The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-04-23
PEEvISH COMPLAINTS.
A Protest Against Unjustihable Crit
icism Of American Rule.

II the dignity that should characterize
the editorial utterances OF a religious jour-
nal would permit 1t. we would like to say
that are tired to the exaggerations, the
unfounded charges, the peevish complaints,
that are being made by various people in
various quarters about the character and
results of American rule in Porto Rico,
Cuba and the Philippines. Although it is
barely fifteen months since these islands
came under the actual administration of
our government, and although in that time
in one whole group our rule has been con-
stantly disputed with gun and bayonet, 1t
would seem that our administrators are to
be accused of corruptness and inefficiency,
and our rule denounced as complete and
disastrous failure because we have not
been able in this brief period and under
such circumstances Ito effect some magic
Transformation in the social, Industrial and
political conditions Of these islands, to
undo the wrongs and remedy the evils
which have been the growth oe centuries
Of Spanish misrule. We are being told now
almost every day in letters and interviews
from prominent citizens here and there.
that the situation in Porto Rico and the
other islands is worse than 1t was during
the Spanish regime. One Porto Rican OBJ
server, whose letter appears in New York
evening journal, much given to the dissem-
ination of such views, declares that unless
something is done to right the wrongs of
Porto Rico very soon there will be a re-
bellion against our government in that
island. Predictions of the same kind are
made about Cuba. A letter is published
from the veteran Cuban General Gomez, In
beloved island, which, he says, was never
darker. More recently than any of these,
appears a very long extract from a Spanish
paper printed in Mexico, in which the
American government Is compared to a
boa-constrictor, "squeezing the life" out of
the people in its possessions. The
wonderful blessings which attended Spanish
domination are dwelt upon at length, our
administration being. In the contrast, al
most too vile for description. Aguinaldo is
quoted as declaring that our rule In the
Philippines is a hundred thousand times
worse" than anything ever experienced un-
der Spain.
1t is not surprising that Spanish paper
should print such stuff this. IT is only
natural that the people whom we ousted
from control in these islands should en-
deavor to make themselves and others
now believe that their rule was sanity
and ours villainous. The surprising thing
is that so many people who pass as intelli-
gent and loyal American citizens should
themselves utter or give currency to such
baseless and puerile statements. Hardly
less surprising is it that so many intelli-
gent native residents of the islands, for
whom our government has labored hard
and sacrificed so much, should be heard
making these childish. untrue and wholly
unfounded assertions
To answer all such complaints 1t is not
necessary to bring up the question of the
Porto Rico tariff bill, the military occu-
pancy of Cuba nor the particular policy
adopted in the Philippines. Faults have
been committed no doubt in some points
of our administration, and possibly some
really grievous mistakes have been made.
Considering our inexperience in the man.
agement of colonial affairs it might natur-
ally be expected that some serious blum
ders would be committed at the outset in
spite of the best wisdom and the utmost
care. This ought to go without saying in
| the mind of any rational and unprejudiced
| person. 1t may be true that commercial
| interests in Porto Rico are suffering great
| ly, that the schools, the courts and the
| jails in Cuba have not been thoroughly
| Americanized yet, that many improve
ments have not been made in the Philip
pines as were promised or expected, but
| what of 1T. Can any sane person find a
| sufficient cause in these things for a
| sweeping assertion that our rule is no bet
| ter, If 1t is not worse, than the one which
lit superseded? In view of the real facts
| such an assertion is the height of alb
surdity.
| 1t is hardly necessary to say that we
have not been able to agree at all points
1
| in its conduct of affairs in these new pos
| sessions. But We have never doubted for
moment that the administration at
Washington was sincere in it's purpose to
| deal justly, wisely and humanely with the
| people of these islands, nor that Ii has
| been successful, on the whole. in carrying
| out its plans and extending many benefits
| TO those who have submitted TO our SOW
| ereignty. In the appointment of such men
| as the late General Henry in Porto Rico
| or the present Governor General Davis at
| the same point, in Generals Ludlow and
| Wood in Cuba and in the commissioners
| who have been sent to the Philippines our
| government has given proof of its inten-
| tons to give these islands the benefit of the
| care and supervision of some of our wisest,
| nobest and most competent men. To de-
clare that the conduct of affairs under
such administrators has been as bad as
| under such men as Weyler and his kind
is to declare what is grossly false and
| llbelous.
| In the short time which has elapsed since
| we assumed control over the territory I'm
| question it has been possible only to make
1 beginning toward better and happier
/ state of things. And in spite of all asser-
| lions to the contrary. We do not doubt that
| fair beginning has been made. Intelli-
| gent and competent observers. such as
| Bishop Potter and the subcommittee OF
| the Senate recently returned from Cuba,
unite in declaring that large and gratifying
control. In the conclusion of their report
| the Senate committee says that "the peo-
| pie of the United States and of Cuba should
alike exercise patience" The same advice
| is applicable TO the situation in Porto Rico
! and the Philippines. Our government will
| carry out its pledges, and everything will
| be done, as far and as rapidly as the linn
| itations of human knowledge and ability
| and of time will permit, to extend to all the
| inhabitants of our new territory the same
| privileges, advantages and opportunities
| which we ourselves have enjoyed II may
| take ten years or II may take twenty-five
| or fifty for all this to be done, but II will
| be done.