The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-03-20


by permssion)
UR DUTY to the Flipinos Is the most in.
portant now confronting the people and
government OF our beloved republic.
| ~ IL we are TO discover what we ought
| TO do, it il essential to discern what we ought
| to avoid. The straight and narrow path steers
| clear OF sins OF omission on the one side and
| sins OF commission on the other Aud we shall
| be able TO thread our course with the more GER
tanty IL we note the seductive but forbidden
| prospects which it passes and leaves behind.
mean that what 1t is our duty to do TO and fer
the Filipinos will become clearer IL we consider
what our own moral sense and Christian con-
| seriousness tells us IL would be wrong TO do to
| and for the Filipnos.
| First, then, IL Is wrong to think Of the Philip
| pines or their inhabitants as the property or
| possession OF us Americans
IL Is true that we have lawful sovereignty over
them; but sovereignty means responsibility for
govornnent--for peace, order, and international
| behavior. Sovereignty over a country does not
signify property right in it. England has sov.
crcignty over Canada; but England does not own
foot Of land in the Dominion, nor has she any
| right over the person property OF any Cana
dians. The country In its entirety is owned by
private individuals or IL Is held by the Cana.
dian government for the public in general.
In the same way the rice.felds, the sugar es
tates, the tobacco plantations, the hemp FARMS
OF the Philippine Islands the property Of in
dividual Filipnos; and the unoccuDiod areas,
though now controlled by the United States, are
held in trust for the people of the Philippine
Islands; and when central government is es-
tablished there, this trust will undoubtedly de-
vove upon 1t, as the control OF the public lands
within their own borders has been devolved by
congress upon the several states Of Our Union.
All the natural resources Of the Philippines
lands, minerals, forests. fish, etc--belong thus to
tla ,Ialtl n,,r
so far it affects these, is simply responsible
ity for administering trust on behalf OF the
people until the people are organized polite.
ally that they may undertake it for themselves.
Consequently any exploitation OF the Philip.
pines by the United States would be the grossest
violation of trust; il would be the robbery of
an orphan ward by executors, an Outrage on
humanity, and sin against high heaven.
Yet, strange to say, there are Americans who
point to the Philippines gold, coal, hemp, lum-
Der, tobacco, and lands means of enrichng
the United States or its otizens OF course you
may go there, and buy these things, and develop
trade and make money; but so may Spanilrd,
a German, or an Englishman; and the result does
not in any way depend upon America sovereign
ty over the Philippines. Yet, undoubtedly, the
American lingo would American sovereignty
over the archipelago to exploit the Filipinos for
his own selfish ends. This. il permitted, would
be the objectionable sin Of America against the
Filipinos.
Secondly. 1t is certainly folly, and perhaps it
should be called crime, to attempt TO Ameri-
canize the Filipinos.
The Americans mainly of the Anglo.SaNon
stock, and our institutions are principally
OF English origin; but though we admire our
institutions and find them we'll adapted to cur
needs, and though we think highly Of ourselves.
more highly than of any other people, it is only
Ignorance OF history or lack OF foreign travel
that prevents seeing that every other people
have the same boundless conceit OF themselves
and the same cOmplacent satisfaction Of race and
nationality probably as ancient the moral sem
timents, and they not less fundamental. The
unread or untraveled American may dream that
it is our mission to make Americans of the Fill
pnos. Others betters informed know that is
as impossible it would be demoralizing.
Robert Louis Stevenson lived many years in
the south Pacific, and in the year OF his death
QS9D he wrote from his Samoan home golden
letter of advice on this subject to prospective
missionary. who had beer a friend of his own
in England. Here is the summary and the cl-
max Of that advice: Remember that all you
can do is to civilize the man in the line of his
own civilization, such as it is.''
And this is as true of the political as Of the
moral and religious aspect Of civilization. Our
political institutions are the expression and en-
bodiment Of character and ideals OF All English.
pinos are Malayans, and not Anglo.SaXons or
Teutons, it is certain that the political or.
ganiztion in which We live and move and have
our being will not be adapted to them any bet
ter than il is adapted to the Indians, half breeds
and Spaniards OF Genital and South America
who have not been induced TO copy or appropr-
ate it. 1t is no part of our duty, therefore, TO
force the Fiipnos into this Procruses bed OF
our own making
Enpll NIL hns rinI tb1t IN
what is the result? Here is what Goodwin Smith,
the ablest of living English historians, declares:
Il confess | am not sanguine as TO the train
ing OF nation for selfgovermnent by another.
Experience does not point that way. There is no
saying what might he the result il Boston were
to migrate TO the Philippines and take the
political nursing i'll hand, though even then
there would be the barriers Of race, language and
religion. But the nursing fathers will probably
be of very different class. We have done prob
ably as much as is possible in India; but with
regard the main object, that of Europcanizing
the lIndoo British empire in India far is a
failure.
''You must begin, at all events, by completely
seyering Your tutelary government in the Phillip
pines from the political influences and parties OF
tine United States"
We are, then, to respect the Filpinos as an
other race, with other national characteristics,
and with other ideals and sentiments, which,
though often unlike ours, are for them quite as
good, true, beautiful, and essential ours are
for us.
The rights Of humanity in them are nviolate;
they were implanted in them by the same Cral-
tor; and, ii they demand freedom and indcpend-
ence for the expansion and unfolding OF thcr
own nature and capacity, it is only what we de-
mand for ourselves Any former impeachment 10
the free development OF the political lie OF the
Filipinos is, soon as they are sufficiently Or
ganized TO walk alone unwalranted; and in
their eyes it is equally tyranny, whether It
comes from Spain or whether it comes from
the United States
Here, then, the light begins to illumine the
patti Of duty Do YOU ask, What is our duty
to the Filipinos? l answer, our duty to the
Filipinos is TO help them 10 help themselves, to
aid them TO develop their own powers withodt
undermining them to enable them to get on
their own feet and gradually stand alone and
unaided
This is what ! found in 1890 that nearly all
educated and propertied Fipnos wanted, They
did not regard Auguinaldo or his so,cllled
Philippine republic the representative OF the
philippine people But they never lost sight
Of the fact that there was Philippine people,
who had country OF their own. and who
wanted some day to control their own destines |
Only, as the islands had been for three cen
turies under Spanish dominion, all selfgoyern |
meut had been destroyed and they wanted the
United States to stay in the archipelago long
enough TO organize the inhabitants politically |
and get them well started in career of self |
government. That done, they wished sovereign |
and independent republic OF their own.
The one allembTacing duty which Americans |
owe the Filipmos Is TO give them all the home |
rule they desire, and independence as soon as
they want il and are fit 10 exercise it as well |
as the average republic of Central South Amer.
lea. OF course this final step pre.supposes the |