The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-21
TAFTs SPEECH.
The Conditions In the Philippine
Islands Explained.


Islands Explained.
The demonstration which was made
as Mr.. Taft arose was spontaneous and
genuine. Mr.. Taft said:
Il am glad TO meet what I know to
be the pick of the enterprising and
intelligent business men of this grow
ing city 1 am glad to meet them un-
der these circumstances. and to ad-
dress them after a dinner. when their
minds are bright and their hearts are
open, and their spirits are generous
because come to appeal to them in a
cause which needs the earnest support
and sympathy of just and generous
Americans. Eight years ago, by a
curious chain of circumstances. $780,
600 people in the far off distant isles
of the Philippines were thrust under
the protection of the United States I
shall not stop to rehearse this strange
history, the result of which finds US
responsible for the education, health
welfare and progress of a nation of
Oriental Malays who have not yet
emerged from the state of Christian
pupilage in which they were ruled by
Spain for 800 years.
"A small part of the people-say
from to 10 per cent-are educated
refined and artistic. The remainder,
while Christians, are afflicted with the
weakness and defects and dependent
character of men and women always
subject to paternal government, new
q @@ANA NASAAA5 Sci -COILLOl OF restrain Is
imam bilious, lacking in energy, indif-
1erent to the kind of government. haY-
ing no motive for the accumulation of
wealth. On the other hand. they are
gentle people, a graceful people, an
arISLc people, a domestic people, low
ing their wives and their families. a
courteous, quiet, long suffering people.
When reused to opposition, or led by
educated and intriguing leaders they
show the stOlid, heartless cruelty of
the Oriental and the HTn1dzr yT11axy love
the fiesta, the love the dance they
I love the beauties of the Catholic wor-
ship. they love the bright skies and the
beautiful dawns and sunsets of their
island houses.
He Likes the People
They are a people with whom one
can not become thoroughly acquainted
without liking. They have a capacity
for education, and especially for man
ual training not exceeded by any race
I know of. The natural 1aziness of a
/ tropical race has been emphasized
among them by the attitude of the
Spanish toward manual labor. The
Spaniard looked upon manual labor as
the mark of slavery. The nobility and
Independence of labor he never recog-
nized. Hence has arisen the difficulty
with respect to the obtaining of the
necessary labor for agriculture and
for public works. But these people
have Christian ideals. They are not
Buddhists or Mohamme dans. They
look to Europe and America for the
best. Their more educated have felt
the inspiration of a desire for liberty
Dimly they have realized the Tespon-
sibilities that civil liberty and self
government impose upon them. but
nevertheless they have felt so strongly
the desire that they have yielded up
their lives in seeking it. They inhabii
an archipelago of wondrous beauty
and of marvellous productive power
Roughly speaking, it ernbrac es 120, 000
square miles Had they the motive
for acquisition, and the intelligent in
dustry of more northern races the
prosperity of these islands would know
/ no bounds.
Under a system of forced labor, in
! telligently directed by the Dutch the
/ Island Of Java, containing only $4,000
/ square miles, has increased the agri-
/ cultural product and the capacity fol
| support of that island, so that tht
population which was but 4 1000 900 II
/ the first decade of the nineteenth cen
I fury had become 100000 900 at it.
close. Such a development is impos-
I sible in the Philippine Islands becaus,
/ the people will never be subjected Il
+ the rule which compelled this con
+ slant labor. They must be induced t.
I labor through an charging OF theil
wants thus furnishing a motive FOL
: application and industry which in ths