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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (June 6, 1902)
3 r - June 6, I902 pinos, like the Americans,, prefer to bo men oven In poverty, rather than subjects In luxury. They prefer self-respect even at the cost of great Butter ing rather than be serfs under a millennial gov ernment provided by a master." "A self-imposed burden' says this Filipino, "however heavy, may bo borne with cheerful ness; it does not crush the soul. But when one la compelled to bear oven a feather weight the free spirit implanted by God in man begins to rebel. This was true of the American patrlbts of 1776.. The tax on tea did not seriously touch any one's pocket, but it touched everyone's pride." How very similar this is to some of tho things said by our own forefathers! Indeed, if one did not know that a Filipino were writing these things, one might suspect that they came from the pen of Benjamin Franklin. It will be remembered that when Franklin was asked who was to be the judge as to the propriety of a tax, he said: "Those who feel can best judge." Read what this Filipino says of the determin ation of his people to obtain that which, according to American tradition, aro their simple rights. "There is not a man," says this Filipino, "in the forty-five states of this great union who could or would suffer a foreign flag to wave in authority over his country;" and he adds, "In this respect the Filipinos do not differ from the Americans." He declares that the Filipino knows that na tional freedom has always been paid for at tho terrible cost of blood and tears, and that he knows also and many years ago gavo expression to that knowledgethat his would be no exception to tho unvaried rule. Yet ho determined to pay tho price. And Lopez declares: "It Is the most tragic Irony of fate that the nation foremost in the de fense of national liberty, the nation that lias itself paid the penalty and obtained the prize, should bo the one to ex'act this terrible penalty from tho Filipino. There will be no glory in the achieve ment and no one will envy the victor. Tho pen alty will fall with greater force upon the spoiler than upon the spoiled. The victims will become subject, the victors abject." And this Filipino says that which Is known by all intelligent men: "A promise of ultimate independence or even an intimation that such is the policy of tho administration would remove not only all cause for a continuance of armed conflict, but all the sorrow of heart and bitterness of spirit on the part of the weaker contestant. Under such a promise the Filipinos would willing ly yield everything that America is now demand ing or can in righteousness demand and there would be additibnal mutual advantages. The Fili pinos would learn of everything that is good in tho institutions of America in its religion, Its morality, its wisdom and its law, while Amerca would have a wider market for its products, a new field for commercial enterprises and a basis of trade and military operations in the far east There would also be the rebirth of a republic In that quarter of the globe where liberty has been Bought by one small struggling people an.d whore despotism has been the nightmare of millions of tho .human race." Does. any intelligent man believe that these aro tho utterances of the representative of a sav age race? Did not every American breast swell with pride, when' the Cuban people, freed from oppres sion and- helped on their way to tho establish ment of a republic, laid their tribute of love and gratitude at our feet? Would not tho American breast swell with pride; would not the American heart beat a bit faster, tand would not tho American pulse take on a new thrill if the same tribute which came to us from Cuba could come to us, in all sincerity, from tho Philippines? An'df why may not that tribute be paid? jWhy may not this; the greatest of all na- The Commoner tlons, justify its right to that high titlo? There was no "scuttle policy" in Cuba and there need be no "scuttle policy" in the Philip pines. It is the policy of genuine republicanism, tho policy of Christianity, the policy of truth and of righteousness tho only policy which freemen can know. v Let this nation announce at once its purpose to give Independence to tho Filipinos as. soon as a stable government Is established let this prom-. iso bo given and it will bo easy, to establish a stable government there. JJJ To Americans in Cuba. Ct J On the afternoon of May 20 a number of Americans residing in Cuba assembled at tho Ingleterra hotel to celebrate the birth of tho Cu ban republic. Senator Jones, chairman of tho democratic national committee, Senator Money, Senator Mason, ex-Senator Thurston and Con gressman Do Armond, all of whom attended tho inauguration as representatives of tho Now York Journal, were called out and made speeches ap propriate to the occasion. A committee was then sent to the Pasaje hotel for Mr. Bryan. The sub stance of his speech is given below: Gentlemen: It is always pleasant to jneot American citizens anywhere, and it is especially pleasant to join them in rejoicing at tho fulfillment of tho promise made by our nation to Cuba. This has been a proud day for American citizens, and it has been gratifying to witness the affection manifested by the Cubans toward tho Americans. You who are residing in Cuba and yet holding your allegiance to the United States will be tho recipients of thegood will entertained toward our nation, and as you will profit by this tribute of respect paid to the United States remember that It imposes upon you a responsibility. Because our nation has 'acted honorably with the Cubans, American citizenship is admired and loved, but you must not forget that ultimately tho feeling entertained toward our country will de pend upon the manner in which American citizens behave in Cuba. You who desire to deal fairly with the Cubans aro vitally interested in prevent ing any American