The San Francisco call., 1904-09-12
PLANS
ARE FRAUGHT WITH
FAR-REACHING GOOD

The pensions to the veterans OF the civil
war are demanded by every sentiment or re-
gard and gratitude. The rural free delivery
is Of the greatest use and convenience TO the
farmers. a body OF men who live under con-
ditions which make them ordinarily receive
little direct return for what they pay toward
the support of the Government The irrlga-
tion policy IN the arid and seEni-arid regions
OF the West is one fraught with the nost
benefcent and far-reaching good 10 the actual
settlers, the, hOnaemakers, whose encourage
ment is traditional feature in America.
national pOlicyg Do-Our opponents grudge the
fifty millions paid Tor the Panama. canal2 Do
they intend tO.cut- down on the pensions 20
the veterans OF the civil war? Do they intend
to put a stop to the Irrigation policy ? TO
the permanent census bureau? ~Or TO immi gra-
rural free delivery? DO they intend 70 cut
down the navy? or the Alaskan telegraph
system? Do they intend 70 dismanfle our
coast Notifications? II there Is 70 be real
substantial cutting down in national eNpendi-
lures it must be in such matters as these
The Department OF Agriculture has done serv-
ice Of incalculable value to the farmers OF this
country in many different lines. Do our op-
ponents wish to cut down the money for TINS
service? They can do it only by destroying
the usefulness of the service itself
The public work OF the United States has
never been conducted with a higher degree OF
honesty and efficiency than at the present
time; and a special need OF praise belongs
pines and Porto Rico, where the administra-
lions have been models Of their kind. .of
has been relentlessly stamped out We have
known no party in dealing with Offenders and
hunted down
doer in the service of the nation whom IL was
possible by the utmost. vigilance to detects for
the public servant WIG oesrays ms trust and
stand as the worst OF criminals, because their
crimes crimes against the entire COM
munity and not only against this generation
but against the generations that are yet to Be.
Our opponents promise Independence TO the
Philippine Islands. Here again We con-
fronted by the fact that their irreconcilabls
differences OF opinion among themselves. their
proved inability to create constructive pol
In nd
the sake Of nomentary political expediency.
to abandon the principles upon which they
have insisted essential, conspire to puzzle
us to whether they do or do not Intend
in good faith to carry out this promise II they
platform they declare for Independence. ap-
parently-for their language Is a little OBJ
scure-without qualification as 70 time: and
indeed a qualification as to time Is an alb
surdity for we have neither right nor power
to bind our SUCCESSORS when II Is tmpossiol8
to foretell the conditions which may confront
them; while II there is any principle involved
in the matter. II Is just as wrong 70 deny
independence for few years as 70 deny 10
equally official utterances by our opponents
the term self-g0vernment was substituted for
independence; the words used being chosen
that in their natural construction they de-
seribed precisely the policy now being carried
on. The language OF the platform indicated a
radical change Of policy; the later utterancea
indicated a continuance Of the present policy.
But this caused trouble In their own ranks
and in still later although less formal. ut
terance, the seIf-government promise was re-
cauted and Independents at some future tins
was promised in its place. They have occu-
pied three entirely different positions within
fifty DAYS Which IS the promise they really
intend to keep? They do not know their own
minds; and no can tell how long they
would keep OF the same mind should they by
any chance 20 working agreement
fected only the American people Il would not
so greatly matter. for the American people
can take care of themselves But the Ffipinos
are in no such condition. Confidence is with
them a plant OF slow growth They have been
taught to trust the woEd OF this Government
because this Government has promised nothing
which It did not perform. II promised fnds-
pendence they viii expect Independence: not
in the remote future for their descendants j
but Immediately for themselves. II the prora-
ise thus made Is not Immediately fuldIled they
will regard II a broken. and will not AGAIN
trust to American faith; and II would be in
fashion Moreover even II the promise were
made to take erect only In the distant FUTURE .
the Filipinos would be thrown into confuslon
thereby. Instead Of continuing to endeavor
70 it themselves for moral and material ad-
vancement in the present. they would arandor
all effort at progress and begin factionaI fr-
trlgues for fnture power.
To promise 10 give them Independence vha~
II Is prudent TO do 80. or when they are
''ht'' for II. Of course implies that thsv ars
not ft for II now. and that Il would ~ irn-
prudent 10 give Il TO them now. But a. wa
must ourselves be the. judges as to when tbe,
become "ht. and when ic would be s'pr,i-
dent TO keep such promise if IL were
made. II necessarily follows thar to make s,,ch
promise now would amount to a deception
unOn the FYlinInos