Arizona republican., 1902-11-04
Harpine on the Philippines


 By what seems to be a concerted movement some democratic orators have broken out afresh on the subject of the Philippine islands and their oc- cupancy by the United States. This latter day revival of a question that has lost its flavor, and is practically settled, would indicate that the demo- cratic hosts have run short of cam paign material It was in New York City, on Monday night, that Adlai Stevenson shouted in this fashion:
 "The past cannot be undone, and We must recognize existing conditions. The future purpose of our government toward these islands should be at once declared. There should be no further vacillation of the party in power. As soon as practicable, consistent with the maintenance of order, our troops should be withdrawn from these islands and their people left to the protection of a government to be fashioned by their own hands,"
 This is especially interesting in view of the known fact that the policy of the national administration has ever been that the Philippine problem of elf-gOvernment, or something akin to that, was to remain an open matter un- til other details were disposed of. The first thing to do was to restore order on the islands and to educate the peo- pie; to help them recover their lost ground and to put them in the way of taking up their business; to improve the roads and build school houses; to do everything necessary in order to bet ter the condition of the people physi- cally, morally and intellectually. This work is now well under way, and 4 has received the endorsment of Aguin- aldo himself. As a matter of fact the progress being made in the islands has opened the way for an order to reduce the regular army to it's minimum strength. In the meantime the islands are forging ahead along all the lines laid out by the United States, and a month or so ago Judge Taft made a speech in Manila, in the course of which he said:
 "The purpose of the American gov ernment in coming here and remaining here is to retain these islands in the possession of the American government for an indefinite time, with the view to the education of the Filipino people to a state of self government which shall put them in the condition where they may be safely trusted to say whether they wish to be independent whether they wish to become a state like that of Australia, or Canada, un- der the English. when, after their asso- citations with the United States, they will be able to say whether they wish to give up the value of that association or not.
 ''I think it will be an indefinite as sociation. As I have said before, the time within which these people can be prepared for f-government will be one generation, or it may me two gen eratiOns-just how long we cannot say at this time"
 Here we have MT. Stevenson's views outlined as clearly as he did it himself. and before he spoke. When the time comes, and when conditions will war rant, the people of the Philippine Isl- ands will be given an opportunity to try their hand at government But that time has not been reached just yet. notwithstanding the remarkable and encouraging progress made by the rep resentatives of the United States on the spot.