from dealing fraudulently or un fairly with them, for the faults of the guilty will embarrass the innocent If you desire to make Cuba a permanent home and identify yourselves with the Cuban people, you will doubtless receive a cordial welcome from the Cubans. If, however, you are hero only to make money and then return to the United States, bear in mind that Cuba be longs to the Cubans, and that you have no right to expect a welcome here unless you bring as much in value as you take away. Your relations with the Cubans will bo pleasant as long as the advant ages are reciprocal, but if you attempt to secure a great deal and give little or nothing in return ypu will be sure to arouse resentment and antag onism. When you are the recipient of a kindness you become obligated to return it When you do a kindness you earn a return, and as a man is bank rupt when ho owes more than he has or is duo to him, so you will fail of real success hero if you do not have more coming to you from the Cubans in the way of gratitude than you owo to them. There is much that Americans can do for Cu bans that Cubans will want dono and will be will ing to pay for, but there is nothlrfg that wo should attempt to do against the will, or to tho disad vantage, of the Cubans. The Cuban people have elected a president who is honest and well-meaning, and who feels kindly toward tho Americans. Let the Americans -who reside in Cuba hold up his hands and strengthen him by their sympathy and their coun sel; let them ask of him nothing that ho cannot .grant with honor tohlmself and with profit to his people. In dealing with the officials of the Cuban government do nothing that will make thom think less of our nation or of the integrity of our public servants. If an American attempts to corrupt a Cuban official tho Cubans will be led to measure our officials by the same standard. If any Cuban official departs from the path of integrity, let not tho blame for his departuro fall upon an American. . It Is as dishonorable to corrupt as to be corrupted. I bolievo that tho Cubans aro able to govern themselves. If any failure comes it is more likely to come from tho intorferonco of foreigners and from tho attempt of outsiders to monopolize the resources of tho Island than from the Incapacity of tho people. In expressing tho hope, thereforo, that you who have como to Cuba will find your stay hore profitable, let mo add the wish that you may ba as useful to the Cubans as" their island is profitable to you, so that when you return to tho United States thoy will feel toward you as thoy do toward tho government which at noon today took its flag from the island. - Tariff and Trusts . Tho Chicago Tribune", republican, has con cluded that it may be possiblo for tho United States to learn something from Now Zealand. Now Zealand has in its protective tariff law a pro vision that In a case whore evidence Is forthcoming that a particular duty Is leading to the formation of trusts or combinations, it may bo suspended. Tho Tribune says, Nobody, except a stockholder In a trust can question tho abstract justice of such a provision. Protection is designed to foster young and struggling industries and to keep them on their feet until thoy can walk alone. When a "trust," in tho generally accepted meaning of the word, is formed tho natural presumption is that the protection which has been given tho industry controlled by the "trust" is misused. If the United States made tho New Zealand amendment a part of every tariff law, tho tariff on goods tho domestic' ' production of which is controlled, by "trusts"' could be suspended without awakening the fear of a general revision of the tariff. To day, for example, tho average man believes that the tariff on steel is an injustice because it frequently enables the United States steel corporation to exact unreasonably high prices from domestic consumers. But he also feels that ho would rather put up with the In justice for awhile longer than have business conditions upset by tho wholesale overhauling of the Dingley law which would follow an attempt to modify the steel schedule. How ever, if the New Zealand amendment were already an integral part of tho Dingley law the same man would advise its immediate application to the steel tariffs. Since his tory began, young men have learned from their elders and old nations have learned from new ones. It may bo possiblo for the United States to learn something from New Zealand. The Tribune could have found a similar hint in the Kansas City platform which declares that "Tariff laws should be amended by putting the products of tho trusts upon the free list, to pre vent monopoly under the plea of protection." But if the fear of a wholesale overhauling of the tariff law is to keep the republican party from adopting a plan of which the Tribune says "no body except a stockholder in a trust can question tho abstract justice of such a, provision," why has not the republican party enacted a law authorizing the president, under certain conditions) to placa the products of trusts on the free list?' When Mr. Bryan, was a member of the housa of representatives, he Introduced a bill which provided that whenever any federal circuit court should find that a trust existed in restraint of any article upon which duties are levied by the tariff law, it should be the duty of the court to report tho fact so found to the president specify ing each and every such article. It was then made a duty of the president, upon the receipt of such report, to issue his proclamation placing each and every such article then imported into the United States upon the free list, and fixing the time, not exceeding thirty days from the receipt of the findings of tho court, at which such article or article? should be admitted free of duty. The Tribune might recommend that the re-' publican party authorize the president to act upon the New Zealand plan, which is also the plan pro vided for in the Kansas City platform.