The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1904-02-24
WELFARE OF THE NATIVES DISCUSSED BY GOVERNOR TAFT
THEY YEARN FOR LIBERTY AND FREE GOVERNMENT.

their welfare? 1t is my sincere BELIEF
that when America shall have dis
charged her duty toward the Philip
pines, shall have reduced the tariff and
made the commercial bonds between
the two countries close and profit Civ
ing to both, the Filipinos will love the
association with the mother country
and will be the last to desire a sever
ance of those ties.
There are many Americans in these
islands, possibly a majority, and this
includes all the American press, who
are strongly opposed to the doctrine
of "the Philippines for the Filipinos. "
They have no patience with the policy
of attraction, no patience with at
tempts to conciliate the Filipino peo-
pie. no patience with the Introduction
into the government as rapidly as their
fitness justifies Of the prominent Fill
pinos. The resent everything in the
government that is not American.
They insist that there is a necessity
for a firm government here rather than
a popular one and that the welfare Of
DE regarded as paramount. 1t is pos
sible to trace the history Of the forma-
ton of these views.
The first Americans to land in these
islands were the army and navy, to-
gether with those venturesOme bust
ness spirits that thrive best in times of
trouble and excitement, when the OPP
portunities for making money sudden
ly for those upon the spot are good.
The history of the relations Of our
'rmy and navy with the insurgents,
the hostile spirit with which the denial
of the insurgents of the right to loot
the city of Manila was received by
them, the sneers and contempt nth
which they visited the American troops
before the outbreak of February, 1900,
and the subsequent warfare, attended,
as it was, especially in the guerrilla
part of it, with anbuscades, treachery
and cruelty, all tended to create bit
terness of feeling on the part of the
soldiers toward their Filipino oppo-
nents that could not but be shared in
| by the Americans who were in the is
! lands at that time. 1t was only natu-
raj, therefore, that every defect, every
weakness, of the Filipino character
should be dilated upon by the Amer1-
can soldiers and by those who accom-
panied them. The Anglo-SaXon is not
noted for his courtesy; he is not noted
| for his consideration for races which
| he considers inferior to his. Counting
| upon the secret enmity of every Fill
| pino that he met, it is not surprising
that he should treat the Filipino ac-
/ cordingly.
With respect to the possibility of OBJ
tanning satisfactory labor from the Fill
pinos l have only to say this-that ex-
| periments have shown that those who
| have gone about the matter systemat-
| icaIly and have attempted to find ont
what the native needs to keep him con-
| slant in his attendance upon work have
! been successful, so that, wages consid-
cred, his work has been fairly salts
| factory. But it is very certain that be
fore satisfactory labor can be obtained
| from him he must be under the control
| Of master who understands him.
know the disposition of most Ameri-
cans here is to open the doors and let
in the Chinese so that we may have
! Chinese cheap labor in the islands, but
1 am emphatically opposed to the gen.
! eraI policy of admitting the Chinese,
first, because the Filipinos have the
! strongest opinion that it will be for
their detriment, and, second. because
believe the history of the Straits Set
| Elements shows that it will not be for
their prosperity as distinguished from
the material prosperity of the islands
I am opposed to admitting any Chinese
! labor until it shall be made TO appear
that the great works of construction
which are essential in the islands can
not be carried on satisfactorily with