The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-11-07

| I1OuSe.
Great things have been a~-o--
ed in the Philippines and 1t is not too
much to say. in spite o. Gne 49,
| operation of Presidents Mckinley and
Roosevelt, and in spite of the wise
| counsel of Elihu Root when he was
secretary of war, that to Governor Taft
and then to Secretary Taft the chief
/ credit is due, and certain 1t is that no
man in the present administration has
| ever sought to withhold the full meas
| ure of that credit from him.
1t would require a volume to tell in
| detail what has been done in the Phil
| fppines, but as measure of executive
| capacity and as a demonstration of his
Taft needs only to have the people I'M
derstand in a general way just what
he did and is still doing to regenerate
| and uplift an alien people who in such
a strange way have become the wards
of this yankee government of ours.
Results in the Philippines.
In the first place it is worth while
noting that the islands are in a state
| of absolute tranquility. That has been
accomplished largely, if not entirely,
| by the personal influence of the COVER
nor general The Fflipinos learned to
know that he was honest and that he
was devoted to their interest. He did
not promise them Independence today
| or tomorrow or that day after. HE
| neither enjoined nor bullied nor cring-
ed. With infinite tact and with posi-
! tive genius for leadership Governor
Taft convinced these strange people,
! speaking another language, that he
! at least would do the best thing in his
| power for their material, mental. and
| spiritual comfort.
| A system of education has been built
up and half a million children are now
| being taught to read and write Eng
| lish. The foundation has been laid
| firmly and securely for a primary and
| Industrial educational system which IS
| likely to be the most lasting benefit
conferred on the islands by the Ameri-
can government Sanitation for the
people and government supervision to
| preserve the health of their fiocks and
| herds have both been successfully in
troduced.
A judicial system has been establish
ed which has been a revelation to the
people there, who were accustomed
only to the cumbrous and corrupt
methods of the Spanish courts. Public
improvements have been undertaken,
roads built, docks constructed, streets
improved, a complete system of posts,
telephones, and telegraphs established,
and railroads built which in five years
will furnish a system of 1000 miles in
extent A civil system has been in
augurated which has divided the pub
lie work between the Americans and
the Filipinos with a constantly IN
creased representation of the natives.
Public lands have been opened for set
tlement semi-official banks have been
established, and the financial status OF
the Philippine government today is
practically beyond criticism.
On the Isthmus of Panama.
If the Philippines furnished a field
for the development of capacity for
creating civil government, the Isthu-
mus of Panama developed another an
gle of the many sided executive life
of William Howard Taft. He had
scarcely been appointed secretary of
war before President Roosevelt issued
an executive order placing the work of
the isthmian canal commission under
his immediate supervision, both in the
construction of the canal and the ex-
ercise of such governmental powers as
it seems necessary for the United
States to exercise under the treaty with
the republic of Panama in the canal
strip"
Interoceanic canals are not dug every
day. The work is one which involves.
in the case of Panama, the most deli
cate civil functions harmoniously
blended with the professional discipline
exercised by the engineer officers of the
army. The canal is the largest single
public work ever undertaken by the
United states and will continue to fur
nish problems in the next administra-
ton and for years thereafter.
1t is part of the presidential capital
of Secretary Taft that he has been with
the canal from the start and that he
has been forced to study the engineer
ing problems it presents at first hand
One engineer after another abandon
ed the work, but the secretary was al
ways steadfast, never discouraged and
never ready to abandon the effort nee
essary to secure success.
The story of his trips to and from
the isthmus, of the confusion which
had to be adjusted, of the jealousies
and rivalries between men which need
ed to be composed, and of the financial
and civil questions which were brought
before the secretary for settlement, is
a tale of that same hard work which
had made Taft a success in life.
Takes Hold of the Work.
In November, 1904, Secretary Taft
made his first visit to the isthmus, and
a full account of what he accomplished
at the time, forming the first authentic
report of actual conditions on the
| isthmus, was submitted to the presi-
| dent in January. 1905.
Early in the summer Chief Engineer
| Wallace rendered his resignation, and
the secretary was forced to provide
new head for the work.
In the following October he was once
more en- route to the isthmus, and dur
| ing the winter he was almost constant
| " engaged as a witness before the sem
ate committee explaining the actual
| conditions of the work and defending
| the administration from the partisan
attacks made upon it,
In January of 1906 Secretary Taft, in
] q luminous letter which was published
| broadcast throughout the world, ex-
posed the folly of hasty criticisms
made by Poultney Bigelow and others
who had studied only the fringe OF
| things on the isthmus.
| In the following winter another trip
was necessary, the secretary being ac-
| companied this time by the distinguish
| ed consulting engineers who We're ask
ed to report with him upon the nature
| of the location of the Gatun lock and
dam sites. The result of this personal
demonstration of the safety and the
satisfactory condition of the sites for
the great dam, both at Gatun and on
the Pacific side of the canal
Takes Up the Labor Side.