The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1905-08-25
MANiLA's WELCOME TO TAFT
Rec option to Former Governor Shows
the Faliacy Of Democratic
Assertions.

AM rlCans cannot fail TO be GRAINED
with the warm and obviously spon.
tancous welcome given " Sccrctar,
Taft on his recent return to the Philip
pine islands, where he vas known to all
as the chief representative Of the au.
thority OF the United States during q
long aud In many respects most critical
and trying period.
During his term rs governor OF that
dependency. says the Chicago Chron.
iclc. he had often felt II his duty to stand
us the representative OF what one may
call the iron hand. and while always M
holding the application Of liberal Jus
tiee he had proved himself as an officer
Of the law representing the sovereign
~ OF the United States entirely antag.
onistic to the ''scuttle policy" and the
weak sentlmentalism vi our anti-impcr-
ialists OF the ultra New England cot
science type. This Is said without any
want vi respee. for the real New Eng
land conscience grounded In real man.
hood.
In the uncomrromlslngly judicial ut
iitude which he took n maintained he
had. and he thoroughly convinced the
Filipino people that he had, the equally
arm and eonsidcrate support of the ma.
tiJnal administration. The respect.
confidence and good understanding
which this reception shows forth prove
that the island people fully appreciate
him aud the solid Justice and intelll.
gcncc of HIS aims and methods.
The anil.impcrialists themselves af.
always insisting that the American Gle.
meut in tho Island population Is small.
aud the more truth there may be In the
statement the stronger ~ the Inherent
proof Il furnishes that the warmth 81
this reception cannot be at all dciractcd
from a. being given by 4 crowd OF Amer
lean retaInors and Interested e,ploliets.
That the military force Of the govern.
mrnt would figure conspicuoualy 10 the
reception given 10 the former governor.
now secretary " war. was a iorogone
conclusion. Common deccncy demand
ed Il nut It could not have been criti.
ciscd had II been merely acrimonious.
and there was M rcason why the fili-
plro people should take any part Ia q,
which they did not wish to take. No.
body would have found fault with them
especially had they chosen to be merely
Interested as individuals in a casual
way.
II appears. however. that tho military
pa-, " the reception was something
warmer than ceremony. and one may
suppose. from accounts Of the thirty and
odd Filipino organizations that PARTED.
pat"d. tina, the military features we're
neither the largest o the wnrmcst.
These societies. made up Of the hest
classes ol tho natives. were under no
sort of obligation as organizations any
more than their members n individuals
"a take public part In the festivities. and
that they did 80 Is n very significant fact.
The whole occasion, spontaneously
offered among u people which the anti
imperiaiIsta are continually telling us
are oppressed and disseminated ard
verRing ON something worse. Is one In
which Secretary Taft. the national al.
minlitratics aud the nation Itself may
well see reason for feeling genuine
qualification.
Tyrants, w%rongioSrs. o~xploltors.
hlunderrrs. are Tot accorded such
honors anywhere.