AT LAST A GENUINELY INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER.
To the Editor of The Herald:
It will never be necessary to establish a public newspaper in Boston as long as The Herald is conducted as at present under wise editorial guidance, while affording the fullest opportunity to the expression of reasonable individual opinion.
If not presuming too far upon this opportunity, might it be permissible to suggest that the Republican party, absolutely silent in its official utterances concerning the future of the Philippines, is, in its acts, expressing no purpose of terminating our occupation of the islands? Under President Taft and Gov. Gen. Forbes, as heretofore under President Roosevelt and Gov. Gen. Taft, it is expressing its purpose to hold them as a permanent colony by zealously encouraging the investments of the same kind of aggregated capital which has so abused its privileges in the United States and which, planted in that virgin soil, will, of course, become an implacable foe to the independence of the islands.
At Chicago a severe blow was given in this connection to those who have looked forward to the elevating and strengthening influences of women in affairs of government, since such a whilom leader as Miss Jane Addams was so befogged by the eloquent and effective appeal of the candidate in behalf of every kind of social unrest wholly beyond political action. Of course, there was an inevitable appeal to her from the leader in that cave of Adullam where "Every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was [illegible] gathered themselves unto him." But could it have been expected that one hitherto so wise and considerate could have overlooked or condoned what have been to her Mr. Roosevelt's egregious faults, within the sphere of politics; such as his support of the protective robbery, of increased naval and military strength, and especially, being herself one of the charter members of the Anti-Imperialist League, of the injustice perpetrated in the Philippines islands; today, as always, fully endorsed and sanctioned by her champion of righteousness?
Here the Democratic party and its leader stand [staunchly] for justice. Four national platforms of the party, of which that adopted at Baltimore was the last, have unequivocally announced the duty of the United States to make the Philippines independent, and a bill to carry out that purpose has been reported by the insular committee and action upon it promised within the first few days of the next session of Congress, by Gov. Wilson's representative in that body; by its leader, Mr. Underwood; by Mr. Henry, chairman of the committee [illegible] rules; and Mr. Jones, the chairman of the insular committee.
ERVING WINSLOW.
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