The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-10-01
lIrl1t u.s. |; 5 .Blullconle
W y 4 n +: aF'I q 8 DONE FOR
THE !. ApyANc EME EiT . THE
FILIPINos. 4


81 The Demo rattc lecIarataton IN IA;
yor Of. ind Evidence for the Il hilippine
Islands is so qualified by the condi,
tioa77-759t:as soon as q Stable government
can be establis as TO be without
ANY binding effect upon the party or
its repr esentat iyes and this was plolb,-
ably the purpose In so wording the
plank in question. The population 81
the Philippines is made up 81 differ!
ient and dtseordant, races. Eyen tae &
|spaniards, who held title Is the isl.
'ands for more than three hundred
years We're far from being masters Of
all the territory nominally subject to
their control, and they never sue
ceeded in establishing. "a stable gov.
'e q IN the four years which
William i. TAFT devoted to the Philip.
pines he did tnme asura6ly more for
civilization than the spantaras had &c!
COMP shed fin nearly that number OF
Centuries He was successful IN his
great task because he labofed to- help
the. ~ ipinos, not to exploit them, a
reversal of thetr experience of ages.
un1dopb All, 4 the Filipinos were pre-
pared for indie pendent, William II. Taft
would he Sfrst TO welcome them to the
family Gag of nations, but they ere not.
and ilthe Bryanite demand for letting
them go sfFas soon as a stable govern.
Iment can be estabpsheds ii simply
the voice OF the shallow deinagogue.
seeking to carry an sai6ltence with him
w recldesslN crying for something
TINT he thin rs, will catch the fancy
|of his hearers, and at the some time
involve no responsibility for himself.
= Mr. Taft placed the Philippine prob:
lem in its true light, when ha said 70
e committee OF congress: I'VE are In
the Philippines to discharge the high
.est duty that one nation can owe to
another people. ~ seiEgoyernment.
does not come by nature. II must be
taught even to the educated who arc
used 20 different system. Ii Seems
to us that the self-restraint and sense
ot resp nsibility necessary Of free civ
II government can be learned BY the.
educated as well as the ignorant, by.
the practice Of 1t in association with
Americans who understand the self.
restraint necessary before seif.goy.
eminent IL possibIe.''
AS chairman OF the Philippine Com
mission Mr.. Taft took natives whom.
hs5found to be qualified, into high GOV.
ernmental ana Judicial positions, by.
negotiating the purchase Of the friarsl
lands he enabled the rural population,
to become freeholders, and BY estab.
fishing a system Of free education he
gradually prepared the natives for an.
intelligent share in public AFFAIRS. The
Martial seif-goyernnlent now enjoyed.
by the Filipinos Is the outcome Of Mr..
ITaft,s great work, and lit was fitting
that he should be appointed to open
the first session Of the Philippine Ma:
ttonal Assembly, which he ldid.in octo.
beF3last,
William Il. Taft. rs; President, win
require no advice from Bryan Of the
trainers Of the Bryan platform. as To-
the policy to be pursued toward a PEG.
pie for whom he has shown such gen.
line affection; to whose uplifting he
gave four Years % patient ieYote
eltish study and effetts snd Who
leagnet from Ills trea tnsent of them
that Americans hasI i neples pntpoaei
in View than to aploit tie lands for
ithe benefit % the United STA tes. The
.Filtpsnos oW and "a americans should
know .1 that every steT, towai Id glls
er Ell ilIsation toward that flll uns,
tlersfa ntlitig of what tnaepenile nee
@hie lone maj Ses snaapends
enee wort liaying - IN le thAtlIy
Welcomed ana ataet ~ lfnanl HI
J. !