The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-05-03

our citizens should develop their in
dustr1es. The further fact that 1t is
our duty to e that the development
takes place under conditions so care
fully guarded that no wrong NAV
come to the islanders, must not blind
us to the first great fact, which is
the need of the development.
No greater stride towards securing
prosperity for the island folk can be
taken than to make the conditions
such as to invite business enterprise.
But in our wi interest and for the
sake of OUR own honor we must steadi-
~ insist upon n point. Our public
men, the representatives of our nation.
whether in civil or in military life,
whether in congress. in the colonial
service or in the army or navy, must
understand that their relations to-
wards the islanders are those of trus-
tees and that no trustee is allowed to
make any gain because of his rela-
tions with his ward. It is to the adj
vantage both of America and, or the
islands to have any merchant or bust
ness man start and develop a legiti-
mate business enterprise of any kind
n the islands but no public man should
have any share in such a business,
and public opinion should not tolerate
for a moment such action among ii
public men. AS for the ~offenses that
are at times bound to occur in con
nection with the public service in the
islands, we should on the one hand
see to it that the most prompt and
severe punishment Is visited upon the
Offenders; and in the next place we
should remember that it is simply
silly to treat such an offense as in any
way a condemnation Of our policy. It
is exactly as in private life. 1t is
mighty necessary to punish with sever
ity any defaultlng bank cashier; but
to treat such a defalcation as a reason
for abandoning our banking system
would be prepOsterous. In organizing
the new governments it is impossible
to prevent an occasional unworthy
man from being put in some position
OF trust which he may abuse. Prob
ably the best way to prevent it is to
give as much power as possible to
men like General Wood and Judge
Taft-men whose appointment by the
president has put all Americans who
are. jealous of their country's repu-
tation deeply in his debt. All that
can be done IN addition is both by law
and by the force of public opinion to
visit with crushing severity any such
offense when it occurs. 1t is an in
famous thing for a nan to be guilty
of dishonesty here in our own cOun-
try; but it is doubly and trebly infa-
nous when he is guilty of dishonesty
in connection with the public service
in Cuba or the Philippines or Porto
Rico. In the first case, he sins against
individuals; in the next case he not
only sins against individuals, but he
blackens the good name of the entire
nation. In every man who serves our,
government, from the top to the bot
tom, in military or in civil life, in
those distant islands, we have a right
to demand the highest standards, the
most unblemished record of public
conduct and woe to us if we lower
this standard; if we relax our Just
and jealous severity!
Now, in conclusion let me ask you
to judge the future by the past. Look
back over the last three years and
see what WI have done. Think how
infinitely better off Cuba and the Phil
ippines are, because OF the policy
Upon which this republic has acted.
Mankind is, our debtor for what we
have done, and the doing of it has
raised our national character to a
higher standard than ever before. We
have made mistakes, of course; let us
profit by them and avoid them here
after but at home an abroad let us
continue on the course we have
marked out. We talk much, and on
the whole we talk truly, of the future
greatness of our people. Let us see
to it that our deeds make good our
words, that we take advantage of our
manifold opportunities, and do with
out flinching our manifold duties. We
are not to be excused if we fail to
do all that is required of a great ma
ton, standing as one of the great
powers of the earth; and least Of all
are we to be excused II we fail to keep
in mind the principles uAat underlie
all real greatness-the principles of
justice and of mercy-of courage and
of honesty, that go to make up a ma
tional record of clean living and true
manliness.
1T is with a good deal of pleasure