The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1904-12-06

people, or TO speak more accurately, the
many tribes and even races, sundered
from one another more or less sharply,
who go to make up the people of the
Philippine Islands, contain many ele-
mentS of good and some elements which
we have right to hope stand for prog
ress. At present they are utterly incapa-
BILE of existing in independence at all or
OF building up a civilization of their own
! firmly believe that we can help them to
rise higher and higher In the scale OF CIV
ilization and of capacity for self govern
ment and / most earnestly hope that In
the end they will be able to stand, II not
entirely alone, yet In some such relation
to the United States as Cuba now stands.
This end is not yet In sight, and It may be;
Indefinitely postponed If our people are
foolish enough to turn the attention OF
the Filipinos away from the problems of
achieving moral and material prosperity;
Of working for stable, orderly and just,
government and toward foolish and dan.
gerous intrigues for complete independ-
ence for which they are as yet totally un-,
ft
On the other hand, our people must
keep steadily before their minds the fact
that the justification for our stay in the
Philippines must ultimately rest chiefly
upon the good we are able to do In the
Islands. do not overlook the fact that
in the development of our interests In the
Pacific ocean and along its coasts the
Philippines have played and, will play an
important part and that our interests
have been served in more than one way
by the possession of the islands. But our
chief reason for continuing to- hold. them
must be that we ought in good faith to
try to do our share of the worlds work,
and this particular piece of work has
been imposed upon US by the results Of
the war with Spain. The problem pre-
Ntc~r, fN1 4o., TrlA lrE
akin to but not exactly like the problernsl
presented to the other great civilized pow
ers which have possessions in the orient.
There are points of resemblance In our
work to the work which is being done
! by the British in India and Egypt. by: the.
! French in Algiers, by the Dutch in Java,
by the Russians in Turkestan, by the
Japanese In Formosa, but more distinctly
than any of these powers we are endeavrst7
oring to develop the natives themselves
80 that they shall take an ever increa sing
share In their own government and as ,
| far as is prudent we are already adj
hitting their representatives to a gov
ernmental equality with our own. There
are commissioners, judges and governors!
in the islands who are Filipinos and twhof
| have exactly the same share in the gov
eminent of the islands as have their COL
| leagues who are Americans, while in the
lower ranks of course the great ma ority
Of the public servants are Filipinos.
| Within two years we shall be trying the
| experiment of an elective lower house In
! the Philippine legislature 1t may be that Z
the Filipinos will misuse this legislature,
and they certainly will misuse 1T II they
| are misled by foolish persons here at
| home into starting agitation for their
| own independence Or into any factious Or
improper action. In such case they will
| do themselves no good and will stop for
| the time being all further effort to adj
vance them and give them greater
/ share in their own government. But If
! they act with wisdom and self restraint,
i II they show that they are capable a0fe
| electing a legislature which In Its turn Is,
| capable of taking a sane and efficient part
| in the actual work Of government, they
! can rest assured that a full and increas-.
| ing measure of recognition will be given
! them. Above all, they should remember
| that their prime needs are moral and I'M
| dustrial, not political. 1t is good thing
/ to try the experiment of giving them a.
/ legislature, but it is far better thing to
! give them schools, good roads, railroads
| which will enable them to get their prod
| ucts to market, honest courts, an honest
| and efficient constabulary and. all that,
] tends to produce order, peace, fair, deal
i ing as between man and man and habits
| Of intelligent industry and thrift. IL they
! are safeguarded against oppression and;
| If their real wants., material and spiritual,
i are studied inteligently and in spirit
! Of friendly sympathy much more good
| will be done them than by any effort stos
1 give them political power. though this
| effort may in it's own proper time and
/ place be proper enough.
! Meanwhile our own people should re-
/ member that there is need for the highest
1 standard OF conduct among the Americans
sent to the Philippine Islands, not only,
| among the public servants but among the
/ private individuals who go to them It
1t because L feel this SO deeply that ia
i the administration of these islands have
i positively refused to permit any discrfm--
| ination whatsoever for political reasons
and have insisted that In choosing the
4 public servants consideration should be
| paid solely to the worth of the men
/ chosen and to the needs Of the islands.
There is no higher body ofamen ein QUE
public service than we have in the Philip
pine Islands under Governor Wright and
his associates. So far as possible these
men should be given free hand, and
their suggestions should receive the
hearty backing both Of the executive and
/ of the congress. There is need Of a vigil.
liant and disinterested support 3 Of tourr
/ public servants in the Philippines by good
citizens here in the United States Un-,
4 fortunately hitherto those of our people(
i here at home who have specially claimed
to be the champions Of the Filipinos haveI
i in reality been their worst enemies. ThisI
will continue to be the case as long asl
i they strive to make the Fiipinos inde-I
pendent and stop all Industrial develop-I
ment of the islands by crying out against
i the laws which would bring 1t on the;
ground that capitalists must not s"ex-
plot" the islands. Such proceedingsiaare
not only unwise, but are most harmful
to the Filipinos, who do not need In
dependence at ALL but who do need good
i laws, good public servants and the indus-
trial development that can only come IL
the investment Of American and foreign
capital in the islands is favored In all
legitimate ways. g ~, g
Every measure taken concerning the Is
lands should be taken primarily with q
1 view to their advantage. We should cer-l
tainly give them lower tariff rates on!
their exports to the United States. II
this is not done it will be a wrong to ex-
tend our shipping laws to them. I ear
nestly hope for the immediate enactment
into law of the legislation now pending
to encourage American capital to seek In
vestment in the islands in railroads.. In
J. factories, in plantations and in numbering
and mining. ts .oss.aE
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
II The White House. Dec. s, 1904. ~
!, Minnesota Il International