The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-12-09


ways excepting the striking and won
! derful example afforded by the grea
/ Empire of Japan, 1t opens an entirely
new departure when compared witt
anything which has happened among
| Asiatic powers which are their owl
masters. Hitherto this Philippine
| legislature has acted with modera
| ton and self-restraint, and has seem
/ ed 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 necessity of being govern
| ed by outsiders is to show that they
are able to restrain themselves. to
| keep down wrongdoing and disorder
| The Filipino people, through their Off
Gals, are therefore making real steps
in the direction of se1f-government.
hope and believe that these steps
| mark the beginning Of a course which
| will continue till the Filipinos become
fit to decide for themselves whether
they desire to be an Independent ma
ton. But 1t is well for them (and
well also for those Americans who
during the past decade. have done so
much damage to the Filipinos by agi-
tation for an immediate independence
for which they were totally unfit to
reminder that self-government de-
Ponds, and must depend, upon the FL
lipinos themselves. All We can do
is to give them the opportunity to
develop the capacity for self-govern-
ment If We had followed the advice
of the foolish doctrinaires who wished
Us at any time during the last ten
years to turn the Filipino people
adrift, we should have shirked the
plainest possible duty and have in
fiicted lasting wrong upon the Fill
pino people. We have acted in ex-
actly the opposite spirit. We have
given the Fi1ipinos constitutional
On Justice; and we have shown thar
We have governed them for their
good and not for our ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
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 gener-
Gus; We must help the TflipiDos to
master the difficult art of self-control,
which is simply another name for self
government. But we can not give
them self-government save in the
sense of governing them SO that
gradually they may, if they are able,
learn to govern themselves. Under
the present system of just laws and
sympathetic administration, we have
every reason to believe that they are
gradually acquiring the character
which lies at the basis of self-govern-
ment, and for which, if it be lacking,
no system of laws, no paper constitu-
ton, will in any wise serve as a sub
stitute. Our people in the Philippines
have achieved what may legitimate1y
be called marvellous success in CIV
ing to them government which
marks on the part of those in author
tty both the necessary understanding
OF the people and the necessary pur-
pose to serve them disinterestedly
and in good faith, I trust that with
in a generation the time will arrive
when the Philippines can decide for
themselves whethr it is well for them
to become Independent or to continue
under the protection of strong and
disinterested power, able to guaran-
tee to the islands order at home and
protection from foreign invasion.
But no one can prophesy the exact
date when il will be wise to consider
Independence as fixed and definite
policy. It would be worse than folly
to try to set down such a date in adj
vance, for it must depend upon the
way in which the Philippine people
themselves develop the power of self
mastery.
PORTO RICO.
l again recommend that American
citizenship be conferred upon the
people of Porto Rico.
CUBA.
In 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 occa-
sion has lasted a little over two years.
and Cuba has thriven and prOspered
under it. Our earnest hope and one
desire is that the people of the island
shall now govern themselves with
justice, So that peace and order may
be secure. We will gladly help them
to this end; but I would soIemnly
warn them to remember the great
truth that the only way a people can
permanently avoid being governed
from without is to show that they
both can and will govern themselves |
from within.
JAPANESE EXPOSITION.
The Japanese Government has post |
poned until 1917 the date of the great |
exposition. the action
being taken so as to insure ample |
Time in which to prepare to make the |
all that it should be made. |
The American commissioners have |
visited Japan and the postponement
Will merely give ampler opportunity
for America to be represented at the