The development of Philippine politics

BEGINNING OF FILIPINO AUTONOMY ETC.

39,B

dependence. On the other hand, the new party, the Democrata Nacional, seemed to show more convincing signs of
life in Manila, where they were able to elect one representative. The Dernocratas, it may be remembered, were just
as strong for immediate independence as the nationalists.
In fact they were charging the Nationalists with being insincere in their plea for independence and with showing
gross incapacity for managing the affairs of government,
an incapacity which became in the eyes of the American
imperialists a great obstacle to independence.
The Progresista leaders saw that the only way out of
the dilemma was fusion with the Democratas. The amalgamation of the two opposition parties took place on April
22, 1917. The Progresistas were apparently willing to fuse
on any terms. The meeting which decided the fusion was
attended by the presidents and the directorates of the two
parties, other leaders and committee members from the
nearby and some Visayan provinces. The Progresistas were
willing to forego their ideal of evolutionary independence
in favor of immediate independence, and they would even
accept the name Partido Democrata provided that the
word "nacional" was omitted. So the fused party became
known as Partido Democrata. The following officers were
elected at the meeting: President, General Teodoro Sandiko;
First Vice-President, Joaquin Quintos; Secretary, Gregorio
Perfecto; Treasurer, Guillermo F. Ruiz. The Members of
the Board of Directors were Pedro Gil, Alfonso E. Mendoza,
Antonio Montenegro, Geronimo Santiago, Eulogio Rodriguez, and Domingo Antonio. (1)
The Jones Law
In the meanwhile Governor Harrison, with the cooperation of the Nationalists, continued in this new policy of attraction and Filipinization. During the first three years of
Mr. Harrison's administration, no reform of importance
was made in the machinery of government. It was only
the personnel which suffered changes. Mr. Harrison and
(1) See La Naid4n, organ of the Partido Democrata, for April 23, 1917.