The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-12

rso,le can take care Of themselves. But
peoRE, IIi In no such condition. Con-
sdence is with them pant OF slow growth
They have been taught to trust the word
- S;s Government, because this Govern
,,sn NJ, has o. ulnised nothing which 1t did not
perform. II promised indepfSndaSsn zen r tney
E,h,re for their descendants, but imme-
Motelv for themselves. II the promise
rms made Is not Immediately fulfilled they
iii regard 1t as broken, and will not again
trust to American, faith; and It would be
s,iob fashion. Moreover, even II the promise
wsre made to take effect only in the distant
S,t,,re the Filipinos would be thrown into
nonflsion thereby. Instead OF continuing
TO endeavor to At themselves for moral
and material advancement in the present,
shev would abandon all effort at progress
and begin fractional intrigues for future
TO To promise to give them Independence
when It is prudent to do 80, or when they
are SIT for 1t, Of course implies tina hat, sahsy
imprudent to give It to them now. But
as we must ourselves be the judges as 70
when they become sat- and when 1t would
he prudent" to keep such a promise II "
we're made, it necessarily follows that 70
make such a promise now would amount
TO a deception In the Filipinos.
j
1t may well be that our opponents have
no real intention Of putting their promise
Into effect II this is the case, II, In other
words, they are insincere In the promise
they make, 1t Is only necessary to say ageln
that 1t Is unwise to trust men who are false
In one thing to deal with anything. Inc
mere consciousness OF broken faith would
hamper them in continuing our policy IN
the islands; and only by continuing un-
changed this policy. can the honor Of the
country be maintained, or the mteress
Of the islands subserved. II, on the other
hand, our opponents came into power and
attempted to carry. out their promises 70
the F1ipinos by giving them independence,
and Withdrawing American control from
the islands, the result would be frightfui
lis larger aspect would amount TO an inter-
national crime. Anarchy would follow
and the most violent anarchic forces would
be directed partly against the civil govern
ment, partly against all forms OF religious
and educational civilization. Bloody oon-
ficts would inevitably ensue In the archi-
pelago, and just as inevitably the islands
would become the prey OF the frst Power
which in its own selfish interest took up the
task we had cravenly abandoned. VI
any such course Of actionnsuch POLICY
of scutte," as President Mckinley called 1T.
would be found well nigh insuperable. Ii
1t Is morally indefensible to hold the archi-
pelago as a whole under our tutelage In the
interest Of its owl, people, then it is morally
case, what right have we to keep coallng
station? What right to keep control over
tie Moro peoples3 What right to protect
the Igorrotes from their oppressors? What
America in the islands from treaohery,
robbery and murder2 Yet, to abandon
the islands completely, without even re-
tanning a coaling station, would mean 70
abandon the position IN the co, c4bmpeehi. ia on
acquired during the last six years; and, what
Is far more important, it would mean irrep'
arabic damage to those who have become
the wards Of tho nation. To abandon al
control over the Moros would amount to
releasing these Moros to- prey upon the
Christian Filipinos, civilized or semi oivtlizec
as well as upon the commerce OF other peo-
Piles.
The Moros are in large part still in the
stage Of culture where the occupations o.
the bandit and the pirate are those mos
highly regarded; and 1t has not been founc
practical to give them self government II
the sense that we have been giving 1t x
the Christian inhabitants. To abandon tn
Moro country. as our opponents propose u
twenty-five years ago we had withdraw
the army and the civil agents from within
and around the Indian reservations In thu
West, at a time when the Sioux and the
1t would be a criminal absurdity. and ye'
our opponents have pledged themselves
thereto. II successful In the coming cleo
ton they would either have to break faith
or else to do an act which would leave al
indelible stain upon our national reputation
for courage and for good sense. During tn
last five years more has been done for thu
material and moral we'll being OF the FIJI
pinos than ever before since the islands hrs
came within the ken OF civilized man. w
h 11fl Nhay,, yiGta n
development in their own interest, and
not policy of exploitation. Every ehor
Is being made to At the islanders for sell
government. and they have already In Large
measure received 1t. while for the first time
in their history their personal rights anc
civil liberties have been guaranteed. They
are being educated, they have been given
schools, they have been given libraries
roads are being built for their use, theii
health is being cared for, they have beer
as absolute as it is in our power TO guaran'
tee. Their individual rights to life, liberty
and the pursuit Of happiness are now by
act Of Congress jealousy safeguarded under
the American flag; and II the protection o.
the flag were withdrawn their rights woulc
be lost, and the islands would be plunged
back under some form Of vicious tyranny
We have given them more self governmen1
than they have ever before had, we are
taking steps to increase 1t still further by
prONlQnR Cnem WIFI I'LL cS5SCtu ioBisiatiNs
assembly; and surely we had better avail
the results Of this experimentation 1t is {
wholly new experiment in Asia-befort
we make promises which as nation WI
might be forced to break, or which they
might interpret one way and we in another
it may be asserted without fear OF success
full contradiction that nowhere else in recon
years has there been as fine an example o.
constructive craftsmanship and wise ant
upright administration as has been giveI
by the civil authorities, aided by the army
In the Philippine Islands. We have ad
ministered them in the interest Of their owl
people; and the Filipinos themselves have
profted most by our presence in the islands
but they have also been OF very great ad
vantage to us as @ nation.
Our Flags Gift Of Benedicti0n.
So far from having slapped the founda.
lions Of free popular government at home
by the course taken in the Philippines
we have been spreading its knowledge anG
teaching its practice among peoples Il
whom it had never before been more thar
an empty name. Our action represents
a great stride forward in spreading the
principles OF orderly liberty Throughout,
the world. "Our flag has not lost its gift
of benediction in it's worldwide journey
to their shores" Wehave treated the power
we have gained as a solemn obligation ano
have used it in the interest Of mankind
and the peoples Of the world, and especially
the weaker peoples Of the world, are better
of because Of the position we have assumed
y -,