New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-05
TO THE FILTPfNOS.

Strong deeds arc followed with words OF KIND
ness and good cheer They had beeh preceue'
bv them And had those earlier WORDS uecn
needed and accepted the deeds wouid never
have been needed Now the FlliplnoS' OF ra'ne.
the Tagals have learned n lesson when shouu
make them more receptive of this message INA"
they were of the former one OF preciseIy 'ne
same purport. They have learned. at the haliu>
Of the American Army and Navy 'hat 'Ao
power of the American Government IS at leas'
as far as they are concerned, Irresistible lhey
now have opportunity to learn, far more easily
and at far less cost that the disposition OF the
same Government toward them is equally just
kind and generous and that the determination
of the United States 10 establish It's lawful au-
thorjtv in those islands is no more resolute than
ifs determination TO administer the affairs OF
the islands for the benefit Of the inha bnants,
for the welfare OF humanity and for the ad-
vancement Of civilization.
That is what the proclamation of yesterday
means. II is as we have said. q repetition OF
the Presidents former utterance, but in greater
detail 1t sets forth categorically the salient
features of the American policy in the Philip
mines. the policy which every intelligent man
has known would be adopted there. and the
Briefly. IL provides for the supreme sovereignty
and protection OF the United States over all the
islands. with the utmost possible freedom or
self-government Hereunder the protection Oh
civil rights and religious freedom. the employ
ment of the natives as far as possible IN the
Civil Service. the reform OF the financial system
in the direction of lower taxation and the APP
plication of all revenues TO the welfare OF the
islands themselves, the creation of roads and
other public works needed for the prosperity
end development of the islands, the fostering
and promotion Of education. and in general the
assistance of the people to higher standard Of
civilization than they have heretofore enjoyed
There is no oppression in that There is no
conquest in il. in the common meaning Of the
word There is certainly no exploitation of the
islands for our own selfish benefit. There is no
attempt at Americanizng the natives against
their will They are TO remain Filipinos, with
their native creeds and customs, so far as they
desire 10 retain the latter in preference to others
Of which they may learn. The Catholic may re-
main Catholic and the Mahometan may remain
Mahometan. There will be protection for each
but no compulsion for either And so the wild
forebodngs OF the Tagal rebels and of their
handful Of sympathizers here are pilloried as
sheer fances, If not malicious inventions. The
policy which has been so successful in the ma
tive States of the Malay Peninsula and in the
vast East Indian empire Of the Netherlands is
substantially TO he applied 10 our possessions in
that quarter. To say that II will not there meet
with equal success would be 10 say that the Fill
pinos are harder TO deal with than the Malac
cans and Sumatrans. or that Americans are in
ferior in governing capacity to the English and
the Dutch To neither of those propositions are
the American people at present inclined 10 give
assent