Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1908-08-07

leased from centuries Of despotic mis-.
rule and still struggling violently
against the manifest destiny Of Amer
lean guardianship No other American
statesman ever was called upon to
undertake a like task. How we'll
Judge Taft fulfilled his mission is in
Dictated by the present situation in the
Islands. After bringing about SEM
blance Of civic organization Taft was
appointed civil governor of the Phil
ippines. He remained four years in
the islands. When finally he returned
to the United States to become secre-
tary OF war in the Roosevelt cabinet
he had nodded form out of chaos and
had given the Filipinos running start
toward ultimate self government of
the most approved American brand.
Before departing Cor the Philippines
Judge Taft had said at dinner that
his sincere purpose was to help the peo-
pie of those islands. When he was gov
ernor nf the archipelago some Ameri-
can residents complained of certain
rulings made by him. Taft replied:
''.rhese islands are being governed
for the benefit of the natives. If Won
don't like the government YOU can get
out
And he said 1t firmly. though. of
course. good naturally. An i'll natured
remark from Taft is a thing altogether
unknown. 1t is not Of record that the
big Ohioan ever got angry save upon
that one memorable occasion when as
a young lawyer he thrashed fellow
who had libeled Taft's father Even
then Taft took his own time about get
ting soMl and mad
Tho little Filipinos were awed by the
immense size Of the American who
had been sent to guide them into the
paths of progress. At first they held
alo"f. Presently they began to come
closer. There was something in the
Taft smile irresistibly attractive. This
big American was by no means so
fierce as his size suggested. He was in
fact 'l"cile and affable, a friendly sort
of fellow, who seemed to want to help
folks along. Moreover, he had no ex
aggeratt.,l sense Of his own Importance.
! He Wore no uniform, no gold lace. no
badges "f distinction. White fannels
or duck sufficed for Governor Taft's
garl. with a cap or straw hat to COW
err his expansive head. He went around
among the natives just like an old
friend. studying their needs, informing
himself as to their history. so that he
might the better appreciate their point
of view. and always passing upon mat
ters Of administration in the spirit of
/ the jurist on the bench who weighs
carefully both sides Of case before
delivering his opinion.
| The result of the Taft methods and
the Taft manners was that the Filipi-
nos came to love the large and liberal
American who was sent to rule over
them. They called him saint" Taft,
and when he departed for the United
States they We're not to he comforted
Governor Taft had remained long
| enough to prove to the islanders that
the United States has no intention to
exploit them or their resources for the
benefit of anybody other than them
selves. lie had made good his express
ed desire to do something to help the
Filipino people. He had shown that
the archipelago's new government was
for the benefit Of the native people and
not i'm the interest of the American set
tiers. This attitude of guardian ma
ton to a ward was something low un-
der the sun, and it required some time
for the fact to percolate into the Fill
pino understanding and into the appre-
citation of the skeptic world
When William II. Taft In 1904 re.
turned to enter the cabinet he already
was man with career. He had
achieved enough to place his name
securely in American history. But his
career was still in the making. The
United States found 1t necessary under
treaty provisions to interfere in the
affairs Of Cuba in the interest of peace
and stable government. Secretary
Taft proceeded to the island and
nursed it through the throes of a civic
revolution. In Cuba, as in the Philip
pines. Taft spelled "tact'
Though in public life for a quarter
of century, Mr.. Taft's only elective
office was that of superior court judge
in Ohio. That Office he resigned to &C.
cept u presidential appointment: The