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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 1915)
m: if 16 The Commoner vol: -ib; NO. 12 " stf l s ? t Garrison to Critics of Philippine Policy Secretary of War Garrison issued a formal irtatement, November 29, in answer to criticisms made against tho administration's policy In the Philippines. Tho statement follows: "War Department, Washington, November 24, 1915. It is becoming very plain that tho re publican politicians are attempting to lay tho foundation for campaign material with respect to tho Philippine Islands. There have recently appeared a series of interviews or articles ex hibiting a shameless intention in this matter. These statements are mendacious in character and mischievous in intent. Many of-them pro coed from sources so inconsiderable as to carry little if any weight, even if undenied. Others, however, are fathered by men whose names and prominence supposedly lend weight to their ut terances. It is inconceivable that even partisan real would lead these men to so stultify them selves. 'Realizing that the honor and good faith of this nation were involved in its relations to the Filipino people, I have absolutely abstained from any partisan comment or conduct with respect to this subject. The United States took over an enormous responsibility which should be carried out in the highest spirit of good faith and altru ism, and all those who respect the good name of this country should at least refrain from misrep resentation and false statements concerning con ditions. "Tho government instituted in the Islands by the United States was conceived in the best spirit and has in the main been carried out in the most worthy way. Such mistakes as have been made were only such as are inevitable in the conduct of human affairs. That government has been 'continued in tho same spirit by the present ad ministration, and conditions, governmentally considered, were never better than they are in the Philippine islands today. "The bill which was pending in the last con gress and which will be brought before the next congress is exactly in line with all that has here tofore been done in tho islands, and is simply the next proper logical step to bo taken toward developing tho people thereof for self-government. No honest reading and consideration of the measure can lead to any other conclusion. Because the preamble of that bill repeated in concrete language that which has been substan tially stated to bo tho positon of this country from tho time of President McKinley on down, It has beon folsely labeled an 'independence' bill, and the impression has been widely conveyed that it alters in some vital, radical way the or derly progress of the self-development of tho Filipino people. Such an interpretation creates an absolutely false impression. "President Taft, when governor-general of the Philippine islands, was the first one to announce that the motto of tho American administration was 'The Philippines for the Filipinos.' Ho prop erly and bitterly resented criticisms against him for taking this position. He constantly stated that this was the only position which any one, acting in good faith and with the honor of his government in his keeping, could take ; that from the very beginning this was the announced pol icy of this country constantly iterated and reit erated by the presidents of this country, by its representatives, and by its congress. No one has so plainly set forth as has President Taft the malicious misrepresentations, the mendacious statements, and the vicious assaults that pro ceed from those in the Philippine islands who are not permitted to exploit the natives and the country for their own benefit. "President Taft was absolutely justified in his bitter denunciation of these attacks, which makes it all tho more amazing to find him in dulging in exactly the same conduct toward those who aro now occupying positions of trust and responsibility in the Philippine government. "There lately appeared a series of articles in a newspaper called the 'Oakland Tribune Sub sequently they were published in a pamphlet en titled 'The Unhappy Conditions in the Philippine Islands,' by O. Garfield Jones, 'former member of the Philippine department of education, with an introduction by ex-President William Howard Taft, former governor-general of the Philippines.' Jn the Introduction ex-President Taft says: " 'I have read with much interest Mr. O. Gar f eld Jones' article on present conditions in tho Pmilipplnes, published recently In the Oakland Tribune. It is not news to me. " 'What he says of tho demoralization in the preaent government, doe to tho blind and foolish policy of President Wilson and Governor General Harrison, Is confirmed by every report that I re ceive from tho islands.' "Undoubtedly any slander or lying statement can be confirmed by reports received from the Islands. Mr. Taft has pointed out with entire clearness where such reports come from. Ho said, when suffering from similar misrepresenta tions, speaking with respect to the American press and tho three newspapers In tho islands who were supposed to speak the American public opinion in the islands, that they were engaged In " 'Holding the Flipino up to contempt, expos ing all his supposed vices, and giving him no credit whatever for any virtues, and it may be that this represents the feeling of the majority of tho resident Americans in Manila. But can we not, in the end, bo just, and give to the whole Filipino people their due? Should we wish the Filipino people to judge of Americans by tho drunken, truculent American