The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-01-10


than they. In Paray, I heard murmur-
ings that We were giving Negros an
American constitution. This Is hui
man quality found even In America: and
the f'ilipinos we deal with children. And
so our government must be simple and
strong. Simple and strong; the meaning
of those two words must be written III
every line of Philippine legislation; real
lied In every act of Philippine admins
tration. \ Philippine office In our de-
partmcnt of state; an American COVER
nor-gencral in Manila. with power to
meet daily emergencies; possibly an adj
visory council with no power except that
of discussing measures with the COVER
nor-gcneral which council would be the
germ for future legislatures, II school In
practical government. American lieu
tenant governors in each province, with
like council about him; IL possible an
American resident in each district. and
like council grouped about him; frequent
and unannounccd visits of provincial
governors to the districts Of their prov
incc; periodical reports to the governor
general: an American board of visitation
TO make sem-annual trips to the archi-
pelago without power of suggestion or
Interference to officials or people, but
only to report and recommend to the
Philippine office of our state department.;
a Philippine civil service, with promo
ton for efficiency. the abolition of duties
on exports from the Philippines; the es-
Establishment of import duties on rev.
enue basis. with such discrimination in
favor of American imports as will pre-
vent the cheaper goods Of other nations
from destroying American trade: a COM
plcte reform of local taxation on JUST
ara scientific basis, beginning with the
establishment OF tax on land accord
ing to It's assessed value: the lninting of
abundant money for Philippine and Orr.
entail use: the granting of franchise ana
concessions upon the theory OF developing
the resources of the archipelago. and
therefore not by sale. but upon participa-
ton in the profits of the enterprise: the
formation of system of public schools
of the English language throughout the
islands, teaching II exclusively In the
schools and using it. through interpreters.
exclusively in the courts; u simple code,
and both common to all the islands ex-
cept Sulu. Mindanao and Paluan; Amert-
can Judges for all but smallest offenses:
gradual, slow and careful introduction of
the best Fflipinos into the working ma
chinery of the government, no promise
whatever of the franchise until the people
have been prepared for 1t; all this backed
by the necessary force to execute 1t; THIS
outline of government the situation de-
mands as soon as tranquility Is estab-
lished Until then military government
is advisable.
Protectorate Impracticable.
We cannot adopt the Dutch method
in lava. nor the English method i'm the
Malay states. because both of those sys-
tens rest on and operate through the
existing governments of hereditary prime
es. with Dutch or English residents as
advisers. But in the Philippines there
are no such hereditary rulers, no such
established governments. There Is no
native machinery of administration ex-
ccpt that of the villages. The people
have been deprived of the advantages OF
hereditary native princes, and yet not in.
structed in any form of regular, just and
orderly government. Neither Is IL pro-
t,nfs., to, not tr. 4 ntf tn 4. tf.
leaves the natives to their own methods
more than would our direct administra-
tion of their govcrnment, 1t would per-
nit the very evils which it Is our duty to
prevent. IT. on the other hand. under
/; protect crate. We interfere to prevent
those evils, we govern as much as II we
directly administer the government: but
without system or constructive purpose.
In either alternative we incur all the re-
sponsibility of directly governing them
ourselves, without any of the benefits to
us, to them, or to the archipelago. which
our direct administration of government
throughout the islands would secure.
Kind Of American oficials Neces-
sary.
Even the elemental plan have out
lined will fail in the hands Of any but
ideal administrators. Spain did not ut.
terly fail In devising-many of her plans
were excellent; she failed in administer
ing. Her officials, as a class, were COZ
rupt, lnuolelit. cruel immoral lHey
were selected to please a faction in
Spain, to placate members of the Cortes,
to bribe those whom the government
feared. They were seldom selected for
their fitness. They were the spawn Of
government favor.
The men We send to administer civilized
government In the Philippines must be
themselves the highest examples of our
civilization. L use the word examples,
for examples they must be in that word $
most absolute sense. They must be men
of the world and of affairs. students Of
their felow-men. not theorists nor dream
crs. They must be brave men, physical
ly as well as morally. They must be as
incorruptible as honor. as stainless as pu-
rty. men whom no force can frighten, no
influence coerce, no morcy buy. Such
men come high. even here in America.
But they must be had. Better pure mil
itary occupation for years than govern
ment by any other quality of administra-
ton. Better abandon this priceless pos
session. admit ourselves incompetent to
do our part in the Notwithstanding work
of our imperial race; better now haul
down the flag of arduous deeds for civili-
2aton and run up the flag of reaction and
decay than to apply academic notions of
self-government to these children or at
tempt their government by any but the
most perfect administrators our country
can produce, ] assert that such admin
istrators can be found. There is one in
Cuba now, who, with the words. money
is not everything refused $4,000 a year
as president oil a corporation mat ne
might continue the work of our race IN
the regeneration of Santiago, and thus
announced and typifed the new ideal Of
the republic which pessimists declared
had become sordid and base. And among
our S00oo, 600, We have thousands like him.
Necessity will produce them. Let no
one fear that our party workers Will
seek TO fill these places without regard
to fitness | know well this most ma
ligned and most valuable class of Ameri-
can citizens, the precinct committeeman
and party workers in the country dis
tricts of the republic; and II we truth
outset, these very politicians will insist
most strenuousy of all on the highest
possible qualification in the administra-
tion of our possessions.
Our Administrator Must Be Exam
pies.
I repeat that our government and our
administrators must be examples. You
cannot teach the Filipino BY precept. An
object lesson is the only lesson he conf
prehends. He has no conception of pure,
orderly. equal impartial government, un-
der equal laws Justly administered. be-
cause he has never seen such govern
ment. He must be shown the simplest
results OF good government by actual ex-
ample in order that he may begin to
understand its most elementary princi-
pies.
Such a government will have its effect
upon us here in America, too. Model ad-
ministration there will be an eXampl ,
created by ourselves for model admins.
tration here; and our cwn example Is the
only one Americans ever heed. 1t Is
not true that charity begins at home.
Selishness be gins there; but charity be-
gins abroad and ends In its full glory
in the home. 1t Is rot true that perfect
government must he achieved at home
before administering 1t abroad. its eX-
crcisc abroad is a suggestion, AN exam
pie and "A stimulus for the best govern
ment at home. 1t is as IL we projected
ourselves upon a living screen and beheld
ourselves AT work. England today is