| Show W William t iam Je Jennings Bryan ryan Adv Advocates cates Philippine Philippin Independence c 1 t 4 i t n 4 4 T t f v H ft k r N k ir M L 2 L i 1 z F V i 04 r t L z r 1 I f t t 1 t I W t tt k tU d t t t wt tw di r F t 4 r f J I I 4 4 z s sI 2 d k I 10 Filipino Boys With the Blow Gun Cart Driver Fernando P I 1 Singapore re Jan Tan 22 1906 Having in previous us articles discussed the condi conditions conditions as I found them in the Philip Philippines pinGS pines let l t us consider c what the United L States should do in regard to the Fill Fili Filipinos pinos and their islands First as to the tile northern group of or islands the islands north of Minda Mindanao MIndanao nao Have the Filipinos a right to Do they desire self seir government and independence Have they the capacity for p The first question must be answered In the affirmative if our theory of government is correct c That govern governments governments governments ments drive their just powers from the consent of the governed is either true or false fatse if true we cannot deny d ny its application to the Filipinos if iffa fa 3 se e we must find some other foundation foundation tion for our ur own ovll government The second question I am able to answer yes ye My ly visit to the Philip Philippines Philippines pines has settled this question in my mind I 1 have h LYe heard people in Ip America affirm that the Intelligent Filipinos American ican sovereignty to self eIf government gt but bul this is unqualifiedly false J A Moss s a n member om t L of Genial G personal staff re 10 reer re c er c l made a trip through the provinces inces of Nueva Edja and and published a 3 journal of ot othIs his trip In one of the Manila papers apers pon his return He concluded his ob observations s as follows The discharged 4 soldiers who are married to native women and who are growing up with the country and are therefore in a most excellent position to feel the na native native native tive pulse PUlE aJi the great ma of the th natives f have haV no use for forus forus us Ex interpreters and other Filipi Filipinos 9 nos 1108 with whom I was on intimate cordial relations while serving in the provinces tom tola me m nithe the same thing I have 11 a vc therefore from the foregoing come to the conclusion that the I pinos may mary m y be divided into three classes a The precious few com corn comprising those who are arc really friendly towards the Americans and think our government nt benefiCial to the islands b those who are arc In some way bene beneficiaries 1 of the government and enter entertain entertain tain tam for us what may be termed ex cx expedient expedient c the great ma majority majorIty have bae absolutely no use for us usand usand and to please whom we cannot get out of the Islands any too soon k Strong Feeling for independence The conclusion drawn by Captain Moss oss is warranted v by the facts and the independence is strong stronger er in Manila If possible than in the provinces produces I talked aU d with Ith Filipinos official and unofficial and an wl while they a differed In n the degree of friendliness 5 which they felt fOit toward the United I States all aU expected ultimate independence ence The college students of Manila in the various law schools medical col leges and engineering schools sc number numberIng numbering Ing lug in all about abo t 1000 prepared and L pr ent d to me a memorial of more mor than fifty printed d pages This was pre prepared prepared v pared by subcommittees and after afterwards afterwards wards ards discussed adopted and signed signet by the students It presented an dab elaborate elaborate orate review of the economic Indus Industrial Industrial Industrial trial and political situation viewed I from the standpoint of these young c men It criticised certain acts of the th i I American government thought to be th i t unjust and set forth arguments In fa fo favor foor favor vor or of ot and independence ence arguments so fundamental and an I Iso so consistent with American ideals IdeaL that no American statesman would woul 1 have publicly disputed them ten years year S Sago ago agoy y The Filipinos point out that the tb a i Americans lack that sympathy for forand forand forand and interest in the Filipino necessary ir irto to just legislation and this argument t is no reflection upon the good intentions intentions intentions of Americans In fact good in intention Is generally admitted bu but t Americans at home horrie recognize as as do doF dot ci 0 t F here her that good intentions ns are ar C not all aU that Is ls required We have in inthe Inthe I Ithe 1 1 the United States men of equal genera general LI Intelligence but differing so In sym sympathy sympathy pathy that no amount of good Intent Interi it ite can keep one from doing what the thi e others regards as unjust Take fo for r X Instance tance he representative capItalist t and the average laboring man r would feel eQI that the other however r well wen meaning was competent to speak k for him Argue A gue for Hame H me Rule Ru e eThe The Filipinos also deny that th the e Americans Am ricans are sufficiently acquainted d with Philippine affairs to legislate e wisely We also aIs recognize the fore force e of this argument at it t Home nome and a d w v C leave the people of each state to