The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-11-04
ANOTHER FAILURE.

fOr a lODR tlf1c We idu uopcS Va ooAAA'
We looked on 1t as a brand plucked from
the burning, as a pearl of great price, as
a gem of the ocean and jewel ofthe
sailed seas. 1t was an unknown dot on
the waste Of waters. an unplucked flower
in the garden of the gods. fortunate PIN
nacle of tabled Atlantis. In short, We re-
garded Guam as a peach.
We really believed that all that was re-
quirel to make Guam a new wonder of
the world was for Uncle Sam to take hold
of the island and yank it into the pleas
ant paths of civilization. This was why
we welcomed the appointment of Captain
Leary as Governor. We had read about
him and felt certain there would be some
thing doing when he landed. We were
not mistaken, for he got busy at once.
The Guamites were a primitive people
before our civilization struck them-pri-
mitive in their manners, customs and APP
pearance. The weather there Is 80 mild
that clothing is superfluous. A string OF
beads and a feathered head-dress was con-
sidered full dress, and on ordinary occa-
sions many of them wore nothing but
good humor and innocence. The young
people took no thought of the future, and
a couple of them would go before the
priest or some other authority and get
themselves married without worrying as
tered not if their united wealth was three
chickens and one banana tree, they were
content. They knew that the woods
abounded in fruits and nuts, and that
air and water were free, and what more
could two young people want, except each
other?
This primitive style didn't suit the new
Governor, and ne set about making i'm
provements. He ordered them to wear
clothes-not less than one yard of cloth
for full street dress, at the very least.
He thought marriage a good thing so he
rounded the young people up and had
them married in platoons and companies.
He made many other arbitrary changes,
and it naturally followed that he soon had
everything at six and seven and had to
lay down his hand. In other words. he
passed.
Then Captain Schroeder was sent over,
and he also had mission and a batch of
instructions He was warned not to inter-
fere so violently with social habits and
customs of the natives, but to devote
himself to material improvements in the
conditions Of the island. He, too, failed
to strike pay dirt. There was no public
can official without revenue? He was
told that he could use the customs duties
of the island, but there were none. The
natives had nothing to pay taxes on,
pay any duties. Consequently there was
no revenue, no public fund and nothing
to create one. No appropriation was
provided by Congress, so all public I'M
provements are nil. Guam will have to
file petition in bankruptcy unless some
thing is done soon.
After, all, 1t is our government and
our own people who are to blame. With
INC AAllCHANdh A0Co Va uoAhS thiii6oB bHSy
entirely ignored the fact that they were
dealing with a typically primitive people
following the customs of many genera
lions, with all the inconsequence and
improvidence Of their kind everywhere
To undertake to at once bind such &
people with the bonds and shackles OF
civilization was predestined failure. ant
the only and inevitable result, If persisted
in, is that the natives will disappear, al
| they have always done under similar cir
cumstances. A people who have for cen
turtles existed in an almost absolute state
of nature cannot at once be transformed
into our form of citizenship. Thas ha;
been demonstrated so often since the
American continent was discovered thai
the dullest intellect ought to comprehend
il. but the result in Guam indicates thai
| nothing has been learned by experience
Guam cannot he Americanized in year
or even in one generation. Guam is 6
maiden to he wooed and won gently, MOI
| to be knocked down and shackled