Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-03-09
A Problem Wisely Solved.

banquet given in his honor by the
Ohio Society of New York, and never
has the predicament in which our
government was placed with reference
to the Philippines. been more clearly
defined than it was in his remarks or
that occasion. Judge Taft's splendid
services in the Philippines entitle tt
the most respectful consideration
Everything he has to say regarding the
there is likely to be heard something
in the coming presidential campaign
regarding the Philippine problem. his
| address in New York was particularly
| timely and valuable. Those enemies OF
| the administration, who have held that
I'm our treatment of the Philippines
! there has been n departure from the
traditional principles of our govern
| ment. find their arguments rudely
shattered by Judge Taft's cold logic.
He points out that our government
would not have been true to its high
est duty. and would not have acted for
the welfare Of the Philippines, if it
| lad taken any other course than that
which was taken after the war with
Spain was ended.
Other courses We're suggested at that
time, and have since been urged.
Many held that the islands should be
returned to Spain. which was at least
! their nominal owner: but the inability
of Spain to govern them had been
| amply demonstrated. and in its at
| tempt to regain its supremacy there
would have been only continuation of
the butchery which had prevailed for
years. After we had cOuntenanced
| the renewed efforts Of the natives to
throw off the yoke of Spain, we could
not with any consistency turn over the
| islands again to the tyrants that had
for centuries been in control there.
Nor could we give over the island to
the insurgents. as many suggested.
That would have meant the destruc-
ton of the property of the foreigners.
| the lo0ting of Manila, and internal
strife in all sections of the islands
But the only way to avoid Civil War,
islands ourselves. at least until their
inhabitants should have been elevated
to the scale of civilization.
1t WAS by this process of elimination
that President Mckinley and his adj
| ministration reached the conclusion
that in order to solve the Philippine
problem the only way was to take tn
| islands ourselves and govern them for
| the benefit of their people. This i'm
posed upon us grave responsibilities,
but it was n wise and just solution,
which time has amply indicated. In
his speech. Judge Taft put the whole
| truth IN Il nutshell. and the voice OF
| any ants are raised in the coming
| campaign.-if indeed there are any of
| the little ants surviving.-a copy of
his speech should promptly be sent 20
| them for careful ptrusal.
Judge Taft has no patience with
| those who have held that the principles
of the Declaration of independence
nave been violated in the Philippines.
n
have any such construction put upon
them. Those who framed that I'M
recognize in every human being the
right of self-government. else why did
they deny self-government to minors,
women, slaves and Indians For
many years after that document was
signed 4 large proportion of the white
male adults in many states We're not
permitted to vote, therefore did not
have the right of self-sovernment.
Some have vehemently asserted that
independent self-government, no
matter how bad. is better than the best
government Of one people by another.
but Judge Taft thinks that history
proves to the contrary. From the
time when Rome subjugated many
nations and substituted law for
anarchy ard peaceful commerce Tor
piracy. down to the present time. it
has been often shown that there are
cases where one people can govern an
other far better than the latter coun-
try can govern itself.
The United States is in the Philip
pines for the welfare and benefit OF
the people of those islands. 1t was
called there by a duty which could not
he avoided without dishonor, and there
it will stay until that duty is COM
pletcly performed. And no page in
our history will be brighter or more to
the credit OF the American govern
ment
One result of our war with Spain