The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-12-04
DISCUSSES PROBLEM OF DEALING
WITH OUR INSULAR POSSESSIONS

IN Hawaii our aim must be to keep
the territory on the traditional Amer
lean lines. We do not wish region
of large estates titled by cheap labor;
/ we wish a healthy American COM
munity of men who themselves till the
farms they own. All our legislation for
the islands should be shaped with this
end in view; the well-being of the aver
age hOme-makeT must afford the true
test of the healthy development of the
islands. The land policy should, as
nearly as possible, be modelled on our
homestead system.
1t is pleasure to say that it is
| hardly more necessary to report as to
Porto Rico than as to any state or
territory within our continental limits.
/ The island is thriving as never before.
and it is being administered efficiently
and honestly It's people are now en-
joying liberty and order under the pro-
lection of the United States, and upon
this fact we congratulate them and
ourselves. Their material welfare must
De- as carefully ard jealousy consid-
cred as the welfare Of any other pOr-
ton Of our country. We have given
them the great gift Of free access for
their products to the markets of the
United States. 1 ask the attention Of
the congress to the need Of legislation
concerning the public lands of Porto
Rico.
Cuba to Be Her Own Mistress
= In Cuba such progress has been y
= made toward putting the indie y
= pendent government of the island =
= upon a firm footing that before the =
= present session of the congress =
= closes this viii be an accom-
: plished fact Cuba will then start =
2 as her own mistress; and to the =
= beautiful Queen of the Antilles. =
= as she unfoids this new page of =
+ her destiny, we extend our heart =
= lest greetings and good wishes =
Elsewhere ] have discussed the ques-
ton of reciprocity. In the case of
Cuba, however, there are weighty reas-
ons Of morality and of national inter-
est why the policy should be neId to
have q peculiar application, and
most earnestly ask your attention to
the wisdom. indeed to the vital need,
of providing for a substantial reduc-
ton in the tariff duties on Cuban i'm
ports into the United States. Cuba
has in her constitution affirmed what
we desired. that she should stand, in
international matters, in closer and
more friendly relations with US than
with any other power, and we are
bound by every consideration of honor
and expedieney to pass commercial
measures in the interest Of her mate
rial well-being
Affairs in the Philippines.
In the Philippines our problem is
larger. They are very rich tropical
fV11a Ftrr
tribes, representing widely different
stages of progress toward civilization.
Our earnest effort is to help these peo-
Die upward along the stony and diff
ficult path that leads to self govern
ment. We hope to make our admins
tratiOn of the Islands honorable to our
nation by making it Of the highest
benefit to the FilipinOs themselves; and
as an earnest of what we intend to
do, we point to what we have done.
Already a greater measure of material
prosperity and Of governmental hon
esty and efficiency has been attained
in the Philippines than ever before in
their history
1t is no light task for nation to
achieve the temperamental qualities
without which the institutions of free
government are but an empty mock
cry Our people are now successfully
governing themselves. because for
mere than thousand years they have
been slowly fitting themselves, some
times consciously, sometimes uncOn-
sciously toward this end. What has
taken us thirty generations to achieve,
We cannot expect to see another race
accomplish out of hand, especially
when large portions of that race start
very far behind the point which our
ancestors had reached even thirty gen
erations ago.
II dealing with the Philippine PEG
pie we must show both patience and
strength, forbearance and steadfast
resolution. Our aim is high. We do
not desire to do for the islanders
merely what has elsewhere been done
for tropic peoples by even the best
foreign governments. 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 af-
ter the fashion of the really free ma
tiOns.
Our Interest in the Filipinos.
History may safely be challenged to
show a single instance in which a
masterful race such as ours, having
been forced by the exigencies of war
ID take possession of an alien land, has
behaved to its inhabitants with the dis
interested zeal for their progress that
our people have shown in the Philip
pines. To leave the islands at this
time would mean that they would fall
into welter Of murderous anarchy.
such desertiOn of duty on our part
would be crime against humanity.
The character of Governor Taft and
of his associates and subordinates is a
proof, if such be needed, of the SINGER
ity of our effort to give the islands a
constantly increasing measure of self
government, exactly as fast as they
show themselves fit to exercise it. Since
the civil government was established
not an appointment has been made in
the islands with any reference to con-
siderations of political influence, or to
aught else save the fitness of the
man and the needs Of the service
In our anxiety for the welfare =
= and progress Of the Philippines. 4
= 1t may be that here and there =
= we have gone too rapidly in Civ =
= ing them local self government. y
= It is on this side that our error. =
= if any, has been committed. No =
= competent observer sincerely de- =
sirous Of finding out the facts =
and influenced only by a desire =
2 for the welfare OF the natives, =
= can assert shat we have not ,
y gone far enough. We have gone =
to the very verge Of safety in =
= fastening the process. To have =
? taken a single step farther or =
= faster in advance would have >
been folly and weakness, and =
= might well have been crime =
= We are extremely anxious that ,
y the natives shall show the pow ,
= er Of governing Themselves We 4