Arizona republican., 1908-12-09

! Qualifications so strong that no land
 ing force can take them save by
 regular and long continued siege op-
 erations.
 Real progress toward self govern
 ment is being made in the Philippine islands. The gathering of a Philip
 pine legislative body and Philippine assembly marks a process absolutely new in Asia, not only as regards Asiatic colonies of European powers
 but as regards Asiatic possessions of
 other Asiatic powers; and, indeed, al
 ways excepting the striking and won
 derful example afforded by the great
 empire of Japan, it opens an entirely new departure when compared with
 anything which has happened among
 Asiatic powers which are their own | masters. Hitherto this Philippine leg | islature has acted with moderation
 and self-restraint, and has seemed in
 practical fashion to realize the eternal truth that there must always be gov ernment, and that the only way in which any body of individuals can escape the necessity of being gov erned by outsiders is to show that they are able to restrain themselves to keep down wrongdoing and dis ! order. The Filipino people, through their officials, are therefore making real steps in the direction of self government. I 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 nation. But it is well for them (and well also for those Americans who during the past de- cade have done so much damage to the FilipinOs by agitation for an i'm mediate independence for which they were totally unfiD to remember that self government depends, and must depend. upon the Filipinos themselves. All we can do is to give them the opportunity to develop the capacity for 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 Fihpinos constitution al government; a government based upon justice; and we have shown that we have governed them for their good and not for ou raggrandiZement. 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- ous; we must help the Filipinos to master the difficult are of self-con- trol, which is simply another name for self government. But we can not give them selfgovsrnment 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 selfrgov- ernment, and for which, if it be lacking, no system of laws, no paper constitution, will in any wise serve as a substitute. Our people in the Phil ippines have achieved what may le
  cess in giving to them a government which marks on the part of those in authority both the necessary under standing of the people and the .,eces sary purpose to serve them disinter- estedly and in good faith. l trust that within a generation the time will arrive when the Philippines can de-1 eide for themselves whether it is well for them to become independent. OF 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 prophecy the exact date when it will be wise to consider independence as a fixed and definite policy. It 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 people themselves develop the power of self mastery.
 I again recommend that American citizenship be conferred upon the people of Porto Rico.
 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 oc- casion has lasted a little over two years, and Cuba has thriven and proSpered under it. Our earnest hope and one desires is that the people of the island shall now govern them- selves 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 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 exposition 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 Not since the first inter national exposition has there been one of greater importance than this will be, marking as it does the fif- tieth anniversary of the as