The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1908-12-08

Hitherto this Philippine legislature has
acted with moderation and self-re-
straint, and has seemed in practical
fashion to realize the eternal truth that
there must always be government
and that the only way in which any
body Of individuals can escape the ne
cessity of being governed by outsiders
is to show that they are able to re-
strain themselves, to keep down
wrongdoing and disorder. The Fill
pino people, through their officials, are
rection of self government I hope and
believe that these steps mark the be-
ginning of a course which will con-
tinue till the F'ilipinos become fit to
decide for themselves whether they
desire to be an independent nation.
But it is we'll for them and well also
for those Americans who during the
past decade have done SO much dam
age to the F'ilipinos by agitation for
an immediate independence for which
they were totally unfit to remember
that self government depends, and
must dpend, upon the FilipinOs them
selves. All we can do is to give them
the, opportunity to develop the capaci-
ty for self government. If We had fol-
lowed the advice of the foolish doc
trinaires who wished us at any time
during the last ten years to turn the
Filipino peoples adrift, we should have
shirked the plainest possible duty and
have inflicted lasting wrong upon
the Filipino people. We have acted in
exactly the opposite spirit We have
given the Filipinos constitutional gov
eminent; government based upon
justice; and we have shown that we
have governed them for their good
and not for our ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. AT
the present time, as during the past
ten years, the memorable logic Of facts
shows that this government must be
supplied by us and not by them. We
must be wise and generous; we must
help the Filipinos to master the diff
cult art Of self control, which is sim
ply another name for self government.
But we can not give them self govern
ment save in the sense of governing
them so that gradually they may, if
selves. Under the present system of
just laws and sympathetic administra-
tion we have every reason to believe
that they are gradually acquiring the
character which lies at the basis of
lf-government, and for which, if it
be lacking, no system of laws, no pa
per constitution, will in any wise
serve as a substitute Our people in
the Philippines have achieved what
Gus success in giving to them a gov
eminent which marks on the part of
those in authority both the necessary
understanding of the people and the
necessary purpose to serve them disln-
terestedly and in good faith. I trust
that within a generation the time will
arrive when the Philippines can de-
eide for themselves whether it is well
for them to become independent, or to
continue under the protection of a
strong and disinterested power, able
to guarantee to the islands order at
home and protection from foreign in
vaSiOn. But no one can prOpheSy the
exact date when it will be wise to
consider independence as a fixed and
definite policy. 1t would be worse than
folly to try to set down such a date
in advance, for it must depend upon
the way in which the Philippine peo-
self mastery.
Porto Rico.
Il again recommend that American
cit 'Zenship be conferred upon the peo-
pie of Porto Rico
Cuba.
I'm Cuba our occupancy will cease
in about two months time the Gu
bans have in orderly manner elected
their own governmental authorities,
and the island will be turned over to
them. Our occupation on this oc-
casion has lasted a little over two
years. and Cuba has thriven and pros
pered under it. Our earnest hope and
desire is that the people Of the island
shall now govern themselves with JUS
tica, so that peace and order may be
secure We will gladly help them to
this end; but l would solemnly warn
them to remember the great truth that
the only way people can permanent
ly avoid being governed from without
is to show that they both can and will
govern themselves from within.
The Army.
CAS- regards the army I call attention
to the fact that while our junior Off
GERS and enlisted men stand very high,
the present system of promotion by
seniority results in bringing into the
highers grades many men of mediocre
capacity who have but short time
to serve. No man should regard it as
his vested right to rise to the highest