The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1902-12-19
i, OUR PHILIPPINE PROBLEM.

c roInnhann's new hnnt on the
Mastery of the Pacific has chapter on
the American attempt. in the Far East,
to carry a part of the white mans bur
don. which will be read with keen in
terest both in Great Britain and Ameri-
a. The author insists, as we are glad
to see. that mo such problem has ever
presented itself to Great Britain or any
sther coionizing power as that which
eonfronts the United States In the
Philippines" He points out that the
essential requirement is to fit the Fill
Dino character for the administration
Of American democracy. This involves
either the regeneration of race. or
the forced adaptation of a political sys-
tenn to absolutely repugnant conditions.
A. studied by MIR. Colquhoun. the Fill
nino lacks certain civic essentials with
out which a state cannot stand. Thus.
he has no public spirit in the wide
sense The peasant will follow a
pppsonal leader, but not from
patriotism. Brave and reckless when
Hroperly led, bright and hospitable in
hi. private relations he lacks the spirit
that Yields together people into
homogeneousness. Individually and
collectively his characteristic is "un-
trustworthiness added to the power of
deceiving the most vigilant." He is a
half-civilized, clever, irresponsible child,
who has warped ideas of right and
wrong: he is never honest, as we count
that virtue, never truthful, and never
Industrious or persevering." The Ma
lay is the LATEST of Orientals, and the
Filipino is not the least lazy OF Malays.
Mr.. Foreman, the highest authority, de-
clares: The best of the natives neither
appreciate, are grateful for, nor seem
to understand a spontaneous gift
Mr. Colquhoun does not concede his
distrust of efforts ito thrust the re-
suits of centuries of struggle and prog
ress las found in Americal ready-made
upon the half-hedged Filipino" IF the
little brown brother were altogether
simple and amenable, the danger would
be less though still considerable" IF
unnatuyally stimulated, he may grow
up into a Frankensten." He frankly
insists that the introduction of modern
education to overcome at one stroke for
the next generation the evil tendencies
of the Filipino, half hereditary and half
following misgovernment, Will be futile
because beautiful as is the theory, at
involves an entire subversion of the
laws of nature" for the education
which creates character cannot be
crammed in a few years" He foresees
there will be let loose "a mass of half
educated, conceited natives who
will turn their attention to promulga-
ton of sedition or equally undesirable
practices" and cites India in illustra-
ton. He by no means deprecates edu-
cation but looks with favor upon eff
forts in that direction, provided too
much reliance Is not placed upon it.;
and he urges, as a sine Qua non, that
the civil service should be pure, firm,
and intelligent from top to bottom. In
asmuch as a system of quasi-indepen-
dence, which he does not approve, has
been instituted, his final advice. as one
who has seen a good deal of govern
nent, in Oriental countries, is to in
terfere as little as possible with the
customs, prejudices, and religion of the
Filipinos, and to keep a tight hold"
That America may relnquish the ISL
ands does not seem to occur to him as
possible.
The gist of the advice is not to try
and make Americans of the Filipinos,
who ARE not built that way" but to
let them remain Filipinos under the
strong hand of American sovereignty.
This means. of course, the colonial sys-
TEN and although that is somewhat ad-
verse to our national traditions it is
better than to vitiate our Anglo-SaXon
life currents with a vast infusion of
Aalaysan blood. We have all the mix
lures now that we can stand.
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