The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-10-15

MANILA-Are the Filipinos ready
Tor independence? When will they be
ready to govern themselves? How
lorg before the American government
will give them a chance to manage
their own affairs? These questions are
being asked on both sides of the
ocean. The native politician wants to
know so that he can set his sails; the
American capitalist would like to find
out before he makes his investments;
and the world in general is waiting
with curiosity to see what is going to
be the result of the great American
experiment. In the outset it should
be stated that all conclusions in dis
cussing this subject are conjectural
The question at issue is purely prob
1ematical. There is no precedent in his
tory to the American governments ex-
traordfnary position here; no man is
wise enough to forecast the future; and
no two men agree exactly as to the
past.
The more time one spends in investi-
eating the matter, the greater becomes
his perplexity. The student who
thought one thing yesterday has
changed his mind today. Most of the
authors and correspondents who write
upon the question are prejudiced one
way Or another. They go to extremes
of praise or criticism of the admin
istration, generally without going to
much trouble to procure their fnfor-
nation There are SO many sides to
the question that a case can be made
cut to sustain almost any position.
The foreign critics who have so much
to say invariably make the mistake of
overlooking or ignoring the American
policy What their governments have
done, or might do, has nothing to do
with the. matter from the American
viewpoint.
MCKINLEY PRAYED FOR LIGHT.
Doubtless the most concise state
ment ever offered in explanation of
how the American government came to
hold the islands was that made by
President Mckinley to some callers at
his private Office in the White House
in November, 1899, which was as fol-
lows:
Before you go I would like to say
word about the Philippines. The truth
is, didn't want them, and when they
came to US, as a gift from the gods,
did not know what to do with them
When the Spanish war broke out, Dew
ey was at Hongkong. and I ordered
him to go to Manila, and he had to;
because, if defeated, he had no place
to refit on that side of the globe, and
if the Dons were victorious they would
likely cross the Pacific and ravage our
Oregon and California coasts. And so
he had to destroy the Spanish fleet,
and did it, But that was as far as
thought then. When next / realized
that the Philippines had dropped into
our lap, confess I did not know what
to do with them. I sought counsel
from all sides-democrats as well as
republicans-but got little help
thought first we would take Manila;
then Luzon; then other islands, per-
haps I walked the floor of the White
House night after night until mid
night; and / am not ashamed to tell
you. gentlemen, thatfI went down on
my knees and prayed Almighty God for
light and guidance more than once.
"And one night late it came to me
this way-I don't know how it was,
but it came: Cd That we would not
give them back to Spain-that would
be cowardly and dishonorable; CD
That we could not turn them over to
France or Germany-our commercial
rivals in the Orient-that would be
bad business and discreditable: CD
That we could not leave them to them
selves. as they were unfit for self
government, and they would soon have
anarchy and misrule worse than |
SPANS was; (D That there was
nothing for us to do but to take them
q IL - n II n IL