The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-12-07

01ANDkAQeD, 0iA1 OnDkA /, DES
measure Of material prosperity anu o,
governmental honesty and efficiency has
been attained in the Philippines than
ever before in their history.
'In dealing with the Philippine peo
pie we must show both patience and
strength, forbearance and steadfast
resolution. Our aim is high. We do noe
desire to do for the islanders merely
what has elsewhere been done for tropic
peoples by even the best of foreign gov
ernments. We hope to do for them
what has never before been done for
any people Of the tropics-to make them
fit for self-government after the fashion
of the really free nations.
"History may safely be challenged to
show single instance in which a mas
terful race such as ours, having been
forced by the eXigencies Of war to take
possession of an alien land, has behaved
to it's inhabitants with the disinteWsted
zeal for their progress that our people
have shown in the Philippines. To leave
the islands at this time would mean that
F., they would fall into weller Of muir
derous anarchy. Such desertion of duty
on our part would be crime against
humanity. The character of Governor
Taft and of his associates and subordi-
mates is proof, if such be needed, of
the sincerity Of our effort to give the
islanders constantly increasing meas
ure Of elf-government, exactly as fast
as they show themselves fit to exercise
it,"
! President Roosevelt thinks that if the
administration has erred at all it is in
giving the Filipinos "a degree of indie,
pendence for which they are unfit. "
There is not locality fitted for self
government which has not received it,
/ he says. He compares them to the In
dians and says that "while we will do
everything in our power for the Filipino
who is peaceful, we will take the stern
est measures with the Filipino who fol-
lows the path of the insurrecto and the
ladrone." He praises the Macabebes for
their courage and devotion to the Amer
! lean flag, and recommends the secretary
of war to look after the Macabebes who
are disabled, and provide for the fami-
lies of those who are killed in our serv-
ice.
1t will be observed that President
Roosevelt finds the Philippine problem
a difficult one to tackle. He realizes the
gravity Of the situation, but he is not
responsible for the perplexity. He
would rather the islands were sub
merged beneath the bottom of the ocean
by some mighty cataclysm than have
them be an elephant on our hands, He
thinks it would be a crime against hui
manity to have us leave the islands at
this time, and prefers to hold on to
them with the view Of giving the inhabi-
tants "all the liberty for which they are
fit" He speaks of degrees of indie
pendence," and of localities which have
received "self-govcrnment," and de-
clares that nothing better can be done
for the islands than to introduce indus
trial enterprises"
1t is evident from the language used
by President Roosevelt that the Philip
pine Islanders will never be more than
colonists. Instead Of being American
citizens they will be American subjects.
They ought not to be either one or the
other They are not fit to become citi-
zens of the American republic, and by
keeping them subjects we trample on
the fundamental principles enunciated
in our own declaration of independence.
They ought to get absolute freedom and
independence, as promised to the Gu
bans, as soon as they are ready for it.
The Filpinos are rs capable of self
government in the fullest sense rs the
Cubans They were fighting Spain at
the time we took up the cause of the
| Cubans, and they We're our allies
against Spain until that country was
whipped
The Macabebes, of whom the presi-
dent speaks so highly are inferior in
every way to the Filipinos. They re,
semble the Indians in cruelty and
treachely. They fight for pay and dis
play more barbarity toward the Chris
tian natives than did the Indians, He's
slams and Tories in the service of Eng
land during the Revolutionary war. The
president threatens dire punishment on
the Filipino who follows the path of
''thc insurrecto and ladrone" George
III. of England threatened destruction
OH American patriots 125 years ago, and
British generals referred to Washing
toms soldiers as ''raggamuffins." Roose-
welt has no key to the solution of the
Philippine problem. What steps con-
grcss may take in bringing order out of
chaos time alone will determine.
ENGLISH ATROCITIES IN IRELAND.
| 1t NAV NOT he generally known IN