The National tribune., 1904-07-28
OUR POLICY IN TIE PHILIPPINES.

| the StU VI JUNE. SetTetdES ait Silu
If the time comes when the Philippine
people are prepared for independent self
government and desire it, God knows
want to give it to them.
IL am not in favor of keeping them
| when they are tit for self government,
from having Independence. But what
| say Is thar the present important thing Is
to make them fit for Independence. and
| that by projecting into every political issue
| that you send out to the islands the queS-
| tion of independence YOU are robbing those
people. who are there attempting to build
up Il popular Government. of the oppnr-
tnnity to get the attention of all the PEG.
pie of those islands i'm the building up of
that Government.
What | cherish in my soul rs a hope is
that they will become so attached tn
America that they will consent that the
same light bond which connects Canada
with England may always remain to re-
mind them of the great good which as
ISOLATION with the United States has done
for them
This is undoubtedly the wish of every
true American 1T present. 1t would be
actually criminal for uS TO withdraw from
the Philippines now. AS matter of fact.
we never shall withdraw from them any
more than Great Britain will withdraw
from Canada or Australia.
The practical question for the present
generation of Americans bly, for
many gencrationS-is what To do at once
for peoples thrust upon us by the exigen-
cicS of war.
1t is not what we shall do with them in
the dim future. but what we shall do now.
To abandon them to their own devices
would he 4 cruel and cowardy c"nsign-
r2ent of them to Il condition where murder
would reign. robbery be the rule. and
civilization absolutely impossible. a. bad
AZ the Spanish Government WIS il was far
better than the condition the FilpinoS
would be in. left to themselves. The
Spanish rule was simply much less of an
evil than their own would have been.
We have an object lessen in Haiti and
San Domingo, where the people were far
more civilized than in the Philippines. and
yet have relapsed into the most murderon>
oppresSorS and diSgraceful barbarans.
How long it will take to bring the Philip
pines up to standard Of selfSovernment.
where they can be trusted with their own
affairs. remains to no seen. 1t will GER
tainly require generations.
of England. with regard to her Dependent
res. England has been and remains the
greatest and most benevolent colonizer
that the world has ever seen. Wherever
she has gone she has greatly improved
the c4lditiOn of the people. and her rule
has been a blessing. Where the people
have been fit for selfSovernment she has.
as in Canada and Australia. given the
most absolute self-government. Her rule
there is so nominal that it is not felt. In
Australia particularly. There is not a
shred of British authority in any of the
Commonwealth affairs
At the adoption of the Constitution re-
Gently it was debated for long time
among the colonials whether they would
retain so much of the rule of Great Britain
as to permit an appeal from the Australian
Supreme Court to the British Privy COun-
Gil. The British themselves took no part
in the discussion. 1t was left for the
Colonials to settle themselves. and they de-
cided that such an appeal would protract
litigation and be. therefore. undesira BILE.
When the Filipinos are as capable of
self-goyernment as the Australians and
Canadians we wish to be equally liberal
with them. But that is so far off as not to
be practical question. The thing to-day
is to insist upon their educating themselves
to become law-abiding and industrious
citizens, cease black murder and robbery
as vacations, and devote themselves to the
development of their country.
All this talk of independence, territorial
form of Government constitutional rights,
etc, is excessively mischievous. mainly TO
the Filipinos themselves 1t raises false
ideas and distracts them from the real.
practical work before them. 1t is criminal
folly to talk of constitutional rights to peo-
pie who have as yet no respect for the Ten
Commandments. People who only a gen
Grafton ago were head hunters and pirates.
are not exactly the kind with whom to dis
| cuss the habeas corpus, trial by jury,
presentation by grand jury. and similar
bulwarks Of our liberties.
Instead of this mischievous Haunting of
delusive hopes before these people, let
their real friends inculcate upon them in
the strongest manner that they are under
the Star-Spangled Banner to stay; that it
is the most glorious destiny in the world.
and industry, honesty, and justice are the
| surest and tirmest steps they can take to-
ward real Independence, and genuine
uplifting Of the Filipino people.