Show r J 4 I t i William W Jennings Bryan Adv Advocates Philippine ne Independence j jr r I Tr TrI Tra a I r b A AI fp T M x ja 1 I c ki kitt tt i Lt kj r 4 I i 1 A r rI rz I 4 b 1 r Lr S 1 I 1 b z I c l je 4 1 5 5 S 4 S Filipino Boys With the Blow Gun Cart Driver at San Fernando P I 1 Singapore Jan 22 1906 Having in previous Us articles discussed the condi conditions conditions as I found them in the Philip Philippines pines let l t us consider c what hat the United 5 States should do in regard to the Fill Fili Filipinos S pinos and their islands First as to the northern group of islands the islands north of Minda Mindanao Mindanao nao Have Bave the Filipinos a right to Do they desire self government and independence Have Havet t they the capacity for Y The first question must m st be answered In the affirmative if it our theory of government Is correct That govern governments governments governments ments derive their just powers from I Ithe the consent of the governed is either true or false fase if true we cannot deny Its application to the Filipinos if Sc false fase e we must find some other foundation foundation tion for our own government The second question I am able to answer yes My lIy visit to the Philip Philippines PhilippInes pines has settled this question In my mind I have heard people In I America affirm that the Intelligent Filipinos 4 5 S P giA American sovereignty to self 5 S government but hut this his is unqualifiedly 1 false Captain J T A Moss a member S of G Corbins personal al staff re ree i r J c n made a trip the tie e c through provinces t inces of Nueva and and published a journal of his trip In one of the Manila papers his return He concluded his ob observations sen as follows The uThe discharged dis w soldiers who are married to native women and who are growing up with the country and are therefore in a aS most excellent position to feel the na native native S tive pulse pul all the tile great ma majority S of at the th natives e f have no use for forus forus us and other Filipi Filipinos FilipInos nos with whom I was on intimate cordial rotations relations while serving in the thc provinces tola tu me nl methe the same thing I Iha I E have ha v therefore from rom the tho foregoing come to the conclusion that the FHi i pinos may m y be divided d into three classes fa fn a The precious few com comprising ing those who are really friendly S towards the Americans and think our oui government nt beneficial to the islands b those who are in some way bene beneficiaries beneficiaries I of the th government ht and enter entertain entertain tain tam for us what may be termed ex expedient expedient friendship c the great ma majority majorIty majority have absolutely abst no use for us m usand usand and to please whom we cannot get gel out of the Islands any too soon A Strong Feeling for Independence The conclusion drawn by Captain I Moss Is Warranted by the facts and am I Ithe the feeling for Is strong stronger er cr in Manila if possible po than in the thi provinces I talle with Filipinos official and unofficial and while they the i i differed In the degree of friendliness S I which they felt toward the United I States all expected ultimate Independence ence The college students of Manila Manil 1 in the various law schools medical col leges and engineering schools number ing lug in all about 1000 prepared and ani presented ted to me rue a memorial of more mor C than fifty printed pages page This was pre prepared prepared prepared pared by subcommittees and after afterwards afterwards afterwards wards discussed adopted and signed signe c by the students It presented an dab elaborate elaborate orate review re of the economic Indus indu Industrial IndustrIal trial and political situation sit viewed d from irom the standpoint of these young youn g men It criticised certain acts of the th e American government thought to be b e unjust and set forth arguments in fa favor faor 5 vor or of and independence L ence arguments so fundamental and an d so consistent with American ideals Ideal Ls that no American statesman would woul ci have publicly disputed them ten years year 5 ago agoY Y The Filipinos point out that the Ui Le Americans lack that sympathy for forand forand b r rand and Interest in the Filipino necessary y to just legislation and this argument it Is no reflection upon the good inter intentions intentions 1 of Americans In fact good in intention it 1 is generally admitted but it Americans at home recognize as as do c Lo T Fi here that good intentions ns are ai re reIn e not all that Is required We have hae in inthe inthe the United States men of equal general generi al Intelligence but differing so in sym syn sympathy sympathy pathy that no amount of good Intent itt can keep one from doing what the U me others regards gards r as unjust Take for r tance he representative capitalist capitali st o and the average laboring man neither er would feel that the other however r w well meaning was competent to speak sper Lk for him Argue A gue for Hame H me Rule The Filipinos also deny that