The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1908-12-12
MR.. TAFT As
COLONIAL AD-
MINISTRATOR

Office in Malacanan-the residence OF
the old Spanish governors to which the
title palace" in true Castlian grandi-
loquence used appropriately TO be APP
plied-at the end OF long converse
ton with a caller. They had been dis
cussing conditions in the Philippines.
Gradually the talk. led by the visitor,
merged into more personal matters.
But the enthusiasm OF the impersonal
subject, II the earnest fires which the
more thar casual reference to the is ,
arouse III Mr. Taft, was still .t:rr'Ig
his blood. He met a reference to his
prospective candidacy for the presi-
dency with a characteristic uplifting OF
the head. indicative OF impotence:
at isn't question of what il means
TO me- said he; think what it will
mean to the Philippines, for ] believe
that il will he one OF the best strokes
of fortune that could bciall the islands,
il the people should see fit TO make me
President How much more | could
do Tor he islands IL | were President
How much stronger and potent my ef-
forts md influence in their behalf
would be"
To the listener it was an cnlightcn-
ing aud impressive demonstration OF
how near Ia his heart Mr. Taft holds
the welfare and the future OF the g.
ooo,o 900 people whom we godiathercd
when Dewey forced the Dons To strike
their castlcd banner over Manila in
1873, and the dcspotic hand which
Spain had rested upon the Philippines
for three centuries was thrust away
i believe have the missionary spirit
Mr. Taft told some OF his friends be.
fore he sailed from the United States
in 1000 10 head the Philippine Commits
sion So he had And as militantlv
confidently and detcrm'ncdly rs had
Ph''n II when he said, in rcolV 10
those who bcsourht him To- Withdraw
from the Philippines because Of the
cost oi conquest: For the conversion
81 only n single soul IN the islands
would give up all the treasures oi the
Tndics'"
But the spirit which animated Mr.
Taft was not that of conquest. 81 profit
of seeking ACKNOWLEDGMENT. either for
himself or hS country. He j. a build
or. creator. an upliftcr at down
troidrn ii'v-uScd rcnplc ON the
question of rclirquiShinp control ~ the
islands he has pronounced no less Ger
tair'v. hut from motives vastly more
al'rui>t'c. than did Philip III. when the
pronosal 81 ron-rctcntion of the islands
was hrir" debated in his court: 1T
shall not I've said of me that ah7rdnn-
ed what my father conquered and left
80 r'c''
Coroarc this with Mr. Tait's ring
in" r,t;rc io The wnrL II lar"c. at =
nctind when irrcSonn,ihirs wc~c aci-
tatinT the HnomaInuS nrpnoSition OF
Selling" the Philippines 60 whom and
bv what license. one wonders; y that We
would not either abandon the islands.
or shuttle ont at the OBLIGATIONS there
which the fortunes oi war brought to
us uuSought
The United States could not sell the
islands tu another power without the
grusscst violation ~ its obligation to
the Philippine people. 1t must main
tain a government 81 law and order
and the protection at lie. liberty and
property itself or fit the islands to do
So aud turn the government over to
them. No other course is open to it,
In considering the gradual and con
tinuouN evolution al MIR Tait'S work
III the Philippines into whole that
will ever >tard Tor him a> surprising
monument at accomplishment. one is
struck by contrast MIR TAFT was in
che beginning opposed To the taking OF
the Philippines aud To- their retention.
both on grounds ol conscience aud poll
iical cXpcdIcncy He did not believe
III expansion IN theory for the United
States, and especially tina, description
Oi expansion cnmprchcndcd in the re
icnt'on and the shaping oi the future
of the islands Our form ni govern
mcut and our political mutations. he be
hcved, prccudcd our entering upon cx-
pcrimcntS in colonial government with
any but the most remote chances OF an
cmergcucc creditablc To ourselves or
profitable L. any people who might
become the objects oi our fostering
But having been convinced that We
must. as much in justice To the Fill
pinus u To- uur national credit. refrain
from scu,tl'ng and educate, encourage
and dircc: the people by instruction
and ample to 4 point where they
should become fitted Tor self govern
mcni the independence Tor which they
50 ardcutly wished he thrust his pre-
JUDGES, theories and fears behind him
lie became As much a, any single man
may hold that relation to nation. the
saviour nf the Philippine, and their
inhabitants
Prone as they were until recently to
bcliitlc our work in the islands and
prophecy disastrous failure for the al
truistic policy pursued by MIR TAFT.
English colonial experts have been
brought to- grant the success and APP
parent permanently nf his constructive
work there since 1000 MIR Taft gave
1hc Filipinos their popular Assembly
Tie did it against the advice Of some
oi his associates who did not believe
that the people were ready for even
This limited extension OF autonomous
rights But Mr. Taft knew II mat.
tered nothing to him that in less than
a decade after we took the islands we
were granting the Eilipinos what the
ENGLISH were afraid To- allow after more
than a hundred years ui ,uzcrainty in
India and thirty years control in
Egypt His study Of the conditions in