The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-12-08

I ample aIIDFuHu by the SItul CiiphS ~
Japan. it opens an entirely new de-
parture when compared with anything
which has happened among Asiatc
powers which are their own masters
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 Filipi-
no people, through their officials, are
therefore making real steps in the di-
rection of self government | hope
and believe that these steps mark the
| beginning of a course which will con-
tinue till the Filipinos became fit to
decide for themselves whether they
desire to be an Independent nation.
/ But it is well for them, and well also
| for those Americans who during the
| past decade have done so much dam
age to the Filipinos by agitation for
an immediate independence for which
they were totally unfit, to remember
that self government depends and
must depend 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 people adrift we should have
! shirked the plainest possible duty and
have inflicted a 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 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 generous. We
must help the F'ilipinos to master the
difficult art of self control, which is
simply another name for self govern
| ment. But we cannot give them self
| government save in the sense of gov
erning them so that gradually they
may, if they are able, learn to govern
themselves. Under the present system
of just laws and sympathetic admin
istration we have every reason to be-
lieve that they are gradually acquiring
the character which lies at the basis of
self 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 may
legitimately be called marvellous sue
cess in giving to them government
| which marks on the part of those in
authority both the necessary under
standing of the people and the neces-
sary purpose to serve them disinter-
estedly and in good faith. l trust that
! within generation the time will ar
rive when the Philippines can decide
| for themselves whether it is well for
| them to become independent or to con-
| tinue under the protection of a strong
\ and disinterested power, able to guar
antee to the islands order at home and
protection from foreign invasion. But
no one can prophesy the exact date
dependence as fixed and definite
policy. 1t 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.
1 again recommend that American
citizenship be conferred upon the peo-
pie of Porto Rico.
Cuba.
In Cuba our occupancy will cease in
about two months time. The Cubans
have in orderly manner elected their
own governmental authorities. and the
island will be turned over to them
Our occupation on this occasion 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
l would solemnly warn them to re-
member the great truth that the only
way people can permanently avoid
being governed from without is to
show that they both can and will gov.
ern themselves from within.
Japanese Exposition.
The Japanese government has post
} poned until 1917 the date of the great
international exposition, the action be
ing taken so as to insure ample time
in which to prepare to make the ex
position 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
exposition. Not since the first inter
national exposition has there been one
of greater Importance than this vii
be, marking as it does the fiftieth an
niversary of the ascension to the
throne of the emperor of Japan. The
extraordinary leap to a foremost place
; among the nations of the world made
by Japan during this half century il
, something unparalleled in all previou:
history. This exposition will fifty
commemorate and signalize the gian
. progress that has been achieved. L