PRESIDENT COOLIDGE AND THE PHILIPPINES
President Coolidge and the Philippines APRIL 6th, President Coolidge, "in compliance with Section 19 of the Organic Law of the Philippine Islands", which gives the President of the United States...
...Such was the simple standard estate lished by the Congress of the Unftea States for granting independence to the Filipinos...
...In frankness and with the utmost friendliness, I must state my sincere conviction that the people of the Philippine Islands have not as yet attained the capability of full self-government...
...President Coolidge and the Philippines APRIL 6th, President Coolidge, "in compliance with Section 19 of the Organic Law of the Philippine Islands", which gives the President of the United States power to veto acts of the Philippine Legislature, vetoed "an Act to Hold a Plebiscite of the People of the Philippine Islands on the question of Philippine Independence...
...With utmost self-complacency, unmindful of our promise to the Philippine peo-ble, overlooking the fundamental principle of oar Republic, President Coolidge goes on record as the first President to veto an act of the Philippine Legislature —an act to hold a plebiscite on the question of whether or not the people of the Philippine Islands want independence...
...He dwells with religious fervor on the difficulties of self-government, says: "history is filled with failures", that liberty, freedom, independence" demand long, arduous, self-sacrificing preparation...
...Not one hint does this extraordinary document contain of understanding or knowledge of the cardinal principle on which oar Government was founded, "GOVERNMENTS DERIVE THEIR JUST POWERS FROM THE CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED...
...Notwithstanding the unanimous vote of the Philippine Legislature and Colonel Thompson's declaration as to the attitude of the people, President Coolidge in his veto message addressed to Governor-General Wood argues that "Independence is a very appealing word...
...Such arguments as these, King George might have used to persuade the American colonists that independence would be their ruin...
...tend to divert the attention of the people toward the pursuit of more political power rather than to the consideration of the essential steps necessary for the maintenance of a stable, prosperous, well-governed community...
...He allows no cuckoo around him...
...The mocking bird la a bird of whims and fancies, one of which is his hatred of the cuckoo...
...Yet the stealing i>f the Naval Oil Reserves involving two Cabinet officials, the political corruption of the two great states of Pennsylvania and Illinois have not seemed to arouse President Coolidge's indignation, nor lessened his confidence in our superior ability to govern the Philippines...
...The United States Congress in Lh$ preamble of the Jones Law, enacted irj 1916, stated that "It is, as it has always been, the purpose of the people of the United States to withdraw their sovereignty over the Philippine Islands and to recognize their independence as soon as a stable government can be established, therein...
...President Coolidge assures the people of the Philippines they have all the rights and privileges of American cit zens without the obligations...
...He tells the Philippine people: "A plebiscite on the question of the immediate independence would...
...He describes how an independent government would be...
...With characteristic Coolidge emphasis on "economy" the President tells the Philippine people that a plebiscite would involve a "considerable expenditure on the part of the Philippine government, its provinces and municipalities," and proceeds to lay before the people of the islands the overwhelming advantages their connection with the United States has brought them, and to depict the dangerous consequences of establishing an independent government...
...After citing the wonderful condition of peace, prosperity and self-government already attained under our tutelage, the President tells the Philippine people...
...Ignoring these plain facts of history, President Coolidge assumes the responsibility of telling the Philippine people they are not ready for independence...
...He estimates the great saving in interest they enjoy under American sovereignty...
...And because the plebiscite calls for a "Yes" and "No" vote and does not allow free expression of various shades of opinion that may exist in the minds of the Philippine people, Mr...
...They pa no federal taxes, are exempt from the exclusion provisions of our immigration laws, do not pay for the defense or for the diplomatic service and to cap this climax, he says "they are represented in the United States by their o'v'n chosen representatives WHO ARE PAID BY THE UNITED STATES...
...The measure, which President Coolidge vetoed, passed both houses of the Philippine Legislature unanimously...
...Strawberries can be successfully grown in every one of the United States...
...In 1920, President Wilson in his message to Congress said: "The people of the Philippine Islands ** have thus fulfilled the condition set by the Congress as precedent to a consideration of granting independence to the islands...
...You will find him rarely in the depths of the forests bat he is usually among those present in suburban orchards, city parks and city gardens, This means that he is an insect and berry eater and does not bother the farmer's grain crops...
...The President had good reason to believe that the vote of the legislature voiced the sentiment of the Philippine people, since Colonel Thompson, who was chosen by President Coolidge as a personal representative to investigate and report on conditions in the Philippines, said quite recently: "I believe that virtually the entire voting population of the islands is for independence...
...Naturalists say that the mocking bird is the most successful of all American birds...
...He feels he must disapprove tha plebiscite because it is a part of the agitation in the island which is discouraging capital and labor...
...Three years ago in a letter addressed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippine Legislature, President Coolidge said what he repeats in his message vetoing the plebiscite: "The Government of the United States would not feel that it had performed its full duty to the Filipino people or discharged all its obligations to civilization if it should yield at this time to their aspiration for national independence...
...The President cites in great detail what the loss of the American market would mean to the Philippines...
...In 1919, Governor-General Harrison, in a formal report, testified "the Filipinos, having been given, an opportunity, have satisfactorily demonstrated the fact that they have already established and are maintaining the stable form of government, which is prescribed in the preamble of the Jones Bill as prerequisite to their independence...
...The people of the United States well know the difficulties of self-government, fclever were there more alarming object fessons than exist today...
...He is much more abundant today than 100 years ago and seems to love to live where man does...
...His message might well have been addressed by "His Majesty's Government" to his subjects in Egypt, India or Africa...
...It is now our liberty and our duty to keep our promise to tjie people of those islands by granting the independence, which they so honorably covet...
...crippled by the direct loss of revenue, by increased rates on loans, and by the paralyzation of its industries, would be called on to incur the added cost of keeping up a diplomatic service, army, navy and other features of sovereignty...
...It is obvious", he concluded "that the revenues of the island would be totally inadequate to maintain a separate government...
...Coolidge asserts positively and gives as one reason for his veto that the plebiscite would not be "convincing...
...The proposed law did not grant independence...
...Few people will vote against independence for themselves or against independence for anybody else...
...Holding a plebiscite, says Mr...
...Coolidge "might create friction, disturb business...
...Its avowed purpose was to give voters of the Philippine Islands the opportunity to say by means of the ballot, whether or not they wanted independence, and incidentally to answer the claim of imperialists in the United States that the Philippine people do not want freedom and self-government...
...President Coolidge's veto of the Philippines' request for opportunity peacefully to voice their wishes on the momentous question of self-government is a startling example of the imperialistic trend of his administration...
Vol. 19 • May 1927 • No. 5
