Show t 7 M M M M M H H MM I II M M M M M M M THE 7 MEMORIAL II i iThe I II M MM MM M MM I M The memorial of the Federal Party in LuzOn Luz n composed of a large number of the more intelligent intelligent intelligent intelli intelli- I gent and educated and mixed breed natives of the island asking the United States either to annex the Philippines outright or 01 to establish for forthe the tile possession a territorial form of government is deserving of respectful consideration It was formulated at an extraordinary session of the organization in Man Manila ia last November November- recently recently re re- re brought to this country by Governor Taft handed by him to the War Department and transmitted transmitted transmitted trans trans- to Congress by Secretary Root on r Wednesday Wednes- Wednes ednes- ednes V day S day last The Tile represent the element in Manila and the principal towns of Luzon friendly to our rule but with a proviso Their sincere friendship and perhaps their loyalty is conditioned conditioned conditioned con con- upon concessions which they think they should be granted of right as their just due under the terms of ot the Treaty of Paris and also in view of underlying principles of our Government which they consider necessarily applicable to their case These Federal Filipinos submit that the treaty by which the United States acquired the th forni former r sovereign so rights of Spain in the archipelago gave Congress the right rig to fix the status of the islands and their inhabitants that the native attack attack attack at at- tack on American sovereignty has excused Congress Congress Congress Con Con- gress for not acting up to this time but hut that since I war war today exists in only two out of sixty provinces it is now proper that something should be done lher Therefore fore the petition fo for a annexation annexation LII L- L II tion and a declaration by Congress that the Philippine Philippine Philippine Phil Phil- Islands form an integral part of the United States and that they constitute a Territory with the rights and privileges which the United States grants to other Territories including that of becoming becoming becoming be be- coming a State of the Union There are fire other things asked for for of of an economic or social which character which are not germane germane germane ger ger- mane to the purpose of this article and need not be stated One thing protrudes protrudes- very Tery prominently pi from the from the memorial and that is the persistency of the tribe the one dominant in Luzon in d de demanding demanding de- de ma manding di g practical control ol of th the eight or 01 ten million mil mu- I lion inhabitants Hon inhabitants of the Philippines of which its members s form but a numerical eighth or Ic less lefts S. S Yet in the heme scheme s of territorial government proposed f the would wo have a majority in the insular hous houses s of the legislature t The position of the is weak in two places s. s The Treaty of Paris did not impose a time f limit on Congress in the matter bf defining the terr territorial ter ter- ter- ter r status of the acquisition or the civil and political status of its people And again there is no just reason in evidence why we should make the Philippines a Territory and turn over o the control control control con con- of that whole Territory to the of Luzon Were the advanced intelligent nt and depend dependable dependable de de- de- de pend ble enough nough we might mig think of permitting them to exercise some measure of partial self self-gov erni their political p privileges progressively pro as mi bt appear wise from time to time tim and with the p ose ultimately of giving them H L autonomy when they should be capable of and deserve de serve sern it But these concessions should not go b beyond be- be yond jond the island of Luzon From our viewpoint it never will be possible to erect a native government anywhere in the archipelago archipelago archipelago archi archi- pelago to rule the whole of it There are c too man many r races laces ces tribes languages lan ua es and conflicting con religions traditions and nd customs CUstOnS to render lender such a thing feas feas- ible If we are to pacify the entire possession and maintain peace throughout it it seems to us that the only thing to do is to deal with each large island or group of small ones separately Of course couise such a proposition would not meet with the approval al of Senators Hoar Teller Tillman Tiliman and Bacon but it is practical Luzon is a large enough field in all conscience for the full expansion ofT of T gal intellect enterprise and genius for govern govern- ment To give the tribe more would be a grievous mistake even if a fresh outbreak of insurrection were the alternative |