The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1904-12-06

In the end they will be able to stand. II
not entirely alone yet in some such rela-
tion TO the United States as Cuba now
stands
This end Is not yet in sight. and II may
be indefinitely postponed IL our 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 dam
gerous intrigues for complete inde-
pendence for which they are as yet totally
unfit.
on the other hand our people must
keep steadily before their minds the fact
that the justifica ton for our stay In the
Philippines must ultimately rest chiefly
upon the good we are able TO do in the
islands. l do not overlook the fact that
In the development of our interests In tha
Pacific Ocean and along it's coasts. the
Philippines have played and will play
an important part. and that our inter-
ests have been served In more than one
way by the possession OF the islands. But
our chief reason for continuing 70 hold
them must be that we ought In good faith
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 10
us In the Philippine Islands Is akin TO,
but not exactly like. the problems pre-
sented to the great civilized powers which
have possessions In the Orient
There are points OF resemblance In our
work to the work which II being done
by the British I'm India and Egypt. by
the French I'm Algiers, by the Dutch In
Java by the Russians I'm Turkcstan. by
the japanese In Formosa: but more dis
tincty than any of the powers we are
endeayoring to develop the natives them
selves so that they shall take an ever
increasing share In their own govern
ment. and as far as Is prudent we are al
ready admitting their representatives. to
a governmental equality with our own.
There are commissioners, Judges, and gov
ernors IN the islands who are Fflipinos
and who have exactly the same share in
the government Of the Islands as have
their colleagues who are Americans, while
in the lower ranks, OF course the great
majority Of the public servants are Fiji
pinos.
Within two years we shall be trying the
experiment OF an elective lower house IN
the Philippine legislature II may he
that the Filip'nos will misuse this legis-
ture. and they certainly will misuse II II
they are misled b. foolish persons here
at home into starting an agitation for
their own Independence or into any fac
tious or improper action. In such case
they will do themselves no good and will
stop for the time being all further effort
10 advance them and give them a greater
share I'm their own government. Rut ~
they act with wisdom and self-restraint,
IL they show that they are capable of
electins a legislature which IN its turn
IL capable OF taking n sane and efficient
part I'm the actual work Of government.
they can rest assured that n full and in
creaslng measure Of recognition will be
given them. Above all they should re-
that their prime needs are moral
and industrious. not political IL Is
good thing 10 try the experiment OF giving
them n legislature; but II is a far better
thing 20 give them schools. good roads.
railroads which will enable them to get
their products TO market. honest courts.
an honest and efficient oonsta bulary. and
all that tends 10 produce order. peace,
fair dealing as between man and man,
and habits ~ Intelligent industry and
thrift
" they are safesus rded against oppres.
sion. and N their real wants material
and spiritual. are studied intelligently
and IN a spirit " friendly sympathy.
much more good viii he done them than
by any effort TO give them political