Life — March 24, 1904 — page 4: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

XLII, MARCIL 24, 1908. No.nt 19 West Tinety-Finsr St. New Yous. ery y. $00 a year in a age (o foreign countries In the tra, after the Deents. ll be returned unless No contribution accompanied by stamped and addressed envelope The illustrations in Lave ave copyrighted, and are not to be reproduced. Prompt notification should be sent by sub- scribers of any change of address. ‘HE Philippines In- dependence Com- mittee is an extremely re- spectable body. Its list of forty two membe: n- cludes such men as Judge Geor, Gray of Dela- re, Cc. P. Adams of Mass: chusetts, Presi- dent Schurman of Cornell, Presi- dent Eliot of Harvard, Rail- road President W. H. Baldwin, Bishop Potter, Bishop Spalding of Illinois, Andrew Carnegie, R. Fulton Cutting, Hoke Smith, Wayne Mae- Veagh, Mr. Howells and thirty other gentlemen of note and influence. It is ci ting petitions “ urging upon the approaching national conventions the adoption of resolutions pledging to the people of the Philippine Is their ultimate national independence upon terms similar to those offered to Cuba."' This petition deals with a ticklish question. It is brought for- ward by influential men at a suitable time It is moderate in what it asks for. It simply wants a count of noses on the general proposition whether we want to keep the Philippines indefi- nite u colonial possession, or prefer nds to turn thein loose as soon as they are fit to shift for themselves No member of the present Administration is likely to touch this petition with a ten-foot » LIFE* pole. Secretary Taft says it would be a mistake for any convention to go further than to declare that it is the Nation's duty to do everything that can possibly be done to increase the prosperity and happiness of the islands. He is sure that if we now promise ulti- mate independence to the delegation will start at ouce to inquire whether that independence is to come in six months or a year. That seems altogether likely. If the independence petition gathers strength enough, it will agitate the Filipinos and make the work of licking them into shape more difficult. We don’t suppose it will do the Filipinos any immediate good, and for the time being it may do them much harm. But how about the Americans? Is it not due to them that they should ce to speak their minds and declare their ultimate intentions in this matter? If we had not been art- fully pledged to let Cuba go, we would doubtless still be holding that valuable island by an armed force. If we wait till the Philippines are fit to be free before we promise to free them, will the time to give our pledge ever come? *ilipinos, a "THE truth is, the habit of owning the Philippines is growing on us. We are getting used to spending moni on them and calling for more warships to safeguard them. ery that ance of their final inde- pendence, that independence becomes we defer assur: less likely except as the result of suc- cessful rebellion. The habit of owning the Philippines is just as likely to grow on us as it was to grow on Spain, It is not, and never will be, a profitable habit. If we are ever to break our- vesof it, it may be that we should begin betimes and take resolute action, It may be too late as itis. A con- siderable body of American voters has never had any intention from the start of letting go of those islands. Another considerable body does not care a hill of beans whether we keep them or not, or how we govern them. Before the assurance of ultimate independence can be given, the opposition of the first of these bodies and the inertia of the second must be overcome. That is a good deal to accomplish, but the force that may possibly accomplish it is well represented in this Philippines Inde- pendence Committee, = ad wit either national convention adopt the committee's plank ? The Republican Convention certainly won't, if it nominates Roosevelt. The Democratic Convention may see a use- ful issue in the suggestion and adopt the plank, and invite Grover Cleveland or Judge Gray to stand on it; but we doubt if it does. It is an un- seasonable question to agitate now, but it will always be unseasonable, and the longer it is deferred the more un- seasonable it willbe. If Judge Taft could be appointed Sultan of the Philippines, to reign as long as his conduct was good, no doubt it would be helpful to the islands, Whether Roosevelt or some one else is President, no doubt the Pailippines will get good care as far as the President can assure it. But itison the will of Congress that the prosperity of those islands must de- pend, and Congress is a big, two-headed, distracted body, constantly assailed by selfish importunities, unwieldy, for- getful, neglectful and irresponsible. Remember, the alternative to self- government for the Philippines must always be government by Congress, and the Philippines are ten thousand miles away, and the Filipinos can't vote for Congressmen and never will. "THEY have been hangi and having race-riots and calling out the militia in Ohio. We have long been convinced that Obio was imperfectly fit’ for self-government, and that competent hands should be employed to build up for that State an effectual system of common schools, What Ohio and such other wild com- munities need is a diffusion of popular education. Nothing else can induce the self-restraint, patience and calm- ness of judgment which are essential to order in a self-governing community. aa comicbooks.com