Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-12-05

and difficult path that leads TO self gov
eminent. We hope to make our admin
istration of the islands honorable to our
nation by making 1t of the highest benefit
to the Filir:nos themselves, and as an
earnest of what we intend to do we point
TO what we have done. Already greater
measure of material prosperity and of
governmental honesty and efficiency has
been attained in the Philippines than ever
before in their history.
/ Treatment of FiIipinos.
! 1t is no light task for a nation to
achieve the temperamental qualities with
out which the institutions of free govern
ment are but empty mockery. Our peo-
pie are now successfully governing them
selves because for more than a thousand
years they have been slowly fitting them
selves. sometimes consciously, sometimes
unconscously, toward this end. What
has taken us thirty generations to achieve
we cannot expect to see another race ac-
/ complish out of hand, especially when
large portions of that race start very far
! behind the point which our ancestors had
reached even thirty generations ago. In
| dealing with the Philippine people VIC
must show both patience and strength,
forbearance and steadfast resolution. Gun
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 after the
fashion of the really free nations.
History may safely be challenged to
show single. instance in which MASTER
full race such as ours. having been forced
| by the exgencies of war to take possess
sion of an alien land, has behaved to It's
| inhabitants with the disinterested zeal for
their progress that our people have shown
| in the Philippines. To leave the islands at
this time would mean that they would
| fall into weller of murderous anarchy.
Such desertion Of duty on our part
would be crime against humanity The
| character of Governor Taft and of his as
sociates and subordinates is proof, if
such be needed. of the sincerity of our
| effort to give the islanders a constantly
| increasing measure of self government
exactly as fast as they show themselves
| fit to exercise 1t. Since the civil govern
ment was established not an appointment
has been made in the islands with any
reference to considerations of political in
| f1uence or to aught else save the fitness
of the man and the needs of the service.
| Policy of Local Self Government.
In our anxiety for the welfare and
progress of the Philippines 1t may be that
here and there we have gone too rapidly
in giving them local self government 1t
Is on this side that our error, II any,
has been committed. No competent OBJ
server sincerely DESTROYS of finding out
the facts and influenced only by a de-
| sire for the welfare of the natives can
assert that we have not 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 ex-
| tremely anxious that the natives shall
show the power of governing themselves.
4 iroff for t1,afr
next because 1t relieves us of great bur-
den. There need not be the slightest fear
of our not continuing to give them all the
liberty for which they are fit.
The only fear Is lest in our overanxiety
We give them a degree of Independence
for which they are unfit thereby inviting
reaction and disaster. AS fast as there Is
any reasonable hope that in a given dis
trict the people can govern themselves
self government has been given In that
district. There is not a locality fitted for
self government which has not received
it. But it may well be that in certain
cases 1t will have to be withdrawn be-
| cause the Inhabitants show themselves
unit to exercise 1t. Such instances have
already occurred In other words. there
is not the slightest chance Of our failing
to show sufficiently humanitarian spirit.
The danger comes In the opposite direc-
| ton
There are still troubles ahead in the is
lands. The insurrection has become an
affair of local banditti and marauders,
who deserve no higher regard than the
brigands of portions of the old world.
| Encouragement. direct or indirect, to
these insurrectos stands on the same foot
| ing as encouragement to hostile Indians
in the days when we still had Indian
| wars Exactly as our aim is to give to
the Indian who remains peaceful the
fullest and amplest consideration, but to
have it understood that we will show no
weakness If he goes on the warpath, SO
we must make it evident. unless we are
false to our OWN traditions and to the de-
mands of civilization and humanity that
while we Will do everything In our power
for the Filipino who is peaceful we Will
take the sternest measures with the Fill
Pine who follows the path of the insurrec-
to and the ladrone.
The heartiest praise is due to large
numbers of the natives of the islands fol
their steadfast loyalty. The Macabebe.
have been conspicuous for their courage
and devotion to the flag. / Recommend
that the secretary of war be empowered
to take some systematic action in ths
way of aiding those of these men who
are crippled in the service and the fami-
lies Of those who are killed.
Philippine Legislation.
The time has come when there should
be additional Legislation for the Philip-
pines. Nothing better can be done for the
islands than to introduce Industrial enter
prises. Nothing would benefit them SO
much as throwing them open to indus
trial development. Tho connection be-
tween idleness and mischief is proverbial
and the opportunity to do remunerative
work Is one Of the surest preventives of
war. OF course no business man will go
into the Philippines unless it is to his in
terest to do SO. and 1t Is immensely to the
interest of the islands that he should 20
in 1t is therefore necessary that the
congress should pass laws by which the
resources of the islands can be developed,
80 that franchises Gor limited terms OF
years. can be granted to companies doing
business in them and every encourage
ment be given to the incoming of business
men of every kind.
Not to permit this is to do wrong to
the Philippines The franchises must be
granted and the business permitted only.
under regulations which will guarantees
the Islands against any kind OF improper
exploitation. But the vast natural wealth
of the islands must be developed and the
capital willing to develop 1t must be given
the opportunity. The field must be thrown
open to individual enterprise, which haa
been the real factor I'm the development of
every region over which our, flag has
It