Evening star., 1901-12-10

are decadent and degenerate, corrupted to
the point Of ready subserviency to the usur
per, whose empire is pictured as arising
upon the wreck of republican principles and
institutions.
No previous acquisitions in territory by
the United States have ever been treated
so considerably or so rapidly advanced
along the path of American development
as our recent anneXations of Hawaii and
Porto Rico, and the policy pursued in re-
spect to them gives pleasing promise to
the Philippines of their own legislative fu-
ture. Hawaii endured no preliminary pc
riod of military occupation like that of
California, Louisiana, Florida and New
Mexico, and that of Alaska for seventeen
years; and after brief probation in the
appurtenant stage it was organized
territory. Porto Rico, after a very short
period of military occupation, was by the
first legislation of Congress concerning II
pushed almost to the point of Incorporation
and to the very border of organized terri
torial government The combined effects
of the Foraker act and the inSular tariff
decisions of the Supreme Court have caused
Porto Rico to enjoy, first, the local expen-
diture of every cent of money collected In
duties on exports of Porto Rican products
to the United States; second, a refunding
by the United States to the Porto Rican
exporters Of duties paid prior to the pass
age of the Foraker act, a large sum of
money already turned over to Porto Rico
and expended irrecoverably within the
island for the benefit of its people; and,
tnlrQ, 1ree trade at the present time with
the United States, without the burden of
extension to the island of uniform internal
revenue taxes to which the states of the
Union are subject. Thus Porto Rico gains
at every turn. She ate her cake and has
1t, too.
Benefits for the Appurtenant FiIipfnos
The Philippines in active revolt We're ia
vored with substantially the same legisla-
tion authorizing the President to admins
far hair of oil l1-l hot of
first provided for Louisiana, which ac-
quiesced peacefully in annexation. To be
sure, complaint is made mot, however, by
the Filipinos) that President Roosevelt is
authorized to inject Americanism into the
oppressive laws and despotic and corrupt
system of administration which Spain i'm
posed upon the people, and against which
they revolted; while President Jefferson had
no authority, it is asserted, to modify for
the relief and benefit Of Louisiana the SIM
liar monarchicai system to which it's people
were subjected. 1t may well be doubted
whether a greater hardship upon the Fill
pinos is involved in the continuous exercise
by the President of the United States dur
ing the temporary civil administration of
some of the discretionary and modifying
powers which he possessed as commander
in-chief during the military occupation
than in his becoming dixie Jefferson) the
unreasoning and mechanical instrument of
enforcing literally the will of the King of
Spain. As result of this modern despot-
ism, even now before the scattered bands
OF insurgents have laid down their arms
American brains, conscience and energy are
developing an admirable civil government
and the beginnings Of progressive self-goy-
ernment in the Philippines
The blessings OF unequal taxation have
been showered upon the Moros in the shape
OF a discontinuance of industrial and other
internal taxes and a suspension of
certain import duties which give them
In effect free trade. Exhaustive study
(Which should eliminate Immediately in
unquestionably valid enactment through
the prompt approval of Congress) has
been bestowed upon the preparation of
a Philippines tariff (widely differing from
the Dfngley law). which went into effect
November fifteenth and which in rais-
Ing necessary revenue and protecting in
sular industries is as delicateiy balanced
to meet and promote local conditions as the
Mckinley or Dingley tariff in it's relations
to the Industries of the United States
Transports that conveyed to the United
States from the Philippines soldiers no
longer needed, have recently carried re-
turn cargoes of school teachers. The Fill
pino Is protected in the field of labor op-
portunittes against the destructive compe-
tition OF the Chinese. The native is to en-
Joy easy access to the land of the archipei-
ago-even to the extensive areas owned or
claimed by the monastic orders-which
through ad5udications as to title in the
Philippines Supreme Court and through
public purchase of valid ecclesiastical hold
ings, are to be opened up as public lands
IN small allotments to those who win live
upon and cultivate them. The difacult