The Oskaloosa herald., 1902-08-28
ALASKA COUNTY. IOWA. THURSDAY AUGUST - 1902.

United States army, regulars and volun-
teers alike. In q succession Of campaigns,
carried on In unknown tropic jungles
| against an elusive and treacherous foe
vastly outnumbering them. under the most
adverse conditions Of climate. weather and
| country. our troops completely broke the
power OF the insurgents. smashed their
armies and harried the brokenrobberband
into submission. In its latter stages. the
war against our rule sank into mere brig
andage; and what our troops had to DO
was to hunt down the parties Of ladrones
II was not a task which 1t was humanity
possible to accomplish in a month or
year. but month by month, year by year,
with unwearied and patient resolution, our
army in the Philippines did the task which
II Yound ready to hand until the last vestige
Of organized Instruction was stamped
out.
''1 do not refer to the Moros with whom
we have exercised the utmost forbearance,
but who may force US to chastise them II
they persist in attacking our troops.
Among the Filipnos proper. however,
peace has come. Doubtless here and there
sporadic outbreaks of brigandage will oc-
cur from time to time. but organized war;
fare against the American flag has ceased
and there Is no reason to apprehend Its re-
currence. Our army in the Islands have
been reduced until 1t Is not a fourth of
what 1t was at the time when the outbreak
was at its height.
Civil Rule Established.
Step by step as the army conquered, the
rule Of the military was supplanted by the
rule of the civil authorities-the soldier
was succeeded by the civilian magistrate.
Theutmost care has been exercised In choos-
ing the best type of Americans for the high
civil positions, and the actual work Of ad-
ministratton has been done so far as pos
sible by native Filipino officials serving
under these Americans. The success Of the
No. L.. u. 49,
country had more upright or an ADLER
body of public representatives than Gov.
Taft. Vice Gov. Wright and their associates
Ind subordinates in the Philippine islands.
II is very difficult matter practically to
apply the principles of an orderly. free gov
eminent to an oriental people struggling
upwards out OF barbarism and subsection.
II Is task requiring infinite firmness, pa
tience. tact, broad mlndedness. All these
qualities and the countless other necessary
have been found in the civil and military
officials who have been sent over to adj
minister the Islands
Amnesty Declared
"It was, of course, inevitable that
there should be occasional failures; but
1t Is astonishing how few these have
been. Here and there the civil govern
ment which had been established in a
given district had to be temporarily
withdrawn because of some outbreaks;
but at last, on the July 4th that has Just
passed-on the one hundred and twenty
sixth anniversary of our Independence
II was possible at the same time to de-
clare amnesty throughout the islands
and definitely to establish civil rule over
all Of them excepting the country Of the
Mohammedan Moros, where the condi-
tons were wholly different. Each in
habitant of the Philippines Is now guar
anteed his civil and religious rights, his
rights to life, personal liberty and the
pursuit of happiness, subject only to not
Infringing on the rights of others. 1t is
worth noting that already the Philip
pine people have received a greater
share of self-government, that they have
more to say as to how they shall be gov
srned, than is the case with any people
In the orient which is under European
rule.
Helps Our own PeopIe.
Nor should 1t be forgotten that. while
we have thus acted in the interest of the
ISLANDERS themselves, we have also
helped our own people. Our interests are
as great in the Pacific as In the At
lantic- The welfare of California, Ore
gon and Washington is as vital to the
nation as the welfare of New England,
New York and the south Atlantic states.
The awakening of the orient means vent
much to all. the nations of Christendom
commercially no less than politically
and 1t would be shortsighted statesman
ship on our part to refuse to take the
necessary steps for securing a proper
share to our people of this commercial
future. The possession of the Philip
pines has helped u.s. as the securing of
the open door in China has helped US.
Already the government has taken the
necessary steps to provide for the lay
Ing Of Pacific cable under conditions
which safeguard absolutely the interests
Of the American public. Our commerce
with the east Is gowing rapidly. Events
have abundantly justified, alike from the
moral and material standpoint, all that
We have done in the far east as q sequel
70 our war with SPAIN"