Arizona republican., 1903-09-07
Uncle Sam's Good Work.

Gradually it is becoming appreciated that the outcome of the acquisition oi Porto Rico and the Philippine Islands is to result in the bettcrnent of the mora! educational and financial condition of the people who have come under the American flag. From Porto Rico stories arc continually being told of the Amer icanizing of the people there. While every trifling evidence of irritation is magnified for political effect in this country. the sum total of the reports indicates that far better progress has been made than could have been ex- pected.
 1t is a most difficult matter to teach a strange people the ways of this coun- try at short notice, and when it is re- nembered hat the Porte Ricans are entirely different in every respect from what we generally term Americans their disposition to take on new man. ners and customs is encouraging There are no complaints from the in- telligent residents Of Porto Rico and they are Slowly but surely coming to take advantage of the new opportuni- ties presented by the American occu-- panfy
 ,Then in the Philippines, where the conditions are entirely different and far more difficult to handle, marked progress has been made under the skill full direction of Judge Taft and his as sociates. Naturally we may expect to hear of troubles occasionally with the natives, just as we hear of troubles right here in the United States. Edu- cation and physical progress are mak- ing for better things in the Philippines, and we do not fanny that any citizen of this country-no matter how bitter an anti-imperialist he may be-would willingly have the people of the Philip pines thrown back into the darkness of the days of Spanish rule. There is a steady increase in revenue receipts in the Philippines, and this is indicative of a growing trade with the islands, which is bound to make for the wealth of the people.
 Aside from this commercial view of the possession of the islands the moral \ and physical betrerment of the people is warrant enough for the statement that there was no mistake made when the United States insisted that it's au- thority must be recognized. Several weeks ago the New York Tribune made this pertinent reference to this matter of international interest:
 Wherever Americans have free and unchecked control, down goes the death rate. It was reduced extensively in Porto Rico and in Cuba It is going down in the Philippines. Uncle Sam abhors filth, decay, shiftlessness and pestiience. When he takes hold any where he enlists the services Of inde- fatigable doctors and sanitarians. adopts improved systems of sewerag ge and drainage, and performs wonders. ''
 Notwithstanding the shrieks and la mentatiCns heard in some quarters re- specting the slaughter of the F'ilipinos with no possible thought of or for the American soldiers who went to their death while performing their duty-the
 
 not be lost sight of. If death and pes tilence and filth and idleness are to be driven out, the world at large is to be bettered by the American occupancy of the places it set about to improve The American people are new at the business Of looking after colonies-so- called, pechaps-but they have long since made ma nifest their ability and their sincerity through the application of the laws of health, the use of scien- tiffc Knowledge, by the introduction of schools, by the building of good high ways and railroads, and by the eXer- ton of every possible means to make .tte;r new charges happier and better The progress of the world has not beer set back any as a result of the brief var of 1928.
 The urafters of Colombia.