Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-05
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL =. COLLINS.

The American colonies revolted
from British rule on the ground that
they were oppressed by taxation with
out representation Now the Fill
pinos cry out because they have
representation without taxation
That Is the concrete summing up Of
the situation made by Newton w. Gill
bert, former acting governor general
of the Philippines, in the debate at
the International Institute of Poll
tics at Williamstown, Mass.
1t is an axiom that men are prone
to value anything, not by the meas.
ure of its usefulness or benefits, but
by what it costs them. Connection
with the United States. according to
the notable speakers in the debate,
gives the Filipinos safety against
aggression by exploiting nations bent
upon expanding their own possessions
for the advantage of their own over
crowded population. 1t gives the Fill
pinos the advantage of the guidance
Of the highest civilization the world
has ever known; it gives them the
benefit Of invested capital from the
richest nation in the worlds history.
whereby agriculture may be develop
ed and varied industries introduced.
giving profitable employment to all
available labor, and giving education
nd culture to semi-sayages; it gives
them free access with their products
| to America, the greatest market In
the world; it gives them part in the
| leadership of civilization in obvious
WAYS, too numerous to ouMine.
All these advantages are set forth
| In the Institutes debate. and over
against them is the one great hob
goblin-that it does not cost the FIJI
pinos one cent, but in addition 10 It's
| freedom. the Filipinos are permitted
to legislate as to local affairs. by their
own Congress, and to have represen'
tation in the American Congress,
where their voice has tangible 1nfiu-
on any proposed legislation affecting
| them. That humiliating fact that
Filipino liberty and safety cost
them nothing is what hurts:
| DEMONSTRATION without taxation
For shame! How can self'feSpecl'
ing people stand up under such as
grace?
The American colonists. with taxa.
ton sans representation, olsgulseo
themselves as Indians and threw tns
taxed tea overheard to the hsnes VI
Boston harbor. Should not lnoepeno'
ent Filipinos show their spunk. there'
fore, when they are given tepie'
| .,ortation without taxation" by hav-
ING a Manila fling at which they could
throw their representatives to the
! sharks?
Gov. Gilbert asserted that many
Eilipjnos advocated independence. out
prayed that they would not &c. ~.
Similar charges have been heara az
times concerning even American
statesmen in Congress, regarGIhs
other acts of Government. When
have statesmen invariably oeen
| known to vote as they shoot
X X X
There followed Charles c. Batch-
elder, former undersecretary OF tne
interior of the Philippines. VINO re-
called the famous preamble OF tine
Jones act which promised freeoom
and independence TO the Pnlhppliies
at some undetermined date Wnen tue
| people were found fit for SUCH hanoi-
| caps. But, said the speaker, no Con
| gress had power to commit a future
| generation to anything. That pre-
amble he claimed. was written by
| President Woodrow Wilson and had
no more binding effect than President
| Wilson's pledge at Versailles that we
would join the League of Nations.
Every lawyer knows that promise
! given without consideration is void,
if the promiser sees fit to change his
mind. New conditions, argued Mr..
Batchelder, consistinga of commercial
! development and international com
plications, fully Justify reconsidera-
| tion of all promises thus made with
out legal force.
| And then Rear Admiral William
Rodgers clinched the Batchelder argu-
ment by asserting: "A bad promise is
J better broken than kept"