The Minneapolis journal., 1902-08-23
The Isthmian Canal,

The Isthmian Canal.
Speaking Of the isthmian canal, the
president said the principal problem was
to get men who, though able to control
much greater salaries than the nation is
able to pay, nevertheless possess the pa
tr1ot1sm and the healthy ambition which
will make them willing to put their tall
ents at the governments service
Work In the, Orient.
The Spanish war itself was an easy task,
but 1t left us certain other tasks which were
much more difficult. One of these tasks was
that of dealing with the Philippines. -
The easy thing to do-the thing which ap-
pealed not only to lazy and selfish men, but
to very. many good men whose thought did
not drive them down to the root Of things
was to leave the islands. Had we done this,
a period Of wild chaos would have super
vened, and then some stronger power would
have stepped in any seized. the islands and
have taken; UP the Mask which we in case
would have ainched. from, performing.
A less easy but infinitely moro absurd couse
would have been to leave the islands ourselves
and at the same time to assert that we would
not permit any one else to interfere with
them: This particular course would have
combined all the possible Disadvantages of
every other course which was advocated. It
would have placed us in a ,humiliating posi-
ton. because when the actual test came, it
would have been quite out of the question for
u.s. after some striking deed Of savagery
had occurred in the islands, to stand by and
prevent the re-entry Of civilization into them
while the mere fact Of our having threatened
thus to guarantee the local tyrants and
wrong against outside interferences by
ourselves or others, would have put pre-
MUM upon every species Of tyranny and an
archy within the islands.
Finally there was the course which VIC
adopted-not an easy course, one fraught with
danger and difficulty. We made up our minds
to stay IN the islands-to put down violence
to establish peace and order-and then to in.
troduce just and wise civil rule, accom-.
panied by measure of self-governmen
which should increase as rapidly as the
islanders showed themselves fit for It, Well
it was certainly formidable task; but think
of the marvelously successful way in which
1t has been accomplished
The first and vitality important feat wa!
the establishment of the supremacy of thu
American flag, and this had to be done BY
the effort OF those gallant fellow American.
OF ours to whom so great debt is due-tht
officers and enlisted men Of the United States
army regulars and volunteers alike.
In a succession Of campaigns, carried on II
unknown tropical jungles against an elusiv,
and treacherous foe vastly outnunaberint
them, under the most adverse conditions o
climate, weather and country, our troop
| completely broke the power Of the insurgents
| smashed their armies and harried the broker
| robber bands into submission. In its latte
| stages the war against our rule sank int,
mere brigandage, and what our troops ha
to do was to hunt down the parties of la
| drones. It was not task which 1T was hu
manly possible to accomplish in a month o
year; but, month by month, year by year
J with unwearied and patient resolution, ou
| ha fha ely !, ,{of,3
| found ready to hand, until the last vestige o
| organized insurrection was stamped out
! Step by step las the army conquered, th
| rule OF the military was supplanted by tn
rule OF the civil authorites-the soldier wa
succeeded by the civilian magistrate. The ut
| most care has been exercised in choosing tn
| best type of Americans for the high civi
| positions, and the actual work Of admins
tration has been done 50 far as possible b
native Filipino officials, serving under thes
Americans. The success Of the effort ha
been wonderful Never has this country ha
a more upright or ADLER body Of public rep
resentatives than Governor Taft, Vice Gov
ernor Wright and their associates and sui
ordinates in the Philippine islands It
very difficult practically to apply the primo
pies of an orderly free government to a
oriental people struggling upward out
barbarism and subsection. - -.
It Is a task requiring infinite flrnaness,' pa
tience,> tact, broad -mindedness. All thes
J., qualities and countless others necessary hav
been found in the civil officials who hay
been sent over to administer the islands.
was, Of course, inevitable that there shoul
be occasional failures; but, 1t is astonisl
ing how few there have been. =. = .l.;sst. -
Each inhabitant of the Philippines is no
guaranteed his civil and religious rights, b
right to life, personal liberty and the pursu
Of happiness, subject only to not infringin
on the rights OF others. 4 It is worth ilotfa
that already the Philippine people have re
| ceived greater share Of self -goyernmen
that they have more to- say as to how the
| shall be governed, than is the case with: an
people in the, orient which is under Europea
rule - -. = =
i Nor rs this all Congress has, with ia,
seeing wisdom heartily supported all ths
has been done by the executive. Wise Law
Tor the government Of the Philippine island
have been placed upon the statute books an
under those laws provision is made for I'll
Introduction into the Philippines of repre-
sentative government with only the delay al
solutely necessary to allow for the estat
lishment Of definite peace for the takin
OF = census and the settling down Of Il