The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-01-17

capitol there are some men with a uni
versity education and practical expert
ence of affairs fully able to be entrusted
with governmental duties But their
number is relativ ely small, and the great
masses are absolutely incapable Of self
government. The religions are many and
our authorities will experience great diff
Guilty in dealing with the adherents Of
some cults. One Mohammedan sect,
which has conserved the tradition of the
medieval assasSjnS and which considers
murder of nOn-belieVers an essential Of
its religion, may have to be exterminat-
ed. One of the Roman Catholic leaders
in this country has already protested
against the sending of Protestant mis-
SlOnaries to interfere with the eVangei-
i2atiOn in process in some of the islands,
and his words have been echoed by u
member of the Young Mems Christian
association, who has Just been in Porto
Rico. Our ideas of entire religious toll
Grafton make the task exceedingly diff
cult, since religion and politics will I'M
doubtedly be associated in the hearts or
many.
Finally, in the Zulu islands slavery IS
firmly established. By the thirteenth
amendment to our constitution slavery
cannot exist in any territory subject TO
the jurisdiction Of the United States. Yet
the ideas and traditions of a non-civil-
lied race cannot be changed in a year
or a generation. 1t is possible only to
mention one other serious problem con-
fronting us-that Is. the presence If
many Chinese laborers, who seem essen
tial to the prosperity of the Philippines.
But it IS important to remember that in
accordance with the Interpretation Of
the constitution by the supreme court,
congress and the president have full
power to establish any form of govern
ment they may consider wise. The only
restraint upon their freedom Of action is
that slavery cannot be allowed to eX-
list.
Porto Rico. however, and Hawaii as
well, having come into our actual pos
session, are awaiting congressional ao-
ton which shall determine their status
in our bond of union. Shall they be re-
ceived as territories, looking to eventual
tatehood-Hawaii, with its $4,000 non
Aryan population out of a total Of 109-
600; Porto Rico, with its Spanish-negroid
elements, so ignorant and perhaps so I'M
appreciative of our national ideals? Or
shall we sketch the outline Of a colonial
empire like the British, with outlying
SemI-autOnOmOuS members, living under
the protection Of the American republic
and enjoying the privilege Of unfettered
commercial intercourse ana the uniRl-
peded transmission of capital? In this
manner We should establish system IN
der with the Philippines, once freed from
the necessity of military dominion, might
be included or even at some future day
a wiser Cuba, weary of political expert
ment If the twentieth century Is des-
tined to mean for us an epOch Of eXter-
nal development we shall have provided
a system to meet its territorial response
blilt1eS without endangering the germ
ana nucleus Of our national life by the
admission of elements doubtful. IL not
impossible. Of assimilation
At present, to the minds Of many the
future seems to be overcast with clouds
Many dread to face the new problms
which have just been outlined. It is well
not to be too sanguine and Hght-hearted.
it is well to realize that we are confront
ed with task which viii tax all our
manhood and courage. But the consider
alton Of our past history of our sue
cesses in absorbing the enormous terri
tories and assinilating alien peoples by
the hundreds Of thousands may well en-
courage and nerve us to the bercuIean
labors. The infant colonies which at the
beginning of this century formed so small
and seemingly insignificant a portion Of
the world have now developed into a vast
nation, unsurpassed in strength and re-
sources by any power in the world
Copyright. 1900