The record-union., 1899-09-26

IlOral ana pOlltlcdl STATUS III Inc AiAi
ippines.
1t is my conviction and my doctrine.
as the result of closest study upon the
field of action, that the United States
is face to face with a moral response
bility which in honor to itself, the ma
tives of the Philippines and to all the
world, it cannot possibly shirk.
There would be more ignominy and
more disgrace, and more disaster from
conditions that would follow from haul
ing down the flag and withdrawing
from the Philippines, than there can
possibly result from keeping the nag
where it has been placed, and bravery
and faithfully solving the problem be-
fore u.s. There has never been time
since Dewey sailed into Manila Bay
that we could have left the Phlllp-
pines with honor.
Nor do those others who know
Admiral Dewey believe, as DO
others of US who have studied the Fill
pino, that it would be better to main
tain as large a degree of autonomy as
possible in the islands, and keep out
the hordes of politicians who would
rush in there for POSITIONS; but they
must be guided and directed in such
government. The more autonomy they
are equal to the better, but they must
prove their capacity for all power that
is given them
The F'ilipinos are to-day not fighting
us simply for the sake of independ-
ence, but because they have been ed
ucated by misguided methods, by
hxy
lous and ambitious leaders to believe
that we were worse than the Spanlards,
and that they will suffer intolerable
slavery and unhappiness under our
control. The main reason of the pres
ent warfare is the instruction they have
received that we will not give them
just, fair and honest government
When Mr.. Bryan parades over the
country the fact that we are trying to
force upon the Filipinos a government
to which they do not assent, he forgets
that they have been practically forced
to believe what they do now by set
of native leaders and politicians who
realize that the questionable methods
which they have used were the only
way to make the Filipinos fight the
Americans.
The more one studies all the details
Of the development of the present in
surrection, especially if he has been in
the Philippines, the more he is con-
vinced that the masses of the people
are entirely misguided as to our mo-
tives, purposes, and as to us a people
and a Government. When they knew
the truth, and when the present war
fare is at an end we shall find them
faithful and Industrious people.
FACTS ABOUT THE ISLANDS.
Turning to the material side of the
problem, l would ask you to remember
that my views are based upon the most
extended travel in the islands. Four
years ago, after being shipwrecked in
my endeavor to cross from Hongkong
to the Philippines, I travelled from
Aparri, on the north end of Luzon, to
Zamboagna on the south, in Mindanao.
That you may have some concrete
form in which to remember my impress
sions, 1 will compare Luzon with Nip
pom, the principal island of Japan
have travelled through the latter in the
interior, and am able to reach a rea-
sonable conclusion. In all points ex-
cept in mere area and population, Lu-
zon surpasses Nippon. In all my tray-
els in Asia, in South America, in Eu-
rope and in America, have never seen
such diversity of valleys and uplands,
of rivers, lesser streams and lakes, of
broad plateaus and forested mountains,
of great and staple products, of con-
ditions which bring prosperity and
plenty to the people, and yet which still
show such fields for development, as 1
saw in the Philippine Islands during
my travels.
My observation during my second
visit there. in time of warfare, con-
firmed what 1 had seen in former years.
There is no reason why the foreign
trade of the Philippines should not de-
velop from $33, ,000,0 under depress-
ing Spanish influence, to 100000, 000
or S150,0 100000 within the next fifteen
or twenty years under progressive
American control
In regard to the staple productions
of tobacco, hemp, sugar, copra, rice,
spices, coffee, valuable woods, they
have reached their present figures of
export and manufacture under the
same conditions that prevailed twenty
five or forty years ago. Surely, under
American enterprise they should be
doubled or trebled. Then there are
mineral resources-gold, silver, coal,
iron and signs of copper and tin, while
in the Sulu group we find the best of
pearls, which appeal SO much to the
vain world.
Comparing the possibilities of the
Philippines with what the Brit sh have
done in Burmah and the Straits Set
Elements, with what the Dutch have
done in Java: with what the French
have done in IndoC China, there is valid
reason that we should find the islands
paying investment. The people there
having these great staple products to
sell will be able in turn to buy our
principal exports, such as I enumerat-
ed we could sell to China and other
Asiatic lands.
The Filipinos are inclined to follow
in the ways of foreigners in the matter
of life and dress and habits, as they be-
come educated or as they may develop
general financial resources.