The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-10

TO run the government / do not expect
nor desire any government except one
founded on and directed by America. Oh,
yes. to such extent as the ballot may be
per class. can control l employ 100 men
now-in good times, more. All these would
vote as / say.
An educator of Cebu. who has lived
among the Filipinos for twenty-five years.
and one of the ablest men L ever met. said.
For general health and for all human
conditions L consider this climate unex-
celled in the world. When / left Europe
twenty-five years ago and came here my
health was wrecked. Here am never Ill.
The resources OF these islands are simply
marvellous. Think of the agricultural rich
ness of Negros, Think OF the mineral
wealth of Cebu, For forty miles this chain
OF mountains back OF US is one continuous
coal mine. The coal is excellent IL Is far
better than the Japan coal And there are
very rich copper deposits over yonder-no-
body ever worked them yet. There is gold
here, too. Here l will make you a present
of this gold-dust-it was scooped up from
one of our streams here. II proves the
existence OF very heavy deposits at the
point from which these fragments We're
washed down. In another island there are
very rich gold deposits. Let me present you
with this nugget. LII was picked up just
you IL. / have seen nuggets from
there as large as your thumb-pure, solid
gold. Why are they not worked? oh, We
have been so far out of the world, you
know-the world has forgotten us. And
then the strange apathy Of the Spanish
government and people But that Is all
good luck for you. These people are not
capable of self-government. That ought
to be apparent to any thoughtful person.
They are strangely childish. They do not
themselves understand clearly what they
are fighting for. Independence TO the COM
mon people means anarchy, or rather, So
cialism. To the upper classes, IL means
rule and dominion; If the ballot were
placed in the hands Of the people they
would vote their leaders said. Ii would
be well TO make English the language OF
all the islands-but dear me- what fear
full time you will have teaching it. Why,
my dead friend. we have been teaching
them Spanish for 300 years-working hard,
too, and yet they speak IL very badly even
now. They are not bright-really. they are
stupid. They resemble very much the Carl
bou. They learn with great difficulty. Come
into the islands with practical common
sense. not enthusiastically. theoretically or
experimentally. The islands can be made
a great blessing to you, and you to them,
and they also can be made a great curse
A STRONG GOVERNMENT NEEDED.
A gentleman living in Sulu and who has
spent his entire .lfe in various tropical
countries said: "The resources of these
islands are not even guessed This land
We stand on grows cocoa, sugar, rice. cof-
fee. and hemp and all OF the finest quality.
AS to the health, the conditions are per-
feet. 1 am thoroughly acquainted with
Asiatic and Pacific tropics. and consider
this climate the ideal climate OF them all
L hope you are not contemplating such a
thing as. self-government for the archipel-
ago. 1t would be a hideous mistake.
They are utterly incapable OF participating
in government. Maybe in some places mu-
nicipal government might, TO a limited ex-
tent, be put in the hands of the more
competent natives, but, even then, / fear
1t would work badly. But government or
the archipelago by natives would mean
continuous civil war. want you people 10
succeed, but you will ANONYMOUSLY and
frightfully fail If you put up a weak
a half-hearted government here. i have
spent my life here, in Borneo Java, Straits
Settlements and other such places. and I
know this people thoroughly. You have
glorious opportunity here and you must
not ruin it."
fair sample of a great number of others,
ali of which ! am willing to submit TO the
Senate at any time, by reading a few sug-
gestions made to me by the first states
man of the far East, who has had practi-
cal experience with similar problems. In
the course of several long interviews he
said: You must establish government
over the islands because ii Is intellectually
to your interest In the future and because,
If you do not, another power will undoubt-
eddy take them, involving the world in a
war for which you will be responsible. As
to the form of government. you should
have governor general of great ability.
firmness and purity; under him, subofficers
OF districts and under them. still lower Of
ficials for the municipalities, all appointed
by their superiors and not chosen by the
people. You should employ the ablest ma
tives in the government service IN some
way so as to enlist them on your side. The
courts are the most important considera-
ton of all. Don't put the natives in
charge of them, whatever else you do. In
the armed forces, don't give any native
superior positions for long time. Don't
do too much for them I'm the beginning
Do IL gradually. as the years go by. I
think your course is clear Don't treat with
them until you defeat them. You must do
that. You cannot treat and fight. Make
English the language of the courts. schools
and everything else. Let me impress on
you the necessity OF comforting your bene-
fits on them quite gradually. III you give
them too much. they cannot appreciate nor
understand, nor rightly use IL, and IL will
thus be thrown away: but If you give them
the blessing of free institutions gradually.
you furnish q source of constant gratitude.
In the other way, you exhaust yourself at
the beginning, and besides fail I'm your good