ac rt upon tf own town affairs The poop e of a city would resent interference ii in I n their local affairs by the people of th the te 1 country co cola although identical in race ce and language lang la age And they th y would resent just justas as much the attempt of any group of men m en however wise to direct their government gc during a temporary resi residence dence dEmce de nce How then can congress ex expect expect pe ct to legislate wisely for people who are ar e not only separated from America by the widest of the oceans but dir dif different ferent feSt fe rent from the people of the United States St ates in color race history and tra traditions di How can a body of men how however however hower ever ev er benevolent and intelligent hope by a few months residence to so Iden Identify identify ti tito fy themselves with the th Filipinos as asto asto to make rules and regulations suited to their needs American Government Costly The Filipinos also present an argument argument ment in ent against the expensiveness of American merican A rule and this argument is rot r ot only unanswerable but it is directed di against an evil which is with without without out o ut remedy If Americans are to hold office ofil of fice e in the Philippines they must be bewell bewell well w ell paid They must not only receive as a s much as they would receive in the United U States for the same work but b t th receive more in Ii order to compensate co them for fOI services so far r This T is not no only theoretically allY cally ily true tr e but ut the theory is exemplified fied fl ed in the pay roll The governor gen general general eral ral e receives a 0 a year of o f the salary of the president of the U United States and yet what a con contrast rast ast tr between the duties and responsibilities responsibilities h of the two positions And what hat w a difference too in the wealth of o f r the two countries and In the ability of o f the taxpayers of tire the t 19 two countries to t o pay the salaries The three American members of the commission c excluding the governor general jeneral g receive per Dor year al almost almost alost most m ost twice the salary of cabinet olli officers ers cers c and three times the salary of sen senators senators tors a and members of congress engress It is true t rue that these salaries do not appear appears as a s salaries paid Daid for work on the com corn m but as each American mem member member memer ber h er of the commission receives as a s head of a department and as asa asa a member of the commission his total income i is while the Filipino members embers m of the commission receive but 5 5 OO The members of the th Philippine su supreme supreme preme reme p court receive each the Filipino F members of the court re receiving receIving elving c the same as the Americans a aum sum um s much larger than that usually paid pc p aid to judges In the United States in courts c of similar importance This high range ange r of salaries runs through the en entire entire enire tire ire t list of civil officials and there is iso no n o chance of lowering it Except in inthe inthe the he t case of judges the Filipino officials officials c as n a rule ul receive considerably I ess than the Americans performing similar s work and this is a constant source s of complaint To Americans it its is i s a sufficient answer to say that high salaries s are necessary to secure able and a nd efficient officials official from the United States tates S but the Filipino o is quick to tore re respond spond pond s Why then do you insist up upon p on sending us Americans to do what our o ur people can do and would do for less compensation c Sample American Foolishness Not only ony must the salaries of Ameri Amen Americans Americans cans be high but Americans must be surrounded with comfort to which the average Filipino is not accustomed No Noone Noone Noone one can remain In the Philippines long without hearing of the B ngUet road and the enormous amount expended c p in Ints its I ts construction There is a mountain resort in province in north central Luzon which the commission thought t might be developed d eloped into a sum summer summer summer mer capital or a place to which thi t e families of the officials if not the officials officials dais themselves might retreat during the heated term The railroad running from Manila to would carry the to within thirty o or forty miles of and an engi engineer engineer engineer neer estimated that a wagon road Toad could I be constructed the rest of the way for fo foi 5 c iO It seemed worth while hile to th thE the commission to appropriate that mu oh for a purpose which promised so mud much I forthe for the health and comfort of en engaged engaged engaged In 1 the benevolent work wort of es a stable government Th The commission could hardly be blamed fo foi for relying rely ng upon the opinion of the engi engl engineer engineer neer fleer and the engineer r doubtless mean meant I well But the first appropriation scarce ly made an impression and the second I engineer estimated that the cost I be a little greater Having Invested 75 7 COO the commission did not lIke t to abandon the plan and so further ap were made until more more thai tha in gold have been draine drained I from the insular treasury tre sury