Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-05
"NO FaItering."

| Many conditions combine to draw atten-
ton irresistibly to that portion of the Pres
ident's message in which he discusses al
| fairs in the Philippines. The recent sue
| cessfuI resumption of military operations
| in Luzon in measure detracts from the
| significance of some of his statements, yet
| the public is justifably concerned to note
| how In this first official utterance since
| that event the President fulfills his prom
| Use given on the steps of the Capitol in Oc-
tOber to Admiral Dewey that there would
be no faltering'' in maintaining the fruits
of his wonderful victory In Manila bay
There is assuredly no sign of faltering in
the message The President says that the
Instruction must be put down. Again, he
says:
THE islands lie under the shelter of our
flag They are ours by every title of law
and equity. They cannot be abandoned.
If we desert them we leave them at once
to anarchy and finally to barbartSm. we
| fling them, an apple of discord among the
rival powers, no one of which could per-
nit another to seize them unquestioned.
Their rich plains would be the scene of
endless strife and blOodshed.
So much for sheer withdrawal. The Pres
ident does not believe in the protectorate
compromise. and emphatically states his
objections. He says:
This proposition will not be found, I am
sure, worthy of your serious attention.
Such an rangement would involve at the
outset cruel breach of faith. 1t would
place the peaceable and loyal majority,
who ask nothing better than to accept our
authority, at the mercy of the minority of
armed insurgents. 1t would make us re-
spOnSible for the acts of the insurgent
| leaders and give US no power to control
them. 1t would charge with the task of
protecting them against each other and de-
Tending them against any foreign power
with whom they chose to quarrel In
short. it would take from the Congress of
the United States the power of declaring
war, and vest that tremendous prerogative
in the Tagal leader of the hour"
There Is no juggery with terms. no
clouding of intentions. The Philippines are
to remain American territory unless Con-
gress sees fit to change the program and to
reverse the policies to which it has already
given substantial endorsement by the rati-
hcatiOn Of the peace treaty and the vote of
the Philippine purchase money. There is
no suggestion of encouragement for the
disintegrating insurgent organization, and
on the other hand no word of direct re-
buke for those Americans who have so I'M
righteously led the Tagal rebels into a
miscOnception of the American character
and purpose.
The President in specific terms announces
his intention to pursue the policy of pacii-
cation until the ''unprovoked and wasteful
Instruction shall cease. At the same time
he proposes to deal humanely with the mis-
guided people. There is a broad significance
bearing upon certain possible future con-
tingencies in these words:
The hour of victory viii be the hour Of
clemency and reconstruction"
The President foresees no great difficult
ties in the way of establishing good gov
eminent in the archipelago. although he
recognizes the deIicacy of the undertaking.
He points to the success already achieved
in Negros in this direction and, although
he refrains specifically from suggesting de-
finite lines of administration for the islands,
he seems to lean toward the Negros plan
as suitable for extension over the other
islands.
The nation will be treasured to learn
from the message that the President has
firmly refused TO countenance the system
of slavery which prevails in The Sulu
chipelago.