Loyola University Chicago Loyola eCommons Master's Theses Theses and Dissertations 1951 American Attitude Towards Philippine Independence During President Wilson's Administration Mary Annette Lapinski Loyola University Chicago Follow this and additional works at: https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_theses Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Lapinski, Mary Annette, "American Attitude Towards Philippine Independence During President Wilson's Administration" (1951). Master's Theses. 1095. https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_theses/1095 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Loyola eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of Loyola eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. Copyright © 1951 Mary Annette Lapinski .. ' AlIIRICAM AmTUDE TOIARl. PRILIPPIR Im>E~CE OORIIO PImSllJtrrt WILSON'S AmIlIIS'f!tA1'IOJl by Siat.el" IIar7 Annette tapluk1, t'.1., o. s. ,. A Th.a1a Subadtt,ed to t.he facult.y ot the Graduate School of Loyola Uniwra1't,f 111 Partial Pult11lmant of tJ1e ltequ1nmenu tor \be De..... of Kuter of Ana IftROD'OO'1'101' The histoJ'7 of the relation of the GOYeraent of the UD1ted States to the Philippine Islands is perhaps the most interesting experiment in modern lmper1aliSll. It was an exper1unt in preparation for independence. When the United States annexed the Philippine Islands it did so in the pise of a lib­ erator of all oppressed people trom the domination of Spain. The United States proclaimed its intentiOJl to establish coaplete Mlf-government in the Islands atter s short period of tutelage. President Mollnle1 instructed the Taft Cou1esion to treat the Philippine people -with the sa.. cQQJ"teq aDd respect for their personal dip1t7 which the people of the tJlli ted State. are aecus­ tOMd to require frOll eaoh other .,,1 The Aaer1call-Philippine relationship hes been IIOre IUCc.aef'ul than ell1 other which hee ex18ted,in aodern t1raes between 8 dominant and a dependent people aDd this had a tar reaching ettect on the colonies in Asia. Asla watched whether JJnerica will put into operation her principle of the content of the governed and of aelt-dete1'll1nation. While the "'rioans fullJ accepted aDd ineisted upon American reeponsibillt, tor the IelaDds the, ne.. rtheles8 gave the largest possible participation of Filipino in letislation and administration and an increa8ed measure or autOllOll7 a8 enlighteDMllt and experience advanced. After the American. have famillarized the rilipinos with the institutions of modern 1 Cameron W. forbes, lllI PAilippi. IllIab.. Cambridge, Mass., 1945, 389. ii iii ... democraoy and have given them an opportunity to adopt them to their own uses, the Filipinos believed themselves sufficiently numerous, compact and dieci- plined to begin independent life 88 a nation.. It was insistently urged by Filipino spokesmen that a stable government existed and that the United States should redeem its pledge. It i. t.he purpose of t.h18 lJOrk to present. President W. Wilson's interest in the Filipino people and their struggle for independence, Congres- aional discussions in favor and agaill8t Philippine independence and American economic polia.y in the Philippines. TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page INTRODUCTION • • • • • • • • • • • • • • .. " . • • • • • • • • ii I. Pru~SIDENT WILSON'S PHILIPPINE POLICY •• • • • • • • • • • • • 1 Acquisition ot the Philippine Islands~Public opinion re­ garding the Philippine.--Wilson'. opinion--Reaolution passed by United state. not to annex the islands permanentlY-­ President Mclinley-s and Secretar.y Root's policy--William H. Tatt'. tirst GoYernor-General ot the Ialanda--Democratic Convention 1900--Baltimore Con.... ntion 19l2--W'ilsont s accept­ ance speech-Meaaage ot congratulations t 0 the President­ elect by the Philippine A.semblY--Re.olution ot the Philip­ pine Asseably--Manuel Quezon--Franci. B. Harri.on appointed Governor-General ot the Philippine.--Wilson' •••••age to Congre.s December 2, 19l)--Wilson'a measageto Congre.s December a, 1914--Wilson t a ..aaage 10 Congress December 7 I 191;~ilaonta speech at Hew York. II. CONGRESSIONAL ATTITUDE ON THE JONES BILL • • • • • .. • • • • 13 Independenc. campaign in Aaeriea-Independence campaign in the Philippine Ialanda-The Republican plank ot 1916- Introduction ot the Philippin. bill by Mr. William A. Jones-­ Pro.tsions ot the Philippine bill--opinion ot Mr. Miller, Mr. Feas, Mr. Humphrey on the Philippine bill--The Hous. passe. the Philippine bill--Deteat ot the Philippine bill in the Senate--Presldent Wilson' ••••aageto the Filipinos rega~ding the Jon.s bll1--opinion ot leading newspapers on the Jone. bill--R.introduction ot the bill in the Houae and the Senate--Debate. on the bill in the Senat.