Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1902-12-11
PEACE IN THE PHILIPPINES.
Rights of Liberty aud Government
Reach Limit of Advisability.

Reach Limit of Advisnbtltty.
On July last, on the 126th anniversary
of the Declaration of Independence, peace
and amnesty were promulgated In the
Philippine Islands. Some trouble has since
from time to time threatened with the
Mohammedan Moros, but with the late In
surrrctonnry Filiplnos the war has entirely
ceased Civil government has now been
introduced. Not only does each Filipino
enjoy such rights to life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness as he has never before
known during the recorded history or the
islands, but the people taken rs whole
now enjoy measure OF SELF government
greater than that granted to any other
Oriental by any foreign power and greater
than that enjoyed by any other Orlenlals
under their own governments save me
Japanese 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 Philip.
pine people themselves 1t was wise OF Just
we are now going, would entail calamity on
the people of the Islands No policy ever
entered into by, the American people has
than the policy of holding the Philippines.
The triumph of our arms. above all the
triumph of our laws and the principles, has
come sooner than we had any right to ex-
poet. Too much praise cannot be given to
the army for what II has done In the Phliip-
pines both In warfare and from an nd-
ministratlve 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.government In the ground thus made
ready for them. The courage. the nnnnch'
ing endurance. the high soldierly efficiency,
and the general kind heartedness and hui.
mainly OF our troops have been strikingly
manifested. There now remain only some
1900 troops In the Islands. All told. oyer
100000 have been sent there
Constructive 81 resmanship.
Taking the work of the army and the
civil authorities together, II may be ques-
taaa Fl..Npaa A10n n m m
times the world has seen better example
OF real constructive stntesmanshlp than our
people have given In the Philippine Islands.
High praise should also be given those
Fiilpinos, In the aggregate very numerous,
who have accepted the new conditions and
Joined with our representatives to work
with hearty good Will for the welfare Of
the Islands.
The army has been reduced to the mini
mum allowed by law. II Is very small for
the size Of the nation. and most certainly
should be kept Mt the highest point OF eff
ficlency. The senior officers are given scant
chance under ordinary conditions to exer-
else commands commensurate with their
rank. under circumstances which would at
them to do their duty In time of actual
war. system of maneuvering our army
In bodies Of some little size has been be
gun and should be steadily continued.
The measures providing for the reor-
ganizatlon OF the militia system and for
securing the highest efficiency In the ma
tional guard, which has already passed the
TeCelNt dttcutiOu anu
action.
Naval Maneuvers and The r Object.
For the first time In our history naval
maneuyers on large scale are being held
under the Immediate command OF the ad-
miral OF the navy. Constantly increasing
attention Is being paid to the gunnery Of
the navy, but II Is yet far from what 1t
should he. ! earnestly urge that the In
crease asked for by the Secretary of the
Navy In the appropriation for improving
the craftsmanship be granted
There should be no halt In the work of
building up the navy, providing every year
additional fighting craft. We are a very
rich country. vast In extent OF territory
and great In population; a country, more.
over, which has an army dimnutye indeed
when compared with that Of any other drst.
class power. We have deliberately made our
own certain foreign policies which demand
the possession of a first class navy. The
lsthmian Canal will greatly increase the ef
hciency of our navy II the navy IL OF suf
hcient size: but IL we have an inadequate
navy, then the building Of the canal would
he merely giving hostage to any power
| OF superior strength. The Monroe Doctrine
should he treated MS the cardinal feature
Of American foreign policy but 1t would be
worse than idle to assert II unless we In
tended To back II up and II can he backed
up only by thoroughly good navy.
POSTAL REVENUES INCREASE,