loafers who infest the small towns of these islands, living on tho fruits of the labor of Filipino women, and give us more trouble than any other element in tho islands?' "Mr. Taft says that what Mr.' Jones states in his article was not news to him Mr. Taft. It was unquestionably news to Mr. Jones, because he made it up himself. "In a letter written to Gen. Mclntyre, the chief of the bureau of insular affairs of the war depart ment, dated October 26, 1915, Mr. Jones says: " 'When I reached Berkeley August 12th, Mr. Loomis of the Oakland Tribune asked me for an anti-administration article. I told him that I had as much if not more to say for tho admin istration than I had against it. But I gave him what he asked for by making the article a dis cussion of the treatment of Americans In the P. I's. " 'He published this In two Sunday issues, and Is now republishing it in pamphlet form with' an introduction by ex-President Taft. " 'Now, I have written up a much better ar ticle on 'The Filipinos and tho Democratic Re gime' which is highly favorable, in my estima tion, to the Harrison administration, but have not been able to sell it as yet. Will you please give me a list of the three or four big newspapers that are most pro-Wilson and are likely to want pro-adminlstr.ation articles on the P. I's.?' "A sickening sense of shame must overcome Mr. Taft when he realizes where his blind par tisanship in this matter has led him. To be found in such company under such circumstances Is, however, the Inevitable result; of such a cam paign. There is no mitigating circumstance, be cause, with respect to every one of the charges, accusations and statements in the article, full records were at the disposal of Mr. Taft if he had cared to learn tho truth. "I suppose it is too much to hope for, even in a matter of this kind, affecting, as it does, tho good name and honor of our country, that par tisan zeal shall restrain itself within the bounds of truth, decency and fair deaUnfr Tf Tirni,i i,1 something of which we could be proud if it were so. mL-TIMED The Federal Advisory Council, In recommend ing tho abolition of the office bf comptroller of the currency, has taken a step which going to lead it into mUcll trouble. The attacks on Comp troller Williams seemed to have some chance of success before the revelations in the Riggs bank case. Those revelations were so striking how ever, that the country will not look on with in ference while the banking interests go after Mr, Williams' scalp. It Is not only his scalp they are after. They are after Mr. McAdoo's also and this in spite of the fact that the Federal Re serve act, which most of the bankers opposed J? ? ? 8 Wel1 that many of those who did oppose it have come out in praise of it. Never theless they are down on Mr. McAdoo because SftJl0imggBJ,,t;k Case and because of e ship ping bill, and they are still more down on Mr Williams, possibly because to a ruthless carry ing out of his duty he adds an aggressive ma "er: When high public omclalsfhowever do ? Lf luV Vmportant urgencies, VO do not believe it Is today possible for special interests to arouse any really formidable sympathy wS' attempt to throw those officials offirSS THE NAVY'S GROWTH Statement showing tovy: Jan. 1, 1891 ...1,483 Jan. 1, 1892.... 1,481 Jan. 1, 1898. ...1,48 G Jan. 1, 189.4.... 1,47 3 Jan. 1, 1895.... 1,475 Jan. 1, 1896.... 1,459 Jan. 1, 1897.... 1,450 Jan. 1, 1898.... 1,493 Jan. 1, 1899.... 1,580 Jan. 1, 1900.... 1,712 Jan. 1, 1901.... 1,702 Jan. 1, 1902.... 1,817 Jan. 1, 1903...:i,931 Jan. 1, 1904.... 2,081 Jan. 1, 1905....-2U58 Jan. 1, 1906.... 2, 278 Jan. 1, 1907... .2,448 Jan. 1, 1908 2,510 Jan. 1, 1909. ...2,678 Jan. 1, 1910. . ..2,850 Jan. 1, 1911. Jan. 1, 1912. Jan. 1, 1913. Jan. 1, 1914. Jan. 1, 1915. number of officers ot Exclusive of Naval Cadets under probation at the JNaval Academy 239 236 234 242 237 241 ;251 257 278 262 230 v 327 2 , 8 8 1 .2,936 .3,093 .3,221 .3,403 '-' m n r. 64fl ,822 873 748 '8C6 .805 757 l7'60 '722 763 857 '912 '. fr -. Statement showing tho amounts appropriated for the naval establishment for the fiscal years 1891 to 1915 inclusive: 1891 $ 24,610,501.64 1892 32,706,004.50 1893 23,972,347.68 1894 22,467,840.06 1896 - 25,747,451.59 1896 30,628,421.64 ' 1897 '... "30952,494.22 1898 ......... 21,122,495.88 1899 ,. . . . 109,978,960.86 1900 . 50,016,711.61 1901 " 65,094,484.00 , 'l902... r. 81,710,906.73 1903 .- ;.. , .82,021,634.40 1904 -.- '. 88,386,217.08 1905 ;....'.. 112,438,602.56 1906 ,. 104,417,814.31 190,7 ' 104,528,348.79 1908 .' 109,029,421.40 1909 123,585,362.01 1910 , 137,779,172.38 1911 133,341,688.21 1912 127,957,362.74 1913 124,766,287.42 1914 142,908,549.38 1915 ' 145,734,163.03 Statement showing number of enlisted men al lowed and in service Juno 30th: Allowed. 1891 8250 1892 .'.... 8250 1893 , 8250 1894 9000 1895....; 9000 1896 ..-..... 9000 'Actual number of men v, in service 1897 10387 1898 ' 22828 1899..'. 14501 ' 1900 ; . ...LG832 1901... T 1888 1902 .- 21433 103 27245 1904 29321 3 005 30804 1906 3216. 1907 ..:.;. ..83027 1O08 3908 1909 .. 441 9.Q 1010. . i ; 45076 ' 1911 - 47612 1912 47515 1Q13 48068 1914 52667 1915 52561 Those republicans who imagine, because the progressive party has apparently disappearea from sight in American politics, that progressiv ism is dead are due to bo present at a em awakening. The cold truth is that while ia third party presents no menacing front, there on Jusj: as many progressive voters in the country, and that any convention that disregards tneu ideas of what our national policies shall ue wj have all its work for nothing. jdrifHftb- X AjI" rafc