Evening star., 1898-09-17
AS A NATIVE STATE
The Philippines Would Reach Their
Highest Development.
TROUBLES THAT BESET OUR PATH
Looking at the Subject From One
Point of View.
SOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM

To the Editor Of The Evening Star:
The old story of the man who paid very
little and got the white elephant and then
knew not what to do with it, is very famil-
lar. We paid the price OF a brilliant vic
tory, bloodless to ourselves, one fine dewy
May morning and got Luzon, with some
responsibility in the rest of the archipelago
Of the Philippines, and we have been learn
ing better and better ever since how trou-
blesome a job we have got into. The re-
sponsibility came to us unsought and unex-
pected, and we have got to handle 1T in
way bef1tting our moral responsibility and
our political principles. Spain had two
open sores, an eastern and a western. In
trying to heal the western one. which was
very offensive, we find ourselves intrusted
with the care of the eastern one. 1t is the
more sluggish, but 1t is far the larger, in
volving the interests of 100000 Of people,
more or less. while the western involves
only about third as many. What shall
we do about it? The public is not as well
informed about it as about Cuba, and our
responsibility is less direct and well defined,
but it is nevertheless exacting. 1t is a most
difficult troublesome, dangerous question,
but we have got to handle it in spite of
ourselves.
Now, the first point is that Spain should
not be released from the entire RESPONSE
biity for this great, troublesome geo.
graphical area The group is a large one.
and Is much more varied and heteroSe-
neouS than the American public is inclined
to think. 1t is far larger and more varied
than all the West Indies, 1t is really
series of five colonies instead of a single
one, as Spain has endeavored to treat it.
The Island of Luzon, with some smaller
islands connected with it, is quite distinct
from the rest-more distinct perhaps than
cuba and San Domingo 1t is rich, civil
"a IL ton,
caya Islands, which lie adjoining to the
southeast, are a group by themselves, and
though only narrow seas separate them
from Luzon on the hand and the
Central Islands on the other, nature has
made sharp distinctions even in their birds
The Central Islands the next most civil
lied and form another group. Mindanao
stands by itself in the southeast and is wild
savage and rugged. Far to the west are
Palawan and it's neighbors forming group
by themselves with little touch of civiIiza-
ton, while at the extreme south is the Sulu
group of small islands, with their pirate
population, over which. by convention with
other states, Spain is required to hold a
strong hand. We do not want these five
wild. savage, piratical groups, where the
climate is of the tropics, tropical where
Jungle fevers are common, and where the
dreaded typhoon of the eastern seas in
some parts holds sway twice a year in
stead OF once, as does the hurricane in the
West Indies.
what We Can Do.
We need not, and cannot, be required to
assume full responsibility except where we
have set our flag. and that is on the bet
ter more northern. more civilized and
more orderly Island Of Luzon We can
ameliorate the condition of the other is
lands by diplomatic methods, by opening
them fully and freely to the commerce Of
the world and by requiring from Spain
sufficient guarantees Of full religious lib
erty. We can open the islands to the mer-
chant and the explorer without restrictions
and especially to that advance guard of
modern civilization as known to us-the
Protestant missionary. The islands have
SO far been completely closed to him. but
have been place of refuge to certain re-
ligious orders which are Ill tolerated In
other parts of the globe. And by throwing
the islands open to the Protestant We will be
doing real favor to the Catholic, for such
abuses as have crept in there are only
possible in remote areas kept unheard
and unheard of. AS soon the light of
day Is turned fun on these groups of is
lands the abuses that exist there must at
once fee away to some other darkene1
spot, If such can now be found.
With Luzon the problem is a serious and
complicated one. Here is mixed popua-
ton. largely Malay, but with Melanesan,
Chinese. Spanish, Eurasian, varied ele-
ments. Here the fierce Malay character is
tanned, but still occasionally blazes forth.
Here is raised the Manila tobacco, a great
laVOTIc all over lHe east, ana the Mania
hemp, a great favorite with navigators.
But we cannot look here for any great
source Of wealth. The possession of Luzon,
with all the other groups, has not made
Spain rich, Notwithstanding thu unQues-
ticnably great and varied resources. Col
onies do not make a nation rich, especially
colonies of other races. individuals may
become rich by harvesting the toll of sub
ject races and great corporations may be
enabled to pay dividends, but to the nation
such colonies are a drain on the treasury
The Netherlands have not been enriched by
the marvelously rich East Indies. nor is
Great Britain enriched by India, except as
she can open a market for her goods there
The other two nations that have practiced
the forming of tributary races are Spain
and Portugal, and they are abjecuy poor
as nations.
Wealth of Colonies.
The wealth which comes of colonies Is the
result of opening new markets for home
products, and these are to be found in civil
lied countries 1t is Canada and Aus
tralia that benefit Great Britain, not Guiana
nor Trinidad. Now, Luzon. rich as she is
IN natural resources, is occupied by a SIM
pie, tropical people, with few needs. They
would make but little draft on our manu-
factures or products, and the carrying
trade for her own products is thoroughly
oriental one Of little Importance to the
great west.
What ought to be done for Luzon or with
LuZon? The first thing to do is to clear the
Spanish out, and this is easier to do than
III the West Indies, for they can go to the
neighboring groups. Spanish diiatory and
diplomatic tactics need have less opportu-
nifty here to get in their work. They form
the method by which the war is still car
ried on, and 1t will be difficult for us to
meet them on the unfamiliar ground of
subterfuge and underground processes. in
the east it will be easier because they have
less to move, less far to go, and they will
make less difficulty because The state of af-
fairs is more threatening there to them
and to us as well. The dreaded Agunaldo
with his forces is a means of making them
move more rapidly-and of perhaps causing
us to do the same.
Story of the Insurgents.
Now, the story of the insurgents there is
simply this: They have fought long and
arduously for their liberty. and they do not
know that the Americans can be trusted.
How could they know this people whose
flag has very rarely appeared on their is
lands heretofore? They only know that
while America has the power to crush the
hated and intolerant Spaniard 1t does not
further betray it's intentions. 1t remains
f-