The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-09-12

the present time, and a special need
of praise belongs to those officials re-
ssponsiblee for the Philippines and Porto
!Rlco, where the administrations have
been models of their kind. Of course,
wrong has occasionally occurred, but it
has been relentlessly stamped out. We
have known no party in dealing with
offenders, and have hunted down with
out mercy every wrongdoer in the SER
vice OF the nation whom it was posi-
pie BY the utmost vigilance to detect;
trust and the private Individual who
tdebauches him stand as the worst of
criminals, because their crimes are
crimes against the entire, community,
and not only against this generation but
against the generations that are vet
Philippine Policy.
Our opponents promise independence
TO the philippine islands. Here again
we are confronted by the fact that their
among themselves, their proved inabil-
!ty to create constructive policy when
IN power, and their readiness, for the
sake OF mon entary political expediency,
to abandon the principles upon which
they have insisted as essential, conspire
to puzzle us as to whether they do or
f 10 not nr 1n6Hnd good faith to carry out
Of the government. In. their platform
they declare for independence, apparent
ly-for their language is little OBJ
scure-without qualification as to time,
and indeed q qualification as to time
Is an absurdity, for we have neither
right nor power to bind our successors
when it is impossible to foretel the
conditions which may confront them;
while IT there is any principle involved
in the matter, it is lust as wrong to
deny independence for few years as to
deny it for an indefinite period. But
IN later and equally official utterances
by our opponents the term self-govern-
ment was substituted for independence;
the. words used being SO. chosen that in
their natural construction they de-
scribed precisely the policy now being
carried on. The language Of the plat
form indicated radical change of pol
icy; the latter utterances indicated a
continuance of the present policy. But
this caused trouble in their own ranks;
utterance, the self government promise
was recanted, and independence at some
future time was promised in its place.
| They have occupied three entirely diff
ferent positions within fifty days. Which
Is the promise they really intend to keep
They do not know their own minds; and
| no one can tell how long they would keep
" euS SatHS bIiliQS SHOuIQ lnSy 0y any
| chance come to working agreement
among themselves. II such ambiguity af-
feeted only the American people 1t would
/ not so greatly matter; for the American
/ people can take care Of themselves. But
the Flilplnos are In no such condition.
Confidence is with them, plant Of slow
! growth. They have been taught to trust
the word of this government because this
government has promised nothing which
it did not perform. If promised indepen-
! denee they will expect lndependence; not
] In the remote future, for their descen-
/ dants, but Immediately, for themselves.
I! II the promise thus made Is not ImmedI.
ateIy fulfilled they Will regard 1t as brok-
en-, and will not again trust to American
faith; and It would be indeed a wicked
thing to deceive them In such fashion.
| Moreover, even if the promise were
made to take effect only in the dis.
tant future, the Filipinos would be
thrown into confusion thereby. Instead
OF, continuing to endeavor to fit them
ment in the present, they would aban
don all effort at progress and begir
factional intrigues for future power.
10 promise to give them independ
e en- e,, whe en- 1T IS .prpdent' to do 50
and that it would be imprudent to give
flt to them now. But as we must our
become, fit ~ and, when it would b.
prudent to keep such a promise j,
IT were made, it necessarily follow
that to make such a promise now would
, amount to deception upon the Fill
pinos.
It may well be that our opponents
have no real intention of putting theil
promise into effect. If this is the case
if, in other words, they are insincere
in the promise they make, it is only
necessary to say again that it is un
thing to deal with anything. The mere
consciousness of broken faith woult
hamper them in continuing our policy
J in the islands; and only by continuing
unchanged this policy can the honor Of
the country be maintained, or the inter
ests Of the islands subserved. If, or
! power and attempted to carry out thei1
promises to the sFihpinos by giving
: them independence, and withdrawing
American control from the islands, thu
result would be a frightful calamity tt
the Filipinos themselves, and in it
larger aspect would amount to an in
low; and the most violent anarchi
forces would be directed partly agains
the civil government, partly agains
all forms Of religious and educationa
civilization. Bloody conflicts woul,
inevitably ensue in the archipelago, an,
| just as Inevitably the islands woul,
become the prey, Of the first powe
which, in it's own selfish interest, tool
: up the task we had cravenly aban
=, doned.
scuttle Policy.
e OF course the practical difficulty i
$ adopting any such course of action
: such fpolicy of scuttle, as Presiden
II Mckinley called it-would be foun
S well nigh insuperable. If it is morall
:. indefensible to hold the archipelago a
d a whole under our tutelage in the inter
: est of its own people, then it is moral
indefensible. to hold any part of it. I
$ such case what right have we to keep
f coaling station? What right to kee
t control over the Moro peoples9 Wha
). right to protect the Igorrotes from thei
' oppressors9 What right to protect tn
: faw-abiding, friends Of America in tn
b islands from treachery, robbery an
+ murder? Yet, to abandon the island
n completely, without even retaining
i coaling station, would mean to abando
e the position in the competition for til
e trade Of the orient which we have a,
n CURED during the last six. years; an
n what is far more important, it woul
t have become the wards of the nation
Q would amount to releasing these Moro
) to prey upon the Christian Filipino
4 civilized or semicivilized, ed as well &
Y upon the commerce, oftifother people
e The Moros are in large part still in tt
n c%o Oa ~ o,11tura tho ooorno soy