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mission reported. Hint "the Filipinos, though roo
oftiilzlng ilia need of Amori'cnn intervention and
tutelage, nil desired and hoped for ultima'to in
dependence." TIiIh Is a complete answer to tlioso
who voclforoiiRly assort that the Filipinos, cspo
clally tho more Intelligent ones, are longing to
bi subjects of tho United Stales. No one who
understands either history or human nature can
doubt that the Filipinos, like all other people, lovo
liberty and doslro self-government. Those who
nro Ignorant of tho natural sentiments of the
human heart and ignorant of tho experience of
omplros may bo deceived Into believing that our
sovereignty will bo welcomed by the Filipinos;
thoso who And a pecuniary profit In the exploita
tion of helpless people may even have tho im
pudoneo to defend Imperialism on tho pretense that
it Is asked by tho Filipinos, but President Schur
man swoops away tho cobweb arguments used to
justify a carpet-bag government In tho Philippines.
Whan ho says that all tho Intelligent Filipinos
desiro and hope for ultlmato Independence- he
utters a truth which Is entirely In harmony with
both theory and fact. When ho declares not only
that tho Filipinos want ultlmato Independence;,
hut that "our progressive grants of liberty and
homo rule must evontuato In independenco" ho
places himself squarely upon tho domocratlc plat
form. Tho democrats have from the first con
tended that tho Filipinos wanted independence,
wero entitled to independenco, and should bo given
independenco, not only for their own good, but
for our good. Tho republican leaders, on the con
trary, havo scouted at tho idea of independenco;
thoy havo declared that wo could not honorably
surrondor possession; they have said that Eu
ropenn nations would laugh at us; that tho Fili
pinos would fall to fighting among themselves and
that other nations would gobblo them up; they
argued that "philanthropy and 5 per cent" united
ii, , .commanding us to .ftlop. -tiff "tfhfiipplna
islands and jhpetrflbwn such" Filipinos as object
to ouiutfiTo of development. Thoro is no question
"that Mr. Schurman correctly describes tho original
purposo of President McKlnley before ho was over
persuudod by the commercial interests, and there
is no doubt that ho expresses the wish of a ma
jority of tho republicans today.
Why not promise "ultlmato independenco': and
owl the war In tho Philippines? Why not assure
the Filipinos that they are to have independenco
an soon as a stablo government is established? If
they are to be given Independenco after a while,
wl..' kill thorn first? If we are going to give them
independenco, it is better to give it to livo men
who can enjoy It rather than to dead men who
havo no further use for it. Why spend millions
of dollars a month hunting fleeing Filipinos; why
sacrifice the lives of our soldiers; why stain our
flag with tho blood of conquest when a simple
promise will bring peace? If tho Filipinos are to
hovo ultimate independence, is it not more hon
orable to promise it now and make friends of tho
Filipinos than to conceal our purposo and keep
thorn enemies?
President' Schurman's admission is the most
significant utterance that has recently appeared
in connection with this subject. Ho is in position
to know what Mr. McKinley's purpose was and
what instructions ho gave. If the republicans have
departed from their original purposo they will
find, it difficult to defend their present position
if ultimate Independence has been intended from
the start and is now intended, the administration
has spfint over threo hundred millions of dollars
that need not havo been spent; it has sacrificed '
thousands of lives that need not havo been sacri
ficed; it has aroused suspicion abroad as to our
lovo for self-governmcnt-and all this could have
been avoided by a promise of independence'
President Schurman's words justify the position
taken by tho democratic party; they vindicate the
democratic platform. and they ought to encourage
democrats in eonevpss nmi f . b
,., . " ""L Ul wusresB to con-
.( iuuiy Strilffsr o nlrmn- fl, ii-ui., ,
, ""a viu '""--a vilu awn by
The Commoner
the Kansas City convention. Let every reader of
The Commoner bring President Schurman's words
to the attention of his republican neighbors, and
then read to his neighbors the following extract
from tho last democratic platform:
WE FAVOR AN IMMEDIATE DECLAR
ATION OF THE NATION'S PURPOSE TO
GIVE THE FILIPINOS, FIRST, A STABLE
FORM OF GOVERNMENT; SECOND, INDE
PENDENCE, AND, THIRD, PROTECTION
FROM OUTSIDE INTERFERENCE, SUCH
AS HAS BEEN GIVEN FOR NEARLY A
CENTURY TO THE REPUBLICS OF CEN
TRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA.
This is tho solution the only American solu
tionof the Philippine question.
MS i ,
From Prejudiced Sources.
Mr. Irving Winslow, secretary of the New
England Anti-Imperialist league, makes a good
point in a recent article when he suggests that
our knowledge of the Filipinos comes to us from
prejudiced sources, We must rely largely upon
the carpet-bag officials who have a pecuniary in
terest in belittling the Filipinos. The carpet-bag
governments which afflicted the southern states
during tlie reconstruction period always made
plausible reports of their doings and could always
give strong reasons for their continued existence,
but now we look upon' those governments as a dis
grace to tho party responsible for them as well
as a misfortune to the people afflicted by them.