--Arguaents against and in tavor ot Philippine independence. III. CONGRESSIONAL ATTITUDE ON 'I'ID~ CLARKE AMENDMENT • • • • • • • 28 Introduction ot the Clarke Amendment--opinioft ot Senators, Colt, Borah, and Thc:;•• on t.he Clarke Amendment--Senator McCumber's Am.nda.nt to the Clarke Aaendment--Debate. on the iY Clarke Amendment in the Senate--Critici.. ot the Clarke amendment bl eX-Secretary Garrison and Cardinal Gibbons-­ Quezon on Philippine independence--opposition or Hr. Towner and Mr. Fitzgerald to the Clarke asendment--Deteat ot the Clarke amendment in the House-Approval of the Jones bill b~r Congress and President Wilson-Powers of the Governor­ General under the Jones Act. IV. AME:RICAN ECONOMIC POLICY IN TH~: .PHILIPPINES • • • • • • • • • 44 American effort to improve economic conditions ot the Fili­ pino people-Attitude of the Democratic partl on taxation ot Philippine exports~Introduction or & provision to the tarift bill H~ R. 3321--objections to this provision bl Mr. Luther, Mr. Frederick, Mr. Britten, Mr" Bartholat, and Mr. Willis­ Petition ot the Cigar Makers' International Union ot Amer­ ica--Answera to the objectiona bl Mr. Underwood and Mr. Mur­ ral--Mr. 'ordnel's amendment to the Underwood-Simmons bill-­ Defeat ot Mr. 'ordnel' a amendment-The provisions to the bill H. R. 3321 passed bl the Houae and referred to the Sen­ ate Finance Committee--objections to the proposed bill by Senators, Newlanda, Ransdell, and Lodge--Discussiona on the labor questions by Senators, Boies and Penrose--Petition of the Manila Merchant's AS80ciation--Introduction of the bill H. R. 11471 in the House--objections to this bill hI Mr. 'eating-Debate. in tavor ot the bill b)" the Republican partl--Bill passed by both hou ... and approved bl Presi­ dent Wilson--F11ipino attitude towards tree trade. V.. CONSCUSION. .. .. • .. • • • • .. • • .. .. • .. • • • • .. .. .. .. • .. 61 Governor-General Harrison'. Philippin.e policy·.... Filipiniza­ t1on--X.provements in the Islands--Creation ot the Council of State--Ph11ippine Independence Mission 1n the United States--President W1lson t s letter to the Mission--Plea tor independence 1n Congress--Governor-Oeneral Harrison'. report-President WUson' s message to Congress December 7, 1920-Senator Henry Cabot Lodge-Jones Act of 1916-­ Advantages or selt-government in the Philippine Islands. ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAi'HY • .. .. .. .. .. .. .. • • • • • . .. 69 AP?E}'!DICES .. .. • .. .. .... .. • • • • • . .. .. • • • • . .. .. .. 75 CHAPT1<:R I PRESIDKNT W. WILSON'S PHILIPPINE POLICY The acquisition of the Philippines was the greatest blunder of American dip1omacy.1 The purpose of the war of 1898 was to free Cuba. The decision to send the fleet to Manila Bay was made by the Navy rather than by the President and Cabinet, and American victory there posed a problem for which neither the American government nor people was prepared. Opposition to the treaty with Spain was wid.espread and intense. There was a long and heated debate in t."1e Senate. The expansionists listed the glorious tropical wealth of the Islands and made 6tagl~ering prophecies about the inevitable increaRe in our China trade. Opponents of the peace treaty argued that to force our rule on the }I~i1ipino people 1Ifas a violation not only of our war aims, but our Constitution and even of our Declaration of Independence. It would make us an imperialistic nation. Only by the most energet1.c efforts was the administration able to obtain the necessary two-thirds vote for rati- fication of the treaty. In its efforts it received help from William J. Bryan, anti-imperialist, who urged the senators of his party to vote for the treaty in order to end the war.2 1 Samuel F'. Bemis, ! Diplol'1atic History 2f ~ United States, New York, 1950, 482. 2 ~., 473. 2 During• this time public opinion regarding the Philippines was form- A year attar the treaty ot peace was signed at Paris on December 10, 1898, Wilson said, "It was _y personal wish at the time that we should not take the Philippines. It we sent our institutions in manuscript they would sutfer the same tate which betell 8 dress suit once captured by 88vages.n3 The commerciel and industrial interes;ts ot An.rica leaming thet the islands lie in the gateway ot the vaet and undeveloped markets were in favor of keeping the Philippines. The navaliets were emphasizing the military impor­ tance ot the Islands and suggesting the danger to American interests should Germany or Japan annex them.4 Popular teeling was being aroused by the combination of the economic and strategic value of the Islands, so the United states on February 14, 1899, passed a resolution, part of which read, it ie not intended permanently to annex such islands as an inte­ gral part ot the United States, but it is the intention ot the United States to eetablish on said islande a government suitable to the wante and conditione or the inbabitante of said islands, to prepare them tor selt-govemunt end in due time to make such disposition of eaid ielands as will best promote the intereets of the citi,ens or the United States and the inhabitants of said islands.5 Preeldent McKinley in his instructions to Secretary Root for the guidance or the Philippine Commission said, that the policy ie "extension of selt-government to the Philippine Islands by gradual steps trom time to 3 Harle,.