The evening times., 1898-12-01
seIf-GovernIne Latins.

The momentary success of the revolu-
tionists in Honduras and the conse-
quent failure of the scheme for United
States of Central America, to be COM
posed of Nicaragua, Honduras and Sal
vador will be welcomed by the un-
American provincialists. Here. they
viii affirm, Is. proof of the ungovern-
able. intractable and unstable charac-
ter of the kinds of people we shall have
to deal with in our new island possess
sions. Ian but Carnegie, who insists
that the Filipinos should be allowed to
govern themselves, presumably because
they would then employ their energies
in revolutionary enterprises, to the neg
lect of steel production that would in
terfere with the Carnegie profits at
Pittsburgh
To the unprecedented observer, the
Honduras and other revolutions and
the failure to establish a stable govern
ment OF the combined three states are
additional arguments in favor of our
retention of the Philippines. The Fill
pinos are clearly Incapable of self-gov-
ernment now. Whether they will ever
become more competent than the
French is an open question. If the in
habitants of the South American States,
after some years of release from for
eign rule, are still the prey of adven-
turers, we can hardly hope that a race
so long under the corrupting influence
of Spain can be proof against the wiles
of shrewd and ambitious demagogues if
left TO themselves II does not follow,
however, that they will be insensible to
the advantages of a firm but liberal
government under the principles of the
American Republic, which will insure
the highest degree of personal liberty
they are fitted to exercise and promote
prosperity beyond their hopes or
dreams.
In the islands are resources virtually
untouched owing TO Spanish prohibi-
tions, the development of which must
provide for every industrious native
and immigrant a profitable employ
ment. in some capacity, such as no
Latin race has ever enjoyed. In the
/ islands are eight millions of people,
sturdy. amiabie, vain and disposed to
( be indolent, but who are more suscepti-
bic TO the allurements Of money than the
! black race in our Southern States To
/ apply the labor of these men to the re-
! lease of the exhaustless wealth stored
up in the mountains. to the use of the
vast forests and of fertile soil that
. is peculiarly adapted to special growths
for which there is full demand. is
among the worthiest achievements a
! civilized nation can effect To cultivate
the human part Of the millions of peo-
pie, by free public schools and by con.
tact with the energetic people of the
States, is a finer thing than to allow
them to be destroyed by domestic war.
fare or TO be oppressed by selfish mon.
archs.
While the failure of the Centra
American scheme is discouraging. il is
10 be considered that the great majority
of the people of the three states have
never had the benefits of American ad.
ministration and therefore they mus,
learn their limitations and their dan.
gers in a hard school. The Filipinos ar,
TO be saved something of the severity
of the lessons of experience. They vii
profit by the education of circum.
stances, but the firmness Of American
rule Will prevent the disasters that ig
norance invites.