The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-05-27
ippines we are in danger from both
directions,


directions.
We assumed that the Indian had not
the capacity for f-sovernment; but
until very recently We have made no
systematic attempts to endow him with
that capacity. We have shut him rp
in reservations, have left him TO him
self, have excluded him from the forces
which were operative in developing
manhood in all free American commu-
mites, have left him to his own saw
age, self-controi, barely exercising
enough government over him to pre-
vent him from hurting others. and, ex-
cept where Christian philanthropy has,
Mt great disadvantage, done some
thing to create in him that equanimity
and give to him that reason and pru
dencc which would enable him to do
as circumstances require, he is much
the same savage today that he was
when Columbus discovered America. In
SO far as he has been left free 10 eX-
ercise his inalienable right of self
government he has remained q saw
age. In the case OF the negro we went
to the other extreme; we assumed that
he possessed the equanmity which
would enable him in any situation to
be reasonable and prudent, and to do
what the circumstances might require,
and SO we gave him what we called the
right of self-government, without first
making any effort to endow him with
the capacity Of self-government. The
consequence was that he suffered at
first under the self-inllictcd evils of a
Carpetbag rule, and is now suffering
under the evils of a reaction the issue
of which no man can foresec. This
much, however. is certain, that, unless
his white neighbors in the South see
that the end of all good government
is government, their community
will fail i'm accomplishing its true ends
because those ends are not understood
In the Philippines VIC arc in danger
from disregard of both principles. or
the one hand, the anti-cxpansionists is
desire us to believe that the Tagals
have not only "A right to self govern.
ment but a right to exercise, If they
! can, government over all the other in.
! habitants of the archipelago. They
| wish us to assume that the Filipinos
| already possess that equanimitS
which enables one i'm any situation tC
| be reasonable and prudent, ard 70 dc
| what the circumstances require" This
| assumption rests either on the illusory
faith that all men by nature possess
| this Capacity--a theory Controvcrted by
! human history and experience, or uI
the reported statement of Admira
Dewey that the FilipinOs are
as capable of government as th'
| Cubans "a statement which may
mean much or very little. There il
possible danger. on the other hand
from the assumption, as yet not public
ly avowed by any leading Americans
| though vigorously asserted by Others
that the Filipinos are incapable of eve
becoming governing, and that N
government and no education can eve
endow them with the capacity of self
command. This is an assumption
| which it is not easy to reconcile will
the history of civilization and the mos
rational deductions from ethnography
and which is absolutely inconsisten
with the Fundamental aftirmatlons o
the Christian faith. Neither of thes
assumptions is safe; what we have Il
do is so to govern the Philippines a
to develop in them the capacity 70
selfg government.