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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 7, 1904)
1 p?' r.p- "U1, '.i' ; 0CTQBER.7, .1904 , The t Commoner 3 PHILIPPINE ISSUE EMPHASIZED Governor Luke B. Wright, the present ncad of the Philippine commission, under the guise ot an ofllcial report, sends a letter to the president which is intended for campaign use, and the president, of. course, gives an extract to the public. The letter is unique to use the word employed by the presi dent to describe his feat when he shot the fleeing Spaniard. It is intended to suppress the discus sion of the Philippine question in the United States and it contains some specimens of logic and political philosophy that ought to be em balmed for the benefit of future generations. The following is the extract which the republican presidential candidate thought proper to furnish the press: The effect of the continued discussion of the capacity of the Filipino for self-government is having its effect hero and makes our task more difficult than it otherwise would. The less a man is equipped with intelligence and those qualities which make him fit for good citizenship, more easily can he bo persuaded that ho is possessed of all these qualities. These people have their full share of am bition and vanity and they also have their full share of" recknessness. There is a number of half formed characters who are ready tor intrigue in any direction which promises them profit or power. It is this class which has largely given force and direction to the Aglipayan movement and has recruitrd its ranks from ignorant and dangerous elements. In this general connection I may say to you as a matter of information that the agi tation in the United States for Filipino inde pendence and the spoken and written utter ances of the prominent men there who are urging it, are all brought here and puolished in the native newspapers and are being made text for editorials insisting that Philippine people are now ready to become independent. The effect of all this is distinctly injurious. Its tendency is to renew the influence of tho old' insurrection leaders and make them active in preaching old propoganda. This, in turn, has the effect of demoralizing and weakening the more conservative and thoughtful Fili pinos' who fear that if they speak out as they really think, they would be considered enemies of their people and lose their prestige with them. Those of more prominence and best educated and who naturally have their ambi tions are inclined to join in the general cry. The purpose of the letter is evident wttether it was written at the suggestion of the president or was conceived by Governor Wright himself is a question upon which the public is not informed. In 1900, when the Filipinos were in arms against American rule the republican leaders charged that democratic speakers kept the war alive by holding out hope of independence. Now that there is "tranquility" in the islands democrats are accused of making "our task" (of governing the Filipinos against their will) more difficult. And why? Not because of the inborn love of liberty that always and everywhere resents an alien rule; oh, no; but because "These people have their full share of ambition and vanity," and because there are among the Filipinos a number of "half formed characters who are ready for intrigue in any direction which promises them profit or power." This is similar to the language . employed in England arid by colonial governors in 1776 to describe reckless and "half formed characters" like Patrick Henry, Sam uel Adams and Thomas Jefferson whose . utter ances, demoralized, and weakened the "more con servative and thoughtful" Americans who were holding office under the crown or-who were made friendly to English rule by business relations with English houses. It seems, too, that in the Philip pines today "The more prominent and best edu cated, who-naturally have their ambitions, are in clined, to joiatn the general cry" for indepcnden.ee, ;ust as ambitious men like Washington -and John Adams joined in the general cry for American independence. What a hard time we are going to have in the Philippines! The "prominent and best educated" are ambitious, the "conservative and thoughtful" are turned and easily scared while the "ignorant and dangerous elements" are ready for revolt! As the "prominent," the "best edu cated," the "conservative," the "thoughtful," the '"gnorant" and the "dangerous" include pretty much the entire population, Governor Wright has nothing but the army to support the ."tranuuility," which prevails in the islands (among the office. holders). What a gloomy plcturo ho presents of our happy insular possessions. Wo have spent some six hundred millions to mako our dear sub jects contented, while wo havo sent them but sixteen millions of merchandise (largoly food and drink for our soldiers) and yet tho mere discus sion of their capacity for self-government suvon thousands miles away completely upsota them what ungrateful wretches they must be. But the second sentenco is tho political, phil osophical and literary gem of tho lottcr. Governor Wright, having carefully studied tho brown peo ple over whom ho is at present extending his benevolent sway and having diligently examined the characteristics of other races, comes to tho profound conclusion that 'Unloss a man is equipped with intelligence and those qualities whlcn mako him lit for good citizenship, moro easily can ho be persuaded that ho is possessed of all these qualities." What logic, what learning, wnat in sight into human nature, what knowledge of tho science of government are combined and con densed into that sentence! If he had not already had greatness thrust upon him by an imperial commission that assinine proposition ought to crown him with an infamous notoriety. If people can be persuaded of