th the ti le Americans are sufficiently acquainted id with Philippine affairs to legislate legisla to wisely We also recognize the force for ce of 0 this argument at it Home nome and arid we se we leave eave the people of each state to act a Ct upon thi d tf own wn affairs The people Jo of a city would resent Interference in their local affairs by the people of the ti ie I country co although Identical in race and language la ang age And they would resent just as much the attempt of any group of men m en however wise to direct their government gc during a temporary resi residence dence 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 b y the widest of the oceans but dif different different ferent fe feSt rent from the people of the United States St ates in color race history and tra traditions traditIons di How can a body of men how however however hower ever ev er benevolent ben and intelligent hope hopey by b y a few months residence to so Iden Identify identify tito ti fy themselves with the Filipinos as asto asto to make rules and regulations suited to their needs American Government Costly The Filipinos also present an argument argument ment m ent against the expensiveness s of American merican A rule and this argument is not n ot only unanswerable but it is directed d against an evil which is with without without out o ut remedy If Americans are to hold office of tice in the Philippines they must be 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 t in order to compensate c them for services so far fram fr This is i not only theoretically cally true but ut the theory is exemplified fled fied fl ed in the pay roll roli The governor gen general general eral ral e receives a tt year of o f the th salary of the president of the United U States and yet what a con contrast contrast rat t between the duties and responsibilities responsibilities h of the two positions And what w hat a difference too in the wealth of o f the two countries and in itt the ability of o f the taxpayers of the two countries to t o pay the salaries The three American members of the commission c excluding the governor general g receive per year al almost almost almost most twice the salary of cabinet oil officers officers cers ers c and three times the salary of sen senators senators tors a and members of congress It is true t rue that these salaries do not appear appears as a s salaries paid for work on the com corn commission mission but as each American mem member member ber b 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 S while the Filipino members of the commission receive but S OO The members of the Philippine su supreme supreme preme p reme court receive each the Filipino members of the court re receiving receiving c the same as the Americans a l lEum sum um s much larger than that usually paid p pc aid to judges in the he United States in courts c of similar importance This Thid high range ange r of salaries runs through the en entire entire tire ire t list of civil officials and there is no chance of lowering it Except in inthe inthe the he t case of judges the Filipino oil officials officials d aIs as a rule receive considerably less l ess than the Americans performing similar s work and th this s is a constant source s of complaint To Americans it itis itIs is a sufficient answer to say that high salaries are necessary to secure able and efficient officIal officials from the United States but the Filipino o is quick to tore re respond spond Why then do lo you Insist up tip upon p pon on sending us Americans to do what our o r people can do and would do for less compensation Sample American Foolishness Not only must the salaries of Ameri Amen Americans Americans ri riVin cans be high but Americans must be Vin bes be surrounded s with comfort to which the average Filipino Is not accustomed accustom d No Noone Noone Noone one can remain in the Philippines long without hearing of the B nguet road and the enormous amount expended in its construction There is js a mountain resort In province in north central Luzon Which the commission thought might be developed d into a sum summer summer summer mer capital or a place lace I to which the families of the officials ls if not the officials officials officials themselves might retreat during the heated term terra The railroad running from Manila to would carry the to within thirty oi 01 on forty miles mUes of and an engi engineer engineer engineer neer estimated that a wagon road could be constructed c the rest of the way for It seemed worth while to the commission to appropriate that much for a purpose which promised so 50 much forthe for the health and comfort of those en engaged engaged engaged In the benevolent work of es a stable government The commission could hardly be bo blamed for tor relying upon the opinion of the engi engineer f engineer neer and the engineer doubtless meant well But the first appropriation scarce ly made an impression and the second engineer estimated that the cost would be a little greater Having invested 75 COO the commission