Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-12-14

the army should De accustomed In
handle their men in masses. as IL is
also important that the national guard
OF the several states should be ac.
customed to actual field m%aneuyerinp
especially In connection with the reg.
ulars. For this reason we are 10 he
congratulated upon the success of the
held maneuyers at Manassas last fall,
maneuvers in which a large number
OF regulars and national guard took
partthan was ever before assembled
together In time OF peace. No other
civilized nation has, relatively 10 its
population. such a diminutye army as
ours; and while the army is so small
we are not to be excused II we fail to
keep 1t at a very high grade OF pro.
ficiency.
The Philippines.
In the Philippine islands there has
been during the past year a continue.
ton Of the steady progress which has
obtained ever since our troops def.
nitely got the upper hand Of the in.
surgents. The Philippine people. or,
10 speak more accurately, the many
tribes and even races, sundered from
n another more or less sharply, who
go 10 make up the people OF the Phil
ippine Islands, contain many elements
OF good, and some elements which
we have a right to hope stand for pro-
gress. AT present they are utterly in
capable OF existing In independence at
all or OF building up a civilization of
their own. I firmly believe that we
a help them to rise higher and
higher In the scale OF civilization and
OF capacity for self-government, and
| most earnestly hope that in the end
they will be able to stand, IL not en-
tirely alone, yet in some such relation
to the United States as Cuba now
stands. This end is not yet In sight,
and IL may be definitely postponed
II people are foolish enough to
turn the attention of the Filipinos
away from the problems of achieving
moral and material prosperity, of
working for a stable, orderly and Just
government, and toward foolish and
dangerous intrigues for a complete in
dependence for which they are as yet
totally unfit.
On the other hand u people must
keep steadily before their minds the
fact that the justification for our stay
in the Philippines must ultimately
rest chiefly upon the good we are
able to do in the islands. do not
overlook the fact that in the develop
ment OF our interests In the Pacific
ocean and along its coasts, the Phil.
ippines have played and will play an
important part. and that our interests
have been served In more than n
way by the possession Of the islands.
But our chief reason for continuing
to hold them must be that we ought
in good faith to try to do our share of
the worlds work, and this particular
piece of work has been imposed upon
us by the results of the war with
Spain. The problem presented to us
in the Philippine islands Is akin to
but not exactly like, the problems pre-
scented to the other great civilized
powers which have possessions In the
orient. There are points of resem-
blance In our work to the work which
is being done by the British In India
and Egypt, by the French in Algiers,
by the Dutch in Java, by the Rus
SLAMS in Turkestan. by the Japanese
in Formosa; but more distinctly than
any Of these powers we are endeavor-
ing to develop the natives themselves
SO that they shall take an ever-increas-
ing share in their W government.
and as far as is prudent we are al
ready admitting their representatives
to a governmental equality with u
own. Therea re commissions, judges
and governors of the islands as have
their colleagues who are Americans.
while in the lower ranks, Of course,
the great majority of the public SER
wants are Flipinos. Within two years
We shall be trying the experiment Of
an elective lower house in the Philip
pine legislature. II may be that the
Filipinos will misuse this legislature,
and they certainly will misuse II II
they are misled by foolish persons
here at home into starting an agi-
taton for their own independence or
into any factions or improper action.
In such Ease they will do themselves
no good and will stop for the time be-
ing all further effort to advance them
and give them a greater share in their
own government. But II they act with
wisdom and self-restraint, If they
show that they are capable of elect.
ing a legislature which in it's turn is
capable of taking a sane and efficient
part in the actual work of government,
they can rest assured that a full and
increasing measure of recognition will
be given them. Above all they should
remember that their prime needs are
moral and Industrial, not political. II
is a good thing to try the experiment
OF giving them a legislature; but 1t Is
a far better thing to give them schools,
good roads. railroads which Will en-.
able them to get their products to
market. honest courts, an honest and
efficient constabulary, and all that
tends to produce order. peace, fail
dealing as between nan and man, and
habits of intelligent industry and
thrift. II they are safe-guarded against
oppression, and IL their real wants,
material and spiritual, are studied in
diligently and in a spirit OF friendly
sympathy, much more good will be
done them than by any effort to give
them political power, though this eff
fort may in its own proper time and
place be proper enough.
Meanwhile our own people should
remember that there is need for the
highest standard of conduct among
the Americans sent to the Philippine
islands, not only among the public ser
wants but among the private indvid'
uals who go to them. II is because
| feel this so deeply that in the ad'
ministration of these islands | have
positively refused to permit any dis
elimination whatsoever for political
reasons and have insisted that In
choosing the public servants consid
Grafton should be paid solely to the
worth Of the men chosen and to the
needs of the islands. There Is nc
higher body Of men in public ser
vice than we have in the Philippine