Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1905-08-24
MANlLA'S WELCOME TO TAFT
Reception to Former Governor Shows
the Fallacy of Democratic
Assertions.

Americans cannot fail to be gratified
with the warm and obviously spon-
taneous welcome given to Secretary
Taft on his recent return to the Philip
pine islands, where he was known to all
as the chief representative of the au-
thority of the United States during a
long and in many respects most critical
and trying period.
During his term as governor of that
dependency, says the Chicago Chron-
icle, he had often felt it his duty to stand
as the representative of what one may
call the iron hand. and while always up
holding the application of liberal JUS
tice he had proved himself as an officer
of the law representing the sovereign
ty of the United States entirely antag-
onistic to the "scuttle policy" and the
weak sentimentalism OF our anti-imper-
ialists of the ultra New England con-
science type. This is said without any
want of respect for the real New Eng
land conscience grounded in real man
hood
In the uncompromisingly judicial at
titude which he took and maintained he
had, and he thoroughly convinced the
Filipino people that he had, the equally
firm and considerate support of the ma
tional administration. The respect,
confidence and good understanding
which this reception shows forth prove
that the island people fully appreciate
him and the solid justice and intelli-
gence of his aims and methods.
The anti-imperialists themselves are
always insisting that the American ele-
ment in the island population is small
and the more truth there may be in the
statement the stronger is the inherent
proof it furnishes that the warmth of
this reception cannot be at all detracted
from as being given by a crowd of Amer
ican retainers and interested exploiters.
That the military force of the govern
ment would figure conspicuously in the
reception given to the former governor,
now secretary of war, was a foregone
conclusion. Common decency demand
ed 1t. But it could not have been criti-
cised had it been merely ceremonious,
and there was no reason why the Fill
pino people should take any part in it
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.
It appears, however, that the military
part of the reception was something
warmer than ceremony, and one may
suppose. from accounts of the thirty and
odd Filipino organizations that partici-
pated, that the military features were
neither the largest nor the warmest.
These societies. made up of the best
classes of the natives. were under no
sort of obligation as organizations any
more than their members as individuals
to take public part in the festivities. and
that they did so is very significant fact.
The whole occasion, spontaneously
offered among a people which the anti
imperialists are continually telling us
are oppressed and discontented and
verging on something worse, is one in
which Secretary Taft. the national ad-
ministration and the nation itself may
well see reason for feeling genuine
qualification.
Tyrants, wrongdoers. exploiters,
blunderers, are not accorded such
honOrS anywhere.