Evening star., 1902-02-14
Secretary Long on the Philippines.

"Come" say MIR. Teller and his friends in
the Senate to the party In power. An
ncuncc your policy TO the Filipin1s, and
let it be beneficeat and such as they have
a right 10 expect, and the difficulty is solved.
YuI know what they want and what In
our judgment would be best both for them
and tor the American people. As matters
stand they fear the worst; and while
tEsy are in thirt state of feeling we may
not expect anything but trouble from our
efforts TO establish American sovereignty
throughout the archipelago.
To all Of this the following extract from
Secretary Longs speech delivered in Boston
Wednesday night is a most complete reply:
The question of the independence of
these islands. which will day be sub
stantial and vital question, is today an aca-
demic question. Men may make speeches
for party effect. but there is no party, there
is community in the United States that
for one moment intends TO abandon or
would take the responsibility Of abandon
ing the trust we are now under to give
those islands the pacificatlon, the govern
ment and civilization which we ourselves
enjoy. | doubt if there are many intelli-
gent Filipinos who do not accept this view.
This is the work, not of a day, but of a
generation. Rut when the time comes that
that trust is executed and the ability OF
self-government is assured. then the ques
tion of their political status will be for the
people Of those islands themselves to de-
eide. Whether they will walk alone and in
dependent, or whether they will walk hand
in hand with uS Canada walks with
England. 1hey-whoever thay shall then be
will decide. And as England respects the
wishes of Canada in this regard SO shall we
then respect. and ought to respect, the
wishes of the Philippines.
1.-The wonder is not that 50 little has been
done, but much: that there has been
such an advance In every line of progress;
h1t in three the PhillDninpS have
beer taken out of bondage and anarchic
conditions: that the real Philippine ques-
tions before us today are not questions of
war, but questions of tariff, of trade, or
education of currency-our own home ques-
ttons. and that sending there our
best representatives in every of these
lines ."
Why commit ourselves today to a policy
which might prove as harmful to the Fill
pfnos as to us? We have taken as yet but
a-partial survey of the field We are SIM
ply meeting in the best way possible the
obligations that now confront us We are
doing 1t In spirit which to seems friend-
ly. and it is belief that the results will
Justify our JUDGMENT and sustain our pro-
fessions of good faith. IT. indeed. ten years
Of uncont ested American control shall not
show such improvements make the Fill
pinos glad of our coming shall probably
improvements made have the effect that
W. contemplate. tEen should still be as
free at the end of ten years now
are TO go on with labors.
The proposition that We give notice now
Of an intention to withdraw at a fixed
and an early day is founded upon the as
sertion that we should never have gone
ashore and can Crly do harm by remain
ing. That assertion every man should deny
who is familiar with the circumstances that
took us to the Philippines and who respects
the character and capacity of his country
men There is no more danger of the aver
age American turning robber and tyrant In
the Philippines than here at home. We shall
record failures there, we shall con-
tinue to record them here at home But
as we went in good faith we should re-
main in good faith, and not cumber our
selves with reckless promises to anybody
about future which no man safely may
to.t cast.