and the Ben road Is not yet completed If it I t is ever completed It will require a t constant outlay of a large sum an annually annually to keep It in repair Having met the tire members of the com corn commission commission mission and other Americans residing f I In the Philippines I am m glad giad to o tes testify ti fy that they are ar as s a rule men of character ch ability and standing The personnel pe of Philippine official l life is not net likely kely li to be improved and so long lon as ase we w e occupy the islands under a colonial policy p the experiment is lia ha liable liable hae ble bl e to tobe be repeated in various forms and yet y et the Filipinos point to the folly fo lly to illustrate both ignorance of lo ho local local hoal cal c al conditions and partiality toward the th e foreign population Capable of Self Government G The third question Are the Fill Fili Filipinos pinos p ines competent t to govern themselves is s the one upon which w ich the decision must finally nally fi j turn Americans will win not long d deny eny the fundamental principles upon which w our own government rests nor norvill n r will vill w ill they upon mature reflection assert hat t foreigners can sympathize as fully with w ith the Filipino as representatives hosen chosen c by the Filipinos themselves The expensiveness e of a foreign government and a nd its proneness to misunderstand ocal local l needs will wIlI be admitted by bp those vho W give the subject any thought but t he heude persons ude Jude l themselves th with the belief that S rule rul has incapacitated the pres present ent e nt generation for wisely wis lY exercising the franchise f or that sI conditions may m ay unfit the Filipinos for the l and maintenance of as good gooda a government as can be Imposed upon hem them t from without Before visiting the Philippines I ad advocated v Independence on the broad ground round g that all people are capable of s not that all people if left eft l to themselves es would u maintain gov governments governments equally or that th t all ail ll pee peo people veople pie are cap of participating part par upon equal terms m in the maintenance e of the same government govern t but that all ll fl people are endowed by their Creator with ca capacity capacity capacity to establish and nd maintain a gov government government government suited to their own needs and sufficient for their requirements To deny this proposition pro would 0 ul d as Henry HenryClay HenryClay HenryClay Clay suggested sug ested more than half a cen century century century tury ago be to impeach the wisdom and an benevolence lence of the Creator I advocated advocated advocated independence for another reason reason viz because a refusal to admit the Filipinos capable of would tend to impair the strength of the doctrine of when applied to our own people Since be becoming becoming becoming coming acquainted with the Filipinos I can argue from observation as well wen wenas as from theory and I insist that the Filipinos are capable of maintaining a stable government without supervision from without I 1 do not mean mean to say that they could maintain their inde independence independence if it attacked by some great power but that so far faras faras faras as their own internal affairs are con con y W nt n t ne at to be b subject to any alien government There is a wide difference it is true between the general intelligence of the educated Filipino and the intelligence of the la Ia laborer l borer on the street and in the field but this is not a barrier to Intelligence In controls con troIs in every govern government government ment except where it is suppressed by military force forc Whore Where all aU the people vote the intelligent man has more in influence influence influence fluence than the unintelligent one and where there Is an obvious Inequality a r suffrage qualification usually excludes the more ignorant Take rak the case of the Japanese for instance no one is dis disposed to ques question question tion their ability to govern themselves and yet the suffrage qualifications are such that th t less than of the adult males are permitted to vote of the Japanese have no part in lawmaking la either directly or through representatives and still Ja Ta Japan Japan Tapan pan is the marvel of the present gene generation generation generation ration In Mexico the gap between be veen the educated classes and the peons is fully as great if not greater than the gap between the extremes of Filipino society and yet Mexico Is maintaining a stable government and no party narty in inthe inthe inthe the United States advocates our mak ing a colony colons of Mexico on the theory that she cannot govern goern herself I Those who question the capacity of the Filipinos for over overlook overlook overlook look the thO th stimulating influence of sef self government upon the people they for tor forget torget get that responsibility Is an educating influence and that patriotism raises up persons fitted for the work that needs tob done Those speak con of the capacity c of f the Fil Filipino FilipIno ignore the fact that they were fighting for before the majority of our people knew where the Philippine Islands were Two years be before before before fore our war with Spain Rizal Bizal was put putto |
