The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-08-13
I All
GREAT
SPEECH
ON TIE PHILIPPINE QUESTION.
TODAY is CELEBRATION OF
SIXTH SANNlVERSARY.
.MR. TAFT BRINGS OUT SOME
FINE THOUGHTS ON THE
SITUATION ACROSS THE
OCEAN,.

4 ST. LOUIS. Aug. 13.-At the cert
monies in the Worlds Fair ground
to-day IN celebration of the sixth ar
by the American troops. Secretary @
War Taft made the principal address
He said in part:
4 .'Its is a source OF infinite satisfac
\ ton for me to look about over tn,
forty acres that embrace this Philip
4 pine exhibit. and to think OF the i'm
mense good that it has done, and vii
do in making the people of the Uni
4 ted States acquainted with the Phil
ippine Islands, and making the people
of the Philippine Islands acquainted
with the United States.
This exposition has cost much
money, more considerably than was
protected. when the bill was passed
authorizing it to be made. Yet, / feel
that 1t will insure many fold to the
benefit of the Philippine Islands in
the invitation which is here presented
to American enterprise and Americas
goodwill to aid the Filipino people
in their struggle onward and upward
and to a more progressive civilization.
Much is now dependent upon leg
,islation by Congress. We need the
active. assistance of the Philippine
government in the islands to secure
the construction of the railroads that
are absolutely necessary to the deve1-
opment of those islands, which are abb
solutely necessary to the elevation of
the people, and their education.
'.1f experience can teach anything 1t
is that may not look for the. con-
struction of railways in the Philip
pines. except through governmental
construction or aid. Now. it is very
clear to me that governmental con-
struction will involve the country in
anty of the income for a certain num-
Der of years; the latter plan will 4
avoid the increase of the personnel of
the government and the civil service
to such point as to make the govern
ment top-heavy and subject it's civil
service to great abuses, and 1t will |
secure to the government the energy |
and the enterprise of private capital, |
and of that competition which has
done SO much for the United States.
The bill which has passed the House
of Representatives authorizes the
government through the
commission to guarantee the income,
not exceeding five percentum on the
amount actually invested in any rail
way for thirty years, but also stipu- I
ates that provision must be made in L
he contract of guaranty by which (
here shall be secured to the govern
nent ultimately, the repayment Of all I
he money paid under the guaranty. +
Should the Philippine Islands be-
transferred to another government
his obligation could Of course, by
he terms of the charter, be imposed
np1icate or bind the United States
n any way beyond the time when n
is relation to the Philippine govern /
aent shall cease.
THE Philippine islands need, and
ill secure from Congress legislation
'hich shall bring the Philippine mar
ct within the tariff wall, and enable
he Philippine farmers to sell in the .
ich market of the United States the
roducts of their far distant islands.
.sWe SO much depend upon Congress
iona1 action. we so much depend for T
he future of the Philippine Islands Y
pom the views of the American peo- il
lie that there cannot be any doubt Of a
he wisdom Of the expenditure of a g
srge sum of money such as is here "
vested in presenting to the Ameri- =
an people the exact situation in the +
stands as far as that can be done c
y exhibits of this character. d
81 congratulate Prof. Wilson. Mr.. F
iederlein and Senor Palermo on the "
xcellence of this exhibit; I congrat- fl
late Col. Edwards upon whose shoul- Il
ars has fallen SO much Of the respon- t
bility for its financial management b
i'd arrangement; / congratulate the G
hole corps of earnest. hard work IS,
g assistants upon their work. "
hich shows for itself. To the hon b
'ary Filipino commission have ii
lily to say that I&cengratnlate them rs.
l3s the fine in1p preston they have a
adeS IN his country and the assur Ees
lee hey have given toss ,aeri5 tIoI