The Kemper herald. (Scooba, Miss.) 1875-1908, 1905-03-23
OUR WASHINGTON
NEWS NOTES.
LATE NEWS ITEMS FROM OUR
NATIONS CAPITOL.
HOLD ONTO THE ISLANDS
Says Secretary Taft in His Letter to
Jno. Blair for the Purpose of De-
veloping the Prosperity of the
Philippines.

In order to allay any misapprehen-
sion relative to the policy of the ad-
minstration with respect to the fu-
ture Of the Philippines, Secretary
Taft made public the text of a let
ter which he wrote to John N. Blair,
Of New York, bearing directly on that
subject. The Secretary states very
plainly that the policy of the admin
istration is the definite retention OF
the Philippines, for the purpose OF
developing the prosperity and the self
governing capacity of the Philippine
people," What shall be done when
the Philippine, "for the purpose Of
when they can safely be trusted with
their own government, the Secretary
believes to be question which doubt
less will have to be settled by anoth-
err generation than the present. The
Secretary letter follows:
"March 16, 1905.
t'My Dear Sir-I have your letter
Of March z, in which you say that a
common reported Interpretation OF
nay remarks before the House Commit
tee on Ways and Means is that 1t is
the purpose of the administration to
give independence to the Flllplnos
within the next four years, and that
this produces great timidity about in
vestments in the Philippines, growing
in great part out Of the under-eurrent
sf doubt as to what the future of these
islands is to be. In reply beg to say
that | can not prevent misconstructlon
bf my remarks except by repeating
10 you what / actually think in regard
TO the matter. The policy of the adj
ministration is the indefinite retention
Of the Philippine Islands, for the pur-
pose Of developing the prosperity and
self-governing capacity of the Filipi-
no people, The policy rests on the
conviction that the people are not
now capable of self-government and
will not be for long period of time.
certainly not for generation and
probably not for a longer time than
that, and that until they are ready for
self-government it would be a viola
ton of trust for the United States
TO abandon the islands. The question
IS to the future, however, is one who'll
ly of conjecture. The important fact
Is the present policy, which is that OF
the indefinite retention of the islands.
What shall be done in the future when
the people have reached condition
where they can be safely trusted with
their own government is question
which will doubtless have to be set
tied by another generation than the
present, both the American and the
Philippine people, to whose wisdom
and generosity we may safely trust
the solution of the problem. Should
the Philippine people who are fit for
self-government demand independence
should be strongly in favor of Civ
ing it to them, and | have no doubt
that the American people of the next
generation would be of the same opin-
ion. I think it much more likely, how
ever, that after the Filipino people
shall have been associated with the
American people for a generation or,
more, and shall have tasted the pros
perity they will find behind the nation
al tariff wall, they will prefer rela-
tion to American like that of Canada
or Autralia to England to one of abb
solute independence. Very respect
fully yours.