The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1902-12-04
PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.
The Policy Of Holding Them Has
Been Vindicnted

On July last, on the one hundred and
twenty-sixth anniversary of the declara-
tion of our independence, peace and am
nesty were promulgated in the Philip
pine Islands. Some trouble has since
from time to time threatened with
the Mohammedan Moros, but with the
late Linsurrectionary- Filipinos- the-waF
has entirely ceased; Civil government
each Filipino enjoy such rights to life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness as
he has never before known during the
recorded history of the Islands. but the
people taken as whole now enjoy
measure of self-government greater than
that granted to any other orientals by
any foreign power and greater than that
enjoyed by any other orientals under
their own governments, save the Japan
ese alone. We have not gone too far in
granting these rights of liberty and self
government: but we have certainly gone
to the limit that In the interests OF the
Philippine people themselves II was wise
or just to go. To hurry matters, to go
faster than we are now going, would en-
tail calamity on the people Of the Is
lands No policy ever entered into by
the American people has indicated it
self in more signal manner. than the pol
Icy Of holding the Philippines. The tri-
umph Of our arms. above all the tri-
umph of our laws and principles has
expect. Too much. praise cannot be
given to the army for what 1t has done
In the Philippines, both in warfare and
from an administrative standpoint in
preparing the way for civil government;
and similar credit belongs to the civil
authorities for the way in which they
have planted the seeds of self-govern-
ment In the ground thus made ready for
them. The courage, the unfiinchlng en-
durance, the high soldierly efficiency.
and the general kind-heartedness and
humanity of our troops have been strik-
ingly manifested. There now remain only
some 1900 troops in the Islands. All told.
over 10000 have been sent there, OF
course, there have been individual in
stances of wrongdoing among them:
They warred under fearful difficulties OF
climate and surroundings; and under the
strain of the terrible provocations which
they continually receive from their foes
occasional instances of cruel retaliation
occurred Every effort has been made
to prevent such cruelties. and finally
these efforts We been completely sue
cessful Every effort has also been made
to detect and punish the -wrongdoers.
After making all allowance FOR these
mtsdeeds,. remains true that few In
deed have been the instances in which
war has been waged by civilized power
against semi-clvilized and barbarous
forces where there has been SO little
wrongdoing by the victors as in the Phil.
ippine Islands. On the other hand, the
amount of difficult. important, and be.
nefcent work which has been done lie
well-nigh incalculable.
Taking the work of the army and the
civil authorities together, 1t may be ques.
toned whether anywhere else In modern
times the world has seen better exam.
than our people have given In the Phil
ippine Islands. High praise should also
be given those Filipinos, In the aggre-
gate very numerous. who have accepted