Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-09-17

oeihS SO CHOSEN that IN their natural con-
structton they described precisely the
policy now being carried on. The lam
guage of the platform indicated radical
change OF policy; the later utterances in
dicated a continuance OF the present pol
Icy. But this caused trouble in their
own ranks. and i'm n still later. although
less formal, utterance the self govern
ment promise was recanted and indie
pendence at some future time prom
ised in its place They have occupied
three entirely different positions within
fifty days. Which is the promise they
really intend to keep? They do not know
their own minds and one can tell
how long they would keep of the same
mind should they by any chance come TO
a working agreement among themselves
If such ambiguity affected only the
American people it would not so greatly
matter, for the American people can take
care of themselves. But the F'ilipinos 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 il did not per-
form If promised independence they will
expect independence. not in the remote
future for their descendants, but immedi-
ately for themselves. If the promise thus
made is not Immediately fulfilled they
will regard IL as broken and will not again
| trust to American faith, and il 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 distant future the Filipinos would
be thrown into confusion thereby. In
stead of continuing to endeavor to fit
themselves for moral and material adj
vancement In the present they would
abandon all effort at progress and begin
factional intrigueS for future power.
| To promise TO give them independence
| when il is prudent to do so or when
| they are "it'' for it of course implies that
| they are not fit for it now and that it
H.. 10, - OIL e. rl,,,,
now. But, we must ourselves be the
! judges as to when they become fit and
/ when it would be prudent to keep such
I promise If il were made. it necessarily
/ follows that to make such a promise now
would amount to deception upon the
Filipinos
! Ii may we'll be that our opponents have
no real intention of putting their promise
/ into effect. II this is the case if. in other
words they are insincere in the promise
: they make. il is only necessary to say
again that il is unwise to trust men who
false in one thing to deal with any
thing. The mere consciousness of broken
faith would hamper them in continuing
4 our policy in the islands, and only by
/ continuing unchanged this policy can
the honor of the country be maintained
or the interests of the islands subserved.
. II, on the other hand. our opponents came
: into power and attempted to carry out
/ their promises to the Filipnos by giving
/ them independence and withdra wing
! American control from the islands. tho
I result would be frightful calamity to
! the Filipinos themselves and in its larger
aspect would amount to an international
crime. Anarchy would follow. and the
: most violent anarchic forces would be di-
rected partly against the civil govern
/ ment. partly against all forms of religious
and educational civilization. Bloody con-
fiicts would inevitably ensue in the archi-
pelago. and just inevitably the islands
/ would become the prey of the first power
WI fGh in tfa coli icl,g pf,
the task we had cravenly abandoned OF
, course the practical difficulty in adopting
any such course of action-such n policy
= of scuttlc." as President Mckinley called
q it-would be found well nigh insuperable
/ If IL is morally indefensible to hold the
archipelago as whole under our tutelage
: in the interest OF its own people. then IL is
( morally indefensble to hold any part Of
& IL. In such case what right have we to
= keep coalng station? What right to
4 keep control over the Moro peoples
What right to protect the Igorrotes from
their oppressors? What right to protect
! the law abiding friends OF America i'm the
/ ISLANDS from treachery. robbery and muir
1 der? Yet TO abandon the islands COM
/ pletely, without even retaining a coaling
1 station, would mean 10 abandon the posi-
| ton i'm the competition for the trade of
! the orient which we have acquired dur
A ing the last six years, and. what is far
| more important. IT would mean irrepara-
| Ole damage TO those who have become the
wards OF the nation. To abandon all con
4 troll over the MoroS would amount TO re.
| leasing these Moros TO prey upon the
1 Christian Filipinos. civilized or semic.v.
| iiized, as well as upon the commerce OF
| other peoples. The Moros are In large
1 part still in the stage OF culture where
| the occupations OF the bandit and the
\ pirate are those most highly regarded
| and IL has not been found practical to
| give them self government i'm the sense
! that we have been giving IL to the Chris
n n - lsnW ~
1 country. our opponents propose in
\ their platform, would be precisely as IL
twenty-five years ago we had withdrawn
| the army and the civil agents from with
| In and around the Indian reservations in
1 the west, at a time when the Sioux and
| the Apache were still the terror of our
| settlers. 1t would be criminal absurd
! ity' and yet our opponents have pledged
/ themselves thereto. III successful in the
. coming election they would either have to
4 break faith else TO do an act which
would leave an indelible stain upon our
national reputation for courage and for
| good sense. During the last five years
| mooe has been done for the material and
moral well being of the Fnipinos than
ever before since the islands first came
within the ken of civilized man. We have
opened before them vista of orderly de-
1 Veiopment in their own interest. and not
| policy of exploitation. Every effort is
being made to tit the islanders for self
| government. and they have already i'm
large measure received IL. while for the
! first time in their history their personal
| rights and civil liberties have been guar
| anteed. They are being educated. They
have been given schools. They have been
/ given libraries. Roads are being built for
their use. Their health is being cared for.
| They have been given courts in which
they receive justice as absolute as 1t Is
| In our power TO guarantee. Their indi-
vidual rights to life liberty and the pur-
suit OF happiness are now by act OF con-
/ gress jealousy Safeguarded under the
American flag, and il the protection of
( the flag were withdrawn their rights
would be lost and the islands would be
plunged back under some form OF vicious
tyranny. We have given them more self
government than they have ever before
had, we are taking steps to increase 1t
still further by providing them with an
elected legislative assembly and surely
we had better await the results of this
experimentation Ii is a wholly new ex-
pertinent In Asia-before We make prom
ises which as a nation we might be forced