Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1904-09-09

The problem Of the Philippines IL bow
most thoroughly and quickly to teach thu
people of the great archipelago of thu
Pacific self-government; such self-gov
eminent a. Americans enjoy, first, in the
| territories, and thea In the States Of the
| Union.
| The essayists and agitators who are
weeping and waiting over our new east
ern possessions are the representatives Of
| that self-distrust which weakens individ-
uals and nations.
What are We going to do With the
PhiIippinesT shrieks the sentimentalist
Of the arm chair and slippers7
I'VE are going to do as We would BE-
done by" answers the sturdy spirit Of
American manhood.
But the Philippines should be indie
pendent!' means Z voice choksd with
emotion.
I'VE are teaching them sslf-sovsrn-
ment," is the rejoinder.
The American people are not quit
ters." Nor are they subject to the emo
tional distress and anaemic apprehen-
sions Of hysterical or senils persons. We
have plain duty before Us in the Phil
ippines NOW. To do our work there to
the best Of our present ability il our
task. We can trust the future to the
sons and daughters Of the American ma
ton.
What IL the Revolutionary fathers had
stopped In the midst of their war for
independence to debate whether their de-
scendants would worthily acquit them
selves In the new liberty to be granted
them2 What IL the liberators of millions
of slaves had stayed their God-directed
hands to listen and reply to arguments as
to the fitness Of the colored people for
lives As human individuals?
The great forces which rule the uni
verse work BY human means. The In
struments are imperfect, but guided BY
great ideals man has accomplished wen-
ders for his race. The Spanish war
threw upon the great American republic
an unexpected, sven unwelcome, burden
Of responsibility. A vast country, peo-
pied like our own, by inhabitants ranging
from high civilization to naked savagery,
came into our possession, and with it
came immense responsibility. To shirk |
hat responsibility Is impossibly un-Amer- |
can. We have taken 1t upon us, and we |
shall carry 1t as bravely and hopefully |
Is 1t 10 our custom to carry the trusts |
aid upon US as a nation.
To teach self-government there, a. we |
understand it In the United States, is
'ur task. We are building and opening
rec public schools; teaching sanitary sci
nee and the necessary rules for public
ealth; showing the way to complete re-
gious freedom and toleration fighting
avage tribes in remote districts, to pro-
ect the lives and property of all who
We within the borders of our national
uthority. Such Is our work to-day.
Upon the ancient growth of Spanish
utilization, In the towns and cities we
re ENGRAVING the new Lite of american
IN. Does anyone doubt tie ultimate
fleets of such a process, after what has
cen done upon our own continent within
ne last hundred years7
The dealing with the natives of the isl
nds is a serious and puzzling affair but
no Is better fitted than our nation, nour-
he'd, as it is, by great ideals, for such
work? The world has come to see
lat the savage is but man In his child
God; that like child he must be pro-
,cted, taught, borne with and led into |
lie larger life of maturity. In Ameri-
IN Ire are the elements Tor the saving
nd civilization Of the most remote tribes
the Pacific islands; let us trust our ,
,lves, and give ear no longer to the |
lguries and omens of those who have {
nth neither In God nor man, but who I
'ntinually cry out upon all that is done, 8
wished or hoped for by the workers of |
Ie world. e
One thing at time and every day for a
. work, is a good rule In government, as
IL In the life of an individual. The s
ing to do with the Philippines is to I
lip them forward in the world-to in n
ire, guide and govern them in accord
ce with American ideals and traditions I
> to the future we can trust future | 2
mericans and future Filipino-Ameri- '
ms. This 10 the full extent of our imps-
llism there.