their iltness for self-gdvern-ment just in proportion as they are unfit for it, then it follows that those best fitted for self government are hardest to convince of their own capacity. Thoso perfectly fitted for self govern ment would, according to this logic, modestly refuse to believe themselves competent to gov ern themselves and would, therefore, insiot upon being governed by others. If Governor Wright's reasoning is sound we will havo to use tho army to keep self-government away from the luipinos while wo deem them incapable of taking care of themselves and then we will havo to use tho army to force self-gove'rnment upon them when we deem them fully qualified. Such are tho in consistencies to which the republicans are driven to excuse the inexcusable folly of colonialism to defend the indefensible crime of imperialism! When Governor Wright says that tho "best educated" are "naturally ambitious" and that tho least capable of self-government can most easily be convinced of their fitness ho unconsciously corroborates the statement of Lincoln that God Himself, placed in every human heart tho lovo of libeAy, and all history proves that it is an un quenchable love. People differ in their average capacity for self government, just as individuals differ in the self-restraint which they are accus tomed to employ, but to say that wo are in duty bound to govern tlio Filipinos because we are more advanced than they, is hypocritical pretense as opposed to our religious principles as to our theory of government. But what is to bo the end of the policy sugested in Governor Wright's letter? Four years ago tho republicans insisted that wo must riot promise Independence because it en couraged the Filipinos to continue armed resist ance to American authority; now tho "continued discussion of tho capacity of tho Filipinos for self government" makes "bur task more difficult." But suppose we ceaso discussing tho capacity of the Filipino and confine ourselves to the discus sion of the capacity of our own people for self government, will not such discussions be carried across the ocean and be 'published in the native newspapers" and' "be made texts for editorials"? Surely, the "more prominent" and the "best edu cated"' of the Filipinos will see the analogy and apply to themselves tho arguments which we use In regard to ourselves. What is the remedy then? Plainly, to stop talking about self-government or civil liberty. In 1900 tho republican leaders -succeeded in silencing some of tho opponents of im perialism by accusing them of encouraging tho "insurrectionists." If they can win this election by scaring some more they will bo bolder by tho next election and will object to our talking of our own rights and capacities. Governor Taft, after a few years' training in the Orient, was placed at the head of the war department where, in case of labor troubles, he can use his acquaint ance with the arbitrary methods of imperial power, and it is only fair to assume that Governor Wright is, by his super-serviceable zeal, in tho present campaign, laying the foundation for a cabinet position, but his successor, stimulated by his ex ample, may feel justified in reporting, "as a mat ter of information," that the celebration of the Fourth of July in the United States and the pralso of those who fought and died for independence "are all brought here and published in the native news papers and aro being mado tho text for odltorUl insisting that tho Philippine pcoplo aro now icadjr to becomo independent." Thero is but ono sottlcmont of tho Phillppln question which nocords with American principle and that is tho settlement proposed in th demo cratic platform and endorsed by Judgo Parker, Indepchdonco, promised now and glvon an soon as a stablo natlvo govornmont can bo formed this will settle tho Philippine question as the Cuban question was settled and will convert into frlonds, admlrors and imitutoro tho Filipinos who aro now enemies whether thoy bo "prominent," 'edu cated,'" "consorvativo," thoughtful," "ignoiant" or "dangerous." JJJ Judge Parker's Letter. Judge Parker's lottcr of acceptance Is now bo foro tho public and it contrasts most favorably with President Roosevelt's letter. Tho Judge's treatment of tho subject of Imperialism Is strong and clear, his discussion of tho tariff question forceful and his condemnation of militarism em phatic and statesmanlike Ho accepts tho president's ohallcngo and an nounces that ho will, if olected, rovoko the lamous pension ordor and then recommend tho enactment of an old ago pension law, and in answer to tho president's demand that ho namo a specific ex penditure that is too largo he calls attention to tho Increase In tho expenses of tho war depart ment from $34,000,000 In 188G to $115,000,000 in 1904. Ho answers the president's argument agaiiibt the employment of tho common law against trusts by citing the case of tho Western Union Tilegraph company vs. tho Call Publishing company, lopoitcd in 181 United States Reports, pago 92. WljlJe ho devotes considerable space to the tariff quustiqn ho ovidently regards imperialism as the para mount issue, connected as it is with the largo army and with the president's reckless disregard for the tenets of executive authority. The demo cratic committee ought to send out both letters In ono pamphlet. A reading of tho twd ought to convince anyone that Judgo Parker is the better man to trust with tho responsibilities of chief executive. JJJ The Special Offer Readers of Tho Commoner havo been repeat edly told of the lines upon which Tho Comuonor will fight in the great educational campaign that must be commenced immediately after tho polls havo been closed in November. Those who agree with Tho Commoner may find in tho special subscription offer an oppor tunity to help in this great educational campaign. 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