The San Francisco call., 1904-12-07
El5plnOs 1ncgDa66e
of SeEGoOe1nment
islanders Must Be Helped to Rise
to a Higher Plane of
Civilization.

In the Philippine Islands there has
been during the past year a continual
ton OF the steady progress which has
obtained ever since our troops definitely
got the upper hand Of the insurgents.
The Philippine people. or. TO speak
more accurately, the many tribes and
even races. sundered from one another
more or less sharply. who go 10 make
up the people OF the Philippine ISL
ands, contain many elements OF good
and some elements which we have a
rlght 10 hope stand for progress AT
present they are utterly incapable OF
existing IN independence AT all or OF
oulIdlng up a civilization Of their own
l firmly believe that we can help them
10 rise higher and higher in the scale
OF civilization and of capacity for self
government. and most earnestly hope
that IN the end they Will be able 10
stand, il not entirely alone. vet in some
such relation TO the United States as
Cuba now stands. This end is not vet
IN sight, and il may be indefinitely
postponed if our people are foolish
enough 10 turn the attention Of the
F1lipinOs away from the problems OF
achieving moral and material prosper
lty, OF working for a stable. orderly
and Just government. and toward fool
ish and dangerous intrigues for a COM
plete independence for which they are
as yet totally unfit.
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 viii play an important part. and
that our interests have been served in
more than one way by the possession
or the islands. But our chief reason for
continuing 10 hold them must be that
we ought in good faith 10 try 10 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-
sented TO US in the Philippine Islands
is akin TO, but not exactly like, the
problems presented 10 the other great
civilized powers which have posses
siOns in the Oslent. There are points
OF resemblance in our work 10 the
work which is being done by the Brit
ish in India and Egypt. by the French
IN Alg1ers, by the Dutch in Java. by
the Russians in Turkestan. by the Jap
ansSe in Formosas but more distinctly
than any OF these powers we are en-
deavOring TO develop the natives them
selves so that they shall take an ever
increasing share in their own govern
ment, and as far as is prudent we are
already admitting their representatives
TO a governmental equality with our
own There are commissioners. judges
and governors in the islands who are
FllipinOs and who have exactly the
same share in the government OF the
islands as have their colleagues who
are Americans, while in the lower ranks
Of course the great majority OF the
two years we shall be trying the ex-
pertinent OF an elective lower house in
the Philippine Legislature. II may be
that the FilipinOs will misuse this Leg
islature, and they certainly will misuse
it if they are misled by foolish persons
here at home into starting an agitation
for their own independence or into
any factious or improper action In
such case they viii do themselves no
good and will stop for the time being
all further effort 10 advance them and
give them a greater share in their own
government. But II they act with wis
dom and self-restraint il they show
that they are capable OF electing a Leg
islatUre 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 in
creasing measure Of recognition Will be
given them. Above all, they should re-
member that their prime needs are
moral and industrial, not political It
is a good thing TO try the experiment.
Of giving them a Legislature; but IL is
a far better thing TO give them schools.
good roads, railroads which will enable
them 10 get their products TO market.
honest courts. an honest and efficient
cOnstab bulary. and all that tends 10
produce order, peace. fair dealing as
between man and man, and habits OF
intelligent industry and thrift. II they
are safeguarded against oppression.
and if their real wants, material and
spiritual. are studied intelligently and
in a spirit OF friendly sympathy. much
more good will be done them than by
any effort to give them political power,
though this effort may in its own
proper time and place be proper
enough
Meanwhile our own people should re-
member that there Is need for the
highest standard OF conduct among the
Americans sent TO the Philippine ISL
ands. not only among the public serv-
ants but among the private individuals
who go 10 them. 1t Is because I feel
this so deeply that in the administra-
ton Of these islands / have positively
refused TO permit any discrimination
whatsoever for political reasons and
have insisted that in choosing the pub
lie servants consideration should be
chosen and 10 the needs Of the islands.
There is no higher body OF men in Oup
public service than we have in the
Philippine Islands under Governors
Wright and his associates. So far as
possible these men should be given a
free hand, and their suggestions should
receive the hearty backing both OF the
executive and OF the Congress There
is need OF a vigilant and disinterested
support OF our public servants in the
Philippines BY good citizens here in the
United States. Unfortunately. hitherto
those OF our people here at home who
have specially claimed 10 be the cham
piOns OF the FilipinOs have in reality
been their worst enemies This VIII
continue TO be the case as long as
they strive 10 make the FilipinOs inde-
pendent. and stop all industrial devel-
Opment OF the islands by crying out
against the laws which would bring
it on the ground that capitalists must
not exploit" the islands Such pro-
ceedings are not only unwise. but are
most harmful TO the F1lipinos. who do