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Show ! PHILIPPINES BILL.' In addition to the submarine problem, the Moxieau problem and so eral other mat tors of more than pressi ng importance, impor-tance, the admin i st rat ten is trying to definitely sett le the question of independence inde-pendence of the 'Philippine islands. The bill passed the senate easily enough, some of the Republicans voting for it on the ground that we could not defend the islands if we got into trouble with any foreigu power and that they would therefore bo a constant menace. Tho question of the fitness of the Filipinos to govern themselves apparently had no influence upon the senators more! interested inter-ested in national defense than anything else. After the measure was put through the upper chamber and was sent over to the lower branch of congress, discussion ceased and the senators and representatives representa-tives went ahead with other business, although the settlement of the Philippine Philip-pine independence question was part of the legislative programme of tho administration. admin-istration. With the end of the session drawing nigh and the certainty that congress will adjourn before tbe national na-tional conventions assemble in the early part of June, the president has become more or less anxious regarding the fate of his programme, and a Democratic caucus was called to force action upon some ofxthe measures the executive believes be-lieves should be passed at all hazards. The Democrats responded after a bitter wrangle and agreed to take up the Philippines bill at once, but nearly two-score two-score of them voted against such action and some twenty-eight of them refused to be bound by caucus rule. So it is apparent to everyone, including includ-ing the president and his advisers, that tho bill will not become a law at this session of congress unless some of the house Republicans come to the rescue and follow the course taken by several of their party associates iu the upper chamber. At this point it should be borne in mind that party lines have been tightened since the senators voted upou the question and that at the present pres-ent time the house Republicans are not inclined to vote for any measure carry -iug the Democratic, label. 1 ndeed. Leader Mann held up the military bill for two days, forcing the Democrats to send this most important, piece of legislation legis-lation to conference by main strength and the adoption of a special rule. Therefore it is sfe to conclude that if the boiling Democrats maintain their present attitude and Leader Maun can hold the Republicans'in Jinc, the Philippines Philip-pines bill will bo beaten in the house if it comes to & vote. So far as the people of Ihe country an1 concerned, there is little interest in the tnattpr. There was almost universal regret that it became necessary to take the islands in the first place, for it, has never been the desire. of American? to lord it over an inferior race of people who abide someVight or ten thousand miles distant from our nearest seacoasN At the same time there is considerable consider-able sentiment in the country against turning the Filipinos loose to shift for themselves until they have become sufficiently 'ivilized to organize aud maintain a stable form of government. Unhappily comparatively few of the inhabitants in-habitants of these islands have even the veneer of civilization, the Spaniards having mads no effort iu that direction during the four hundred years o- their control. The United States has accomplished accom-plished much since Dewey entered Manila Ma-nila bay, but the time has been too short to bring tanv considerable number of these people up to the required standard. We believe the prevailing sentiment is against passing the independence bill at this tiros, even though it is not exactly ex-actly what it purports to be and that under its "provisions the Filipinos hav e no certainty of being granted their independence at any time in the near future. But as tbe fight is ou, the matter will doubtless be thoroughly ventilated in the course of the Dext few days. There will be some resentment if it passes, but with the possibility of war with Germany and intervention in Mexico Mex-ico looming up before the United States, perhaps tho people of this country are not, so vitally interested in the fate of the Filipinos as they would be under ordinarv circumstances. |