is not based on such
obscure and abstract conditions. 1t Is
based on a definite seizablc thing
When America, through her Congress,
officially told the Filipino people that
they would be granted their independ-
snce as soon as they could establish a
stable government, no abstract or OBJ
Rcure conditlon was meant. Stable
government, according to American
usege, means n certain, definite thing.
The United States promised the Gu
hNRs the same thing, that when they
have established a stable government,
then American troops would be With
drawn" As soon az the Cuban people
elected a government suited to them
selves, capable Of maintainlns ordeF
and fulfilling all international obliga-
lions, there wGs a stable government
IN Cuba, and American troops were
tithdraWn
When Congress passed the Jones
law, it simply borrowed the PHRASE
''stablo government" from the Cuban
history and applied 1t to the Philip
pines The history of Philippine leg
!slation shows that III black and white.
With fun knowledge Of what it meant,
the Filipino people accepted the Jones
law and Immediately began setting up
the stable government required by Con-
EreaS as q prerequisite to independ-
ence. The stable government is now
q faet. 1t is indeed more than that; It
ID sn undisputed fact.
The Official representative Of the
United States in the Philippine Islands,
che Governor General, reported to the
American Congress and the administ1a-
tisn that "the Filipino people have e.
tablished the stable government de-
handed By Congress as a prerequisite
for the granting of Independence
namely, a government elected By the
suffrage Of the people, which 10 sup
ported by the people, which Is capable
Of maintaining order and Of fulfilling
It's international obligations"
The Philippine question Is therefore
no longer q question Of politics, argu-
ment or supposition. TO the Philip
pine mird. at least, it is now n Ques-
ten OF whether the United States Is
ready TO discharge its own obligations
fully and completely. America went
before the world In thc recent war Ms
the avowe3 chaRpion VI "self-detormI-
action" and FIlipipcS cannot see how
America can consistently refuse to act.
The sHNpiRs psople, however, have
Rs gruage Or grievance against the
American people. Theirs is a message
Of Friendship and gratitude. They seeA
Independence as the natural and log
ieal oateosnc q Americas policy In
the Islands Snd Of AEaeriea's solesnn
yeo1niss 60 them. Tnsy come willing
to s;Te privileges SID cuneazsions rot
incompatible vita Eh&is rational vel.
Sars.
TIE TfNpino sseptS ass willing ia
aeeeps tnaepeadehes uader any of the
following conditions: Under q League
Ct Nations guaranteeing its territorial
integrity; under the protectoratexhip
Ct che Uaitsd Statgg Hog tire flrst few
Es@rs; uader treaty e neutrality Be.
tween the United SsGEeq, England, ia.
Fan, France and other Dowerg, or even
without any condition whatover-aboo
late ard complete Independence. They
have ne fear OF Japsn. Philippine in.
dependence, In our opinion, is not inim.
teal TO Japanese interests. The Jana.
Asse are now free to come to the Phil.
Ppines, bat ct the present tine there
arc less fhtR 1900 Japanese in the
tsiends There are ak timas &c many
Sapaneae II California az there arc b
the entire Philippine Archipelago.
Tire F'illplncs ara willing TO taxa
tEs;r chanee as q natlea. Smaller M.
tioas besct by gravsF problems aaa
dangers have taken a more hazardous
chance ct freedom, and have sue
seeded