Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-22
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL v. COLLINS.

"Plebiscite.' That is a mighty
word, 1t means IAN expression OF
| the popular will on given matter OF
| public interest by means OF a vote
| of the whole people" II has as its
| foundation the expression Of the will
| of the. masses-the "plebs." Where
| the t'Dlebs" are not intelligent enough
nor free enough 20 express an intel
ligent and unhampered opinion upon
| the question. there cannot be a gems
| uine "plebiscite.
| The Senate Of the Philippine gov
eminent has again voted for
| plebiscite upon the question Of indie
| pendence from the United states.
There appears no doubt that the As
seTnbly or House" will east a Simi
lar vote. but Gov. Gen. Wood vetoed
the act in the last session of the Con
, gress on the ground that such mat
ter is not within the province of the
Philippine Congress to discuss or to
| vote upon.
In addition. the question arises
among those who know the condi-
lions in the Philippines as TO how
there could be real plebiscite-even
| If the United States Congress-. with
the approval of the President, should
/ authorize It, For ii is alleged that
only 6 per cent of the population of
| the Philippines had all political and
! financial power, and that 81 per cent
| are practically cowed poems with no
| freedom of action uncontrolled by the
caciques, who are the money lenders
and political bosses. 1t is alleged that
all agitation for Philippine independ-
ence at presenter until the taos"
or peasants, become educated and ca
pable. of participating in the local gov
| ernment-is simply a. step toward abb
solute enslavement of the taos by the
money lenders. This is quite apart
from the menace OF other nations
Japanese. for nstance-in aggression
and ultimate capture of the islands.
X 4 +
In very careful review of the
Philippine conditions, by Katherine
Mayo, in her book, isles of Fear"
the writer relates one instance of the
usurious extortion of the cacique
money lenders, by which they hold
the entire tao population in subjec-
ton: "a man, nine years ago, Dor
rowed 30 pesos ($45) from cacique.
Having paid !, 400 pesos ($T00O in the
interval, he still owes 1900 pesos
$500.
She further relates an experience
Of Gov. Gen. Wood (who is a surgeon
by profession) when he made an UNI
announced inspection, and appeared
suddenly in the doorway of a room
filled with lepers awaiting deporta-
ton to Leper Island. He was recog
niZed by a young girl in that crowd
ed hell" and she sprang forward,
falling at his feet. and proclaimed that
she was not a leper. but had been
seized on the order of a cacique, be-
cause her father, a tao, had. offended
him. She begged Gov. Wood to save
her from the vengeance of the tyrant.
1t is argued that, under such ccndi-
tons of subserviency of the masses to
the control Of the few, the time is not
ripe for a plebiscite, much less indie
pendence of the islands. But to in
dorse that idea does not involve any
modification of the plan of eventual
independence, for when President
Coolidge rendered his decision in 1924
completely .upholding the administra-
ton of Gov. Gen. Wood against the
charges made by Special Commits
sioner Manuel Roxas, the President
added:
IF the time comes when it is APP
parent that it would be better for the
people of the Philippines, from the
point of view both of their domestic
concerns and their status in the
world, and if when that time comes,
the Filipino people desire complete
independence, it is not possible to
doubt that the American Government
and people will gladly accord it,
X n X X
The whole question, politically, rests
upon the development, educatively
and in self government of the native
peoples, as to when the question of in
dependence win be considered. 1t does
not rest with the caciques, but rather
with the masses. The Philippine Con-
gress was never given any authority
whatever to discuss major questions
of sovereignty nor of foreign rela-
tons The organic act established a
government after the general order of
q territorial government, with general