did not like to abandon the plan and so fiO further f ap toS S Were wore made until more than in gold have been drained from the insular treasury and the Ben S road is not yet completed If it is ever eer completed It will require a S constant outlay of a large sum sum an annually annually S 1 to keep keo it In repair Having mot met the tho members of the com corn commission commission mission and other Americans residing I in the Philippines I am m glad gl d to tea tes testify y that they are as a arule rule men of ch character ability and standing The Tle pe personnel of Philippine official l life is not Dot likely lik ely to be improved and so Ion long IOng as we occupy the islands under a colonial policy po licy the experiment is lia Ha liable liable ble to tobe be repeated in n various forms and andt yet ye t the Filipinos point p int to the folly fo lly to illustrate both Ignorance of lo local local lol cal ca l conditions and partiality toward the th e foreign population Capable of Self Government G The third question Are the Fill Fili Filipinos pinos pi nos competent to govern themselves lyes is the one upon which the decision must finally fin ally turn Americans will not long deny de ny the fundamental principles upon which w our own government rests nor will w ill they upon mature reflection assert that th at foreigners can sympathize as fully with w ith the Filipino as representatives chosen ch osen by the Filipinos themselves The expensiveness pensiveness ex of a foreign government and an d its proneness to misunderstand local lo cal needs will be admitted by b t those who w give the subject any thought but bute the t th e persons lude lu de themselves th ms with the belief h that Spanish S Sp ani anish rule rul has Incapacitated the pres present present ent en t generation for wisely exercising the franchise anchise fr or that s cIril conditions may m ay unfit the Filipinos for the li and maintenance of as gooda good a government as can be Imposed upon them th em from without Before visiting the Philippines I ad advocated advocated v Independence on the broad ground round g that all people are capable of t se not that all people if left eft l to themselves t would maintain gov governments governments rits equally equa ly good goo d or that all U peo people people pIe are cap capable of participating upon equal terms in in the maintenance thai tenane of the Hie same government ht but that all people are endowed by their Creator with ca capacity capacity capacity to establish find arid maintain a gov government government government suited to their own needs and sufficient for their requirements To deny this proposition pro would as Henry Clay suggested more than half naif a cen century century century tury ago be to impeach the wisdom and 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 hen applied to our own people Since be becoming becoming becoming coming acquainted with the Filipinos I t can argue from observation as well as from theory and I insist that the Filipinos are capable cap of maintaining a stable government without supervision sup from without I do not mean to say that they could maintain their inde independence independence independence if attacked by some gome great power but that so far faras faras faras as their own internal affairs afa are r Q cort co fu riot not need n ato to be subject to any alien allen government There is a wide difference it is true between the general Intelligence of the educated Filipino FU pino and the intelligence of the la Ia laborer laborer borer on the street and In the field but thIs is not a barrier to Intelligence controls in every govern government governmEnt government ment except where it Is suppressed by military militar force Where here all the people vote the intelligent man has more in fluence than the unintelligent one and where there is an obvious Inequality a suffrage qualification usually excludes the more ignorant Take Tak the case ease of the Japanese for instance i no one is 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 I to vote of the Japanese Javanese have no part in lawmaking either directly or through representatives and still Ja Japan Japan Japan pan is the marvel of the present gene generation generation generation ration In Mexico the gap between 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 Darty in inthe inthe inthe the United States advocates our mak ing a colony of Mexico on the theory that she cannot govern herself I Those who question the capacity of the Filipinos for over overlook overlook overlook look the stimulating influence of self elf 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 to edane Those who speak con of the capacity c of f the Fil ignore the fact that they were fighting for before the Ue majority of our people knew where the Philippine islands were Two years be fore our war with Spain Rizal Riz l was put putto to death because of his advocacy of larger liberty for his people and when I I witnessed the celebration c of 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