Mr. Winslow. points out that the Filipinos were
shut out from the conference when the treaty of.
Paris was being, considered, and that their em
bassies and petitions have been ignored. While
the Filipinos' side of the controversy is being dis
regarded, the government printing presses are
prepared to spread far and. wide every criticism.
6f them and every reflection upon them uttered by
those whose official salaries depend upon a colonial
system. ' " ...:..
Missouri Democrats.
If United States senators were elected by direct
vote of tho people there would bo no doubt that
the next senator from Missouri would be a firm
believer in the Kansas City platform. Under the
present system of electing senators, however, the
rc-organizors have a great advantage. First, they
try to create discord and contention between .can
didates who stand on the Kansas City platform,
and in the second place they scheme to nominate
for tho legislature men who are under secret pledge
to the corporate interests. It behooves the demo
crats of Missouri to be on the alert. No one should
be nominated for the legislature whose position on
public questions is in doubt, and it is the part of
wisdom to discourage bitterness and criticism be
tween tho friends of such candidates as stand upon
the Kansas City platform. A democrat can advo
cate the election of a Kansas City platform demo
crat without using harsh language against another
Kansas City platform democrat. The real demo
crats will have plenty to do watching tho reor
ganizors and fighting the republicans; they cannot
afford to waste their strength in stirring up or
aiding a quarrel between men whose fidelity to
democratic principles has been tested.
JJJ
The Cuban Elections.
A republican paper says that now that Palma
has been chosen president of Cuba, the "Cuban
capacity for self-government is to be given a fair
test." At tho same time this republican paper
predicts that turmoil and contention and disturb
ances will exist and that the result will be failure.
It is not fair to say that the result of tho Cuban
election, considered in the light of the evidences
of tho campaign, justifies the claim that this will
be "a fair test." In the first place, Maso, Palma's
opponent, retired from the contest and his ad
herents claimed that his retirement was due' to
the interference of the United States authorities
X
in the election and the fear that because of this
interference a fair election: could not be had. As a
result of Maso's retirement a. very large number,
of Cubans absented themselves from the polls.
Without being informed as to the correctness
of this accusation, it is not difficult to understand
that the new government will take up the dis-
charge of its duties under serious embarrassment.
The very fact that a large number of Cubans be
lieved that United States authorities were inter
fering in the Cuban campaign to the disadvantage '
of one candidate, and the fact that a large number
of Cubans remained at home on election clay be
cause of this charge these do not place the Cuban,
people in a very happy frame of mind for the be-
ginning of "a fair test" on the lines of self-government.
It is to be regretted that any grounds for the.
charge of United States interference existed. It
would have been far better had the people of Cuba .
been permitted, even in their demonstrative way,,
to have settled upon a choice for president with
out the slightest hint or suspicion of outside in--'
terference.
Under the circumstances, however, it must be
admitted that the outlook is not entirely reassur- '
ing, and yet if President Palma proves equal to:
the emergency, if he determines to discharge
his duties for the benefit of the people of Cuba,
he may overcome much of this prejudice.- .
Cranborne's Statement.
Some republican newspapers declare tliat the
announcement made by Lord Cranborne in the
house of commons tending to show Great Britain's
friendship for the United States during the lato
war, was made at this time for the purpose' of
'mellowing the enthusiasm of the reception to he.
accorded Prince Henry of Prussia. ' '
; Those who have carefully watched the trend..;
of affairs' oh this side of the Atlantic within "'&?'
past three months, and with relation to theBoer
war, will not believe that Prince Henry's proposed
visit had anything to do with Lord Craneborne's
announcement. The British ministry recognize,
even before some of the statesmen in our own
country do, that the sympathy in this country for
the Boers is beginning to assume substantial and.
practical form. Something must be done to check
the tide, else the politicians at Washington may be
persuaded that they cannot afford to ignore this'
strong popular sentiment.
Lord Cranborne's statement is to the effect that
immediately before our war with Spain, the Brit
ish minister received a communication from other
European powers suggesting the presentation of a
note to the president. According to Lord Cran
borne, the British ministry agreed to join with the
other powers in a note expressing the hope that
the negotiations might lead to a peaceful settle
ment, acceptable to the United States, for the
preservation of order in Cuba; and Lord Cran
borne added that the British government first took
steps to ascertain whether the presentation of such
a note, as well as its terms, would be acceptable
to the United States. The British government,
however, according to Lord Cranborne, declined lo
associate itself with the other subsequent proposals
which seemed open to the objection of putting
pressure on the government of the United States
and offering an opinion on its actions.
It is alleged that Austria took the lead in this'
affair and British statesmen would have it appear
that but for England's opposition to it, tho plan
would have been carried out.
Germany, however, denies that she had any
part in anything partaking of the spirit of inter
vention, nor did she support any such proposition
made by any other power. Austrian authorities "
make frank confession. They say that the rela- '
tions of Austria and Spain led Austria, before the
declaration of war, to begin a "peace propaganda"
which was carried on not only in England, but
throughout Europe. Germany and Russia mail;-
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