The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-09-12
Are We Wrong?

Foreign observers and critics Of our
Philippine policy continue to assert. with
an air of lofty superiority, that our, adj
ministration of the Philippines is all
wrong and will continue to be so until
we frankly admit that the Filipinos are
politically and economically inferior to
ourselves, not only in fact-regarding
which there Is no doubt--but In capacity
to reach our level in the future. In sub
stance, we are told that we shall never
succeed In the Philippines as the British
have succeeded in their Malayan states
until we make up our minds that the Fill
p1nos are not fitted and never can be
fitted for sef-government. We are asked
as a nation to take about the same posi-
ton the average southern white man
takes toward the negro-that is, that he
be put out of politics and kept out. The
southerner says the negro, as a race, is
not capable of self government, and is in
capable of ever becoming politically eff
ficient. The British say the same Of the
Malays, of which race are the Filipinos
And In British Maylaya, as in the south
ern states, the dark skinned man does
not count politically.
In an interesting article published II,
the current number of the North Ameri-
can Review, Mr., Hugh Clifford, formerly
governor of British North Borneo after
reviewing the English and Dutch systems
In Malaga, can see no hope for successful
American administration in the Philip
pines until to our present policy of admin
istering the islands for the benefit of the
Filipinos we add the rule that they are
to have no part in the administration
themselves. The Dutch rule their Malay
an islands for the benefit of themselves.
The English rule for the benefit Of the
governed-but in both cases the natives
are counted out as political factors
Speaking of American hope that free
institutions, education and example will
make possible in the Philippines what has
not been realized elsewhere in Malaga,
Mr.. Clifford says:
There speaks the hopefulness and the
| energy of the Anglo Saxon, ever ready
and eager to undertake great enterprises,
ever triumphantly confident in the. eff
cheney Of the machinery at his command;
ooI SAAO1S clSO speaks The spirit or the
white man who has not come into con
tact with the grim facts of the Oldest
continent upon earth; the energy which
has no knowledge Of the sheer, dead in
ert1a OF the Malayan peoples; the ignor-
| ance to which no long residence in the
land Of darkness under sun-glare has
brought Its flood Of dreary enlightenment
| Mr.. Clifford may be right; our southern
fellow citizens may be right; but the
white people Of the United States, as q
whole do not believe that the negro, as n
race is incapable of development into
! self government, and the whole spirit OF
our institutions demands that we shall no.
where proceed on this belief of the Brit
on and the southerner until we have ha6
ample opportunity to experiment for our.
selves. On this point we cannot and
will not accept the experience of othe,
| nations. In the meantime it is not Ger.
| tain that we are all wrong in our Phil.
1pplne policy. It is based OH the fac
that the Filipinos are not now capable o.
democratic self government, tho directed
IN the hope that the capacity may be de-
veloped IN them. While we are trying t.
develop 1t we keep a firm hold on thu
reins of power; if it cannot be developed
4 we Will then be no worse off than tn,
! British, and for our efforts to lift tn,
people up may be rewarded with eve,
greater success than they in ruling Ma,
layan peoples for their own good.