New-York tribune., 1900-03-16
SUBJECTS OR CITIzEEss
TERRITORIAL ORGANIZATION AND FREE nm
RECOMMENDED FOR NEW DEPENDENcrEa

TERRITORIAL ORGANIZATION AND FREE nan,
RECOMMENDED FOR NEW pEPESDExc1Ea
To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: The admirable and statesmanIIke adars,...
of Whitelaw Reid and President Schurman 49,
in Boston last week upon the government O. o,,
possessions. were important precursors OF ~.
coming Presidential campaign. But whfla ,,.
OF the ruin that would ensue II we shoul,
admit these illitsrate populations as States in,o
the American Union. they leave unsettled the ONES,
tIon whether we shall organize them as suhiac-,
or as citizens. Both gentlemen agree that We csn
not govern these people successfully as subtsc..
without pure and permanent Civil Service Mr
Reid concluded follows: My last word IA a,
appeal TO stand firm and stand all together for N.
continental union and for pure Civil Service ,o-
the islands" And President Schurman closed bv
saying: 1--WE must nave a permanent Civil Serv,..
In the Philippines. IL must be well paid and thu
best in the country must go there and they
must be animated not by the love OF money al
though they must have good salaries but by davo
tion to the public service. by considerations ,o-
the welfare OF the Filipnos themselves. With such
class OF men going there retained permanently
and promoted in virtue OF merit. have no doubt
whatsoever OF the successful solution OF the prob
lem which has devoved upon us in the Orient"
But unfortunately such Civil Service har,
not never have had and not likely to hav.
He must indeed be optimist. devoid OF pract-
cal observation and experience. who will hope Tor
government
political party In power at Washington. Wltne,,
our shameful treatment of the Indians during "a
century of dishonOr"! We tried this experiment
with the freedmen in 1865. We undertook 70 edr-
cate them politically. with Northern Lead
ers. The result carpet-bag government fol-
lowed by social collapse and nullihcation. Let two
such experiments suffice
We must adopt the second alternative. and max.
these people citizens Not citizens Of the United
States. of tine States. but citizens OF Hawai-
d.
organized self-governing Territories 1t is a
mistake to assume manv do. that organized
Territories inchoate States and eventu-
ally be admitted such. Not so. unless and until
they prove themselves capable and worthy OF such
admission. We admitted California and Oregon
when an American population had peopled the will
derness But We have refused for half a century to
confer Statehood on New-MexicO. because her pop
ulation is Mexican. Yet New-MexicO Is contented
and prosperous under admirable Territorial
system which is exactly adapted TO new pos
sessions. Each Territory has its Governor ap-
pointed by the President. and tnis Governor has
the veto power; il has its courts. with judges ap-
pointed Washington; it has its Legislature.
elected by its Inhabitants. making its own local
laws subject TO Congressional supervision and re-
peal. If needed il has It's Delegate sitting in
National House OF Representatives without vote.
So long il remains Territory it governs ITSELF
but It does not govern in any form whatever.
1t has reciprocal free trade with the States. and
is included in American tariff system. There Is
reason why this benehcent status should not
continue for centuries until these islands shall
become thoroughly American in language, IDEAS
and institutions.
But the essence Of the whole Territorial system
Is its free commercial intercourse with the Cnite4
States inside the American Custom House. This
free interchange of the temperate and tOrrid
will bind possessions to US and 70 each
other I'm friendly and mutually profitable unity.
ma teriaI and moral Commercially We shall Be
one people. Hence. will result benevolent
similaton'' growing out of "a condition. a the
ory." This local self-gOvernment. coupled with
unrestricted commercial Intercourse is the
cardinal point which will differentiate entire
Great Britain holds toward India and Egypt and
the Malayan Peninsula These countries do not
become AngiciZed. They render their cOnquer0r
a reluctant obedience. but II Is based upon fear
If adopt the opposite plan the republican plan.
the American plan of local self f-gOvernment,
shall identify American control with freedom and
self-reSpect, and shall gradually convert these
tic friends and permanent allies.
HENRY r. BLACKWELL.
Dorchester. Mass. March 8. 1890.
I'VE are constrained to believe that Mr. Black
wells prediction Of an inferior Civil Service for
ever is too dismal; that to give the islands re-
Gently brought under our sovereignty the status
of Territories within acknowledged limits
would promote the demoralizng passion OF the
politicians for admitting States. and that
any step involving the premature adoption O.,
free trade with our dependencies would
disable us for the solution Of stupendous prob
lens which We now only dimIy forecast
Ed