Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1905-10-13
The Philippine Problem.

The visit Of Mr. Secretary of War
William II. Taft and his party to the
Philippines seems to have rendered the
Philippine problem acute once more.
Governor Taft Is one Of the ablest men
now in public life. He regards himself
sort of political father of the Fill.
pinos. That they should now turn up.
on and rend him is new Illustration
of the question of ingratitude upon
which old King Lear spoke so sono.
rously. But, according to Colonel LATE
Young, editor Of the Des Moines Cap
ital, and Boswell to Taft ct al, that is
what Is likely to happen, If 1t has not
already happened. In substance, Col
onel LATE says that the Filipinos want
to be independents very rational de-
sire, as can be proved by the evidence
of such witnesses as George Washing
ton, John Hancock, John Adams, Ben
jamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson
and that SO long as Governor Taft
'.jollied" the Filipinos in his speeches
everything was lovely and the goose
honked high, but as soon as Taft made
a speech at the business mems banquet,
in which he explained to the Filipinos
that not more than per cent of them
are fit for self government and that we
did not propose to turn that worthy
per cent over to the tender mercies of
the other 95 per cent Of the unfit until
the latter are fit, the devil was to pay,
and, to use Colonel Lafe's language,
more emphatic than polite, they pro-
ceeded to Chew the rag" 1t will be
remembered that there was much
'chewing Of the rag in this country in
1775 and the seven succeeding years,
and for the same reason that the Fill
pinos are now performing that caper
Colonel LATE then vouchsafes us the
information that while the Filipinos
We're set to chewing the rag by Gov
ernor Taft's great speech, which began
shortly after midnight and did not end
till 8 in the morning, the American
colonists We're wild with delight N
doubt. 1t will be remembered by thu
curious that every American Tory re-
joiced when the petitions Of American
patriots were rejected with contempt
and scorn by the royal lunatic George
III. and his advisers. 1t is really
strange how history repeats itself Col
onel Lafe says that the American resi-
dents believe sin firm hand" So did
Colonies Rawdon and Tarleton In the
long ago. Then Colonel Lafe informs
us that there are alarmists on the is-
land who predict that there will be
trouble on the islands at an early date,
and it is even prophesied that the
5000 Filipino constables whom we
have drilled and armed may resign and
take to the bush to fight our soldiers!
That Is pretty how-de-do after all our
bloviating about how the Fil!pinos
have been Americanlzed and civilized,
and how they screech in enthusiastic
unison every time they behold the old
flag. Then Colonel LATE winds up with
this pregnant paragraph:
The Philippine problem is century
problem. These people may demonstrate
ultimately that they are capable of self
government. It Is too early to expect
them to do SO now The oriental political
leader would never abide the result of
an election If he were beaten. The South
and Central American agitator, after an
election, always appeals to revolution and
rebellion. The oriental would do the
same. Secretary Taft has discharged an
unpleasant duty, but he has done 1t with
courage, and the American policy is at
last fully known. Our people are to con-
tinue to govern the Philippines and to
continue to protect the ignorant masses
Of these islanders from the educated and
vicious.