The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1903-01-31
THE PHILIPPINE SITUATION.
Fears of the An<t-Imperialists Have
Proven to He Altogether
Groundless.

A year or two ago one of the fore
most arguments OF the less irrational
"anti-in:perialists" against the gov
ernment's Philippine policy was that
the acquisition and retention of those
islands Sas certain to result in an
orgy Of spoils. The Philippines would
be subjected to ''carpetbag" govern
ment of the most corrupt kind. The
American officers sent thither would
be self-seeking politicians, appointed
to reward them-or to enable them to
reward themselves-for partisan serv-
ices, and the islands would be exploited
anu looted for private gain. Such a
state of affairs would inevitably react
upon our domestic administration.
The civil service here would be demon
Afized, and our corrupt despotism in the
Philippines would lead straight to des-
potic corruption in the United States.
If any one ventured to suggest that
Great Britain had had just the oppo-
site experience, finding in high grade
of colonial administration the leaven
which leavened the whole rfamp of her
domestic civil service, he was sup
pressed with the austere rebuke that
it was presumptuous for mere Ameri'
cans to hope to do what their British
cousins had done.
Well, the experiment has been made,
and the results are beginning to be rec
ognized, says the New York Times.
Even our contemporaries" friends had
generally to admit that the members
of the governing commission in the
Philippines were well chosen and were
free from the relroach of "carpetbag'
ging." But, persisted the truly inter
rifed, of course, they are mere re-
spectacle figureheads; the rank and
file of the service under them will sure
ly be scalawags. 1t was conceded, too,
that the president and the commissions
ers set up high ideal of public serv-
ice in the islands. But, then, said the
noble corporal's guard of critics, that
is mere idea, which willnever be real
lied, and which simply adds gross
hyposcrisy to our other crimes and
vices. Yet now what is the verdict OF
the best qualified judges upon the actu-
al outcome? We may find it in the re-
port of the committee on civil service
ia the dependencies. which was made
last week to the annual convention of
the national civil service reform
league. We quote from it:
I'm the Philippines, under the au-
spices of friendly administration,
the system has been thoroughly estab-
lished, and is now in most satisfac-
tory working order. The fact
that President Roosevelt, in dealing
with the appointments in the Philip
pines, has been guided by the principles
of action laid down in his first annual
message. That not an Office should be
filed with any regard to the mans
partisan utilization or service, witt any
regard to the political, social or PER-
sonal influence which he may have at
his command has made directly and
forcibly for the creation of a favorable
public opinion. The presi-
dents consistent following of the prin-
ciples of civil service reform in the in
sular appointments has done more
than volumes of literature for the real,
healthy, substantial establishment of
the merit system in cur dependencies"
That, then, is the result of the ex-
pertinent. The administration has full
filled its pledges and realized it's ideal.
Every foreboding of the opposition has
come to naught. According to the ex-
pert testimony of the civil service re-
formers themselves the civil service in
the Philippines has been established
upon the merit system. There is no
"scalawag government" no carpet
bag rule" The offices are not filed
with party henchmen." The islands
are not being exploited and spoliated
for corrupt personal gain. On the con-
trary, high and enlightened system
of administration has been firmly es-
tablished in those islands, such a sys-
tenn as civil service rcformers have long
desired to have in the United States.
There is, then, just one detail of the
"anti-imperialists' prophecy that re-
mains to be disposed of, and, unlike all
the rest, it may be fulfilled. That is,
that the sort of civil service we give the
Philippines will react upon the United
States and affect our own domestic
service. 1t may, indeed, do so, and we
know of no friend Of tie merit system
who will object to its doing so. In the
Philippines, we are told, the merit sys-
TEN "has been thoroughly established
and Is now in a most satisfactory work.
ing order" We have no idea that it
will be abandoned, and we have no idea
that the people of this country will be
satisfied with a domestic service less
perfect than that which they have Civ
on IN their outlyinO deDendencies