Pulling on Loose Threads

Back in 2010, I posted several cartoons from a very old book, left to me by my Aunt Barbara, of editorial cartoons R.C. Bowman drew for the Minneapolis Tribune in 1900. Over the years since, there have been regular spikes in page views of the post displaying his cartoons about the Philippines, leading me to conclude that there is a history teacher somewhere referencing this page for his or her students.

With that in mind, good morning, class! The Philippines were back in the news 100 years ago this spring. Having suspended their campaign for independence during the Great War, the Filipino legislature renewed their efforts in a "Declaration of Purposes" published on March 17, 1919 with the blessing of the U.S. Governor General of the Philippines.

"And Those Who Run May Read Thereby" by William Sykes in Philadelphia Public Ledger, April 5, 1919

The Declaration of Purposes stated the Philippines' case with all due deference, and then some.

"Through the joint labor of Americans and Philippinos, the history of your occupation of the islands is replete with achievements great, and result splendid. You have truly treated us as no nation ever before treated another under its sway. And yet you — and none better than you — will understand why, even under such conditions, our people still crave independence, that they, too, may be sovereign masters of their own destinies.
"When our national independence shall be granted us, the world will know that the people of America are indeed 'bearers of the good will, the protection, and the richest blessings of a liberating rather than a conquering nation,' and that it was our liberty, not your power, our welfare, not your gain you sought to enhance in the Philippines."

In the Shade of the Sheltering Palm" by Bob Satterfield for Newspaper Enterprise Association, March/April, 1919

Republicans were skeptical of Filipino readiness for independence, and Democrats were more in favor of it. But before one credits those Democrats with higher motives, one must note that many in the Democratic Party were against taking so many non-white people into the American fold. Bipartisan U.S. interest in containing Japan's imperial ambitions in Asia and the Pacific meant that neither party was ready to grant Philippine independence just yet.

"Will He Pass This Year?" by Wm. C. Morris for George Matthew Adams Service, April/May, 1919

Congress had passed the Jones Act (formally the Philippine Autonomy Act of 1916), replacing the American-dominated Philippine Commission with an elected Senate, establishing a bill of rights that included voting rights for all literate Filipino males, and promising eventual independence. An appointed Governor had veto power over the legislature, which Governor Francis Harrison rarely used.

The 1918 elections put Republicans in control of the U.S. Congress, however, and Republicans would win the next three presidential elections; any further moves toward Filipino independence were moved to the back burner as far as the United States was concerned.

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"That Pesky Cat Again!" by Gustavo Bronstrup in San Francisco Chronicle, April, 1919

It has also been a while since we've checked in on the situation in Mexico 100 years ago. As it happens, we're coming up on the centennial of two high-profile deaths: one of a general who has gone down in Mexican history as a villain; the other of a national hero.

"Blooming Again" by Nelson Harding in Brooklyn Daily Eagle, April 6, 1919

In March, General Aureliano Blanquet returned from exile in Cuba to support Felix Díaz's revolt against the government of Venustiano Carranza. He arrived with only six followers, but the return of this former vice president caught the attention of Mexico's neighbor to the north. Before Blanquet could meet up with the Diacistas, however, he was mortally wounded during a skirmish with government forces on April 7 when his horse stumbled into a ravine. After his death a week later, the Carrancista general had Blanquet's head decapitated and put on display in Mexico City and photographed for all the newspapers. As one of course does in such situations.

"A Coming Event" by William C. Morris for George Adams Syndicate, April, 1919

On the left, Emiliano Zapata, a sometime ally of Pancho Villa, met his end on April 10, tricked into a meeting with a Carrancista colonel he believed would defect to his peasant army. His letters had been intercepted by the colonel's superior officer, so he instead walked into a trap and was riddled with bullets. Yet while this made Zapata a martyr to his many supporters, several of his generals would eventually accept the government's promises of amnesty. Some were even given governorships and other posts in Carranza's administration.

If you're still not sure who was the hero and who was the villain, here's a hint. Anthony Quinn played the title role in ¡Viva Zapata!, but there will never be a film version of ¡Viva Blanquet!