The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1921-01-07
GIVE FILIPINOS
INDEPENDENCE

Because of it's reference to the
Philippines, President Wilson's mes
sage to Congress of December Z,
1920, will forever be a memorable
state paper to the inhabitants of the
Philippine islands. Although the
paragraph referring to the aspira-
tions of the Philippine nation oc-
cupies but nine lines in the Con-
gressional Record, every word of it
is a golden word to 10,500,000 men,
women and children who aspire to
form of government like that of
the United States, and who prefer
that form of government for pre-
cisely the same reasons that the
people of the United States pre-
fer it.
The presidents reference to the
Philippine question follows:
Allow me to call your atten-
ton to the fact that the people
of the Philippine islands have
succeeded in maintaining
stable government since the last
action of the Congress in their
behalf, and have thus fulfilled
the condition set by the Con-
gress as precedent to a consid-
Grafton of ganting indepen-
dence to the l.laads. | respect
fully submit that this condition
precedent having been fulfilled,
it is now our liberty and our
duty to keep our promise to
the people of those islands by
granting them the independence
which they so honorably covet.
1t will be recalled as the presi-
dent indicates, that the Jones law,
approved August 20, 1916, prom
ised the Filipino people independ-
ence upon the establishment of
stable government.
The people of the Philippines ac-
cepted this law with gratitude, con-
sidering it sort of covenant be-
tween the Filipino and American
peoples. They Immediately applied
themselves to the task of setting UP
the prescribed stable government.
And they set it up. 1t is in the
Philippines now.
The highest representative of the
United States in the islands, Gov
ernor-General Francis Burton Har-
rison, who has been in the Philip
pines seven years and is therefore
competent to pass upon the recent
progress of the Filipino people, off
cially reported to the American Con-
gress and the president of the
United States that the specified
stable government is an actualitv,
and that since the Filipino people
have earnestly fulfilled their part
OF the agreement, America should
be as prompt in carrying out its
part of the contract.
But not only does the all-Filipino
Legislature and the American gov
ernor-general agree on the exist
ence of stable government. The
president of the Unietd States has
officially reported this fact to the
Congress of the United States. He
ADDS: 1T is now our liberty and
our duty to keep our promise to
the people of these islands by grant
ing them the independence which
they so honorably covet."
SO that, in few words, it is not
the Filipino people, but the United
States government that now is on
Cilal, not only before the people of
the Philippines, but before the whole
world
1t was the United States that
went before the world in the recent
world war as the champion of the
principle of determination: il
was the United States Congress that
twice IN period of Is months ex-
pressed its sympathy with the as
plfatlons of the Irish people for in
dependence, and it was the United
States of America that was founded
on the principle that governments
derive their just powers from the
consent of the governed.
In all candor, can America afford
to longer close it's ears to the re-
peated pleas of a deserving people
for an independence that should be
theirs not only by divine right but
because the United States solemnIv
promised it to them?
The granting of Philippine indie
pendence now offers the United
States a golden opportunity to give
to the world unanswerable proof of
Its sincerity, its consistency and it's
altruism.