Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-01-19

better off than ever before, and far bet
ter off than they would now he IL
English control were overthrown or
Withdraw Indeed, if English con-
troll were not withdrawn from
India, the whole peninsular would
become a chaos of bloodshed and Vio-
lence; all the weaker peoples. and the
most Industrious and law-abic1ng,
would be plunGered and forced to sub
nit to iridescrih3ble wrong and oppres-
sion; and the only benef1ciaries among
the natives would be the lawless, Vio-
lent. and bloodthirsty. | have no ques-
tim that there are reforms to be ad-
vanced-this is merely another way Oh
saying that the Government has heel
human; | have also no question that
there is being made and will be made
a successful effort To accomplish these
reforms. But the great salient fact is
that the presence of the English In IN
dia, like the presence of the English y,
Egypt and the Soudan. of the French
in AlSierS. of the Russians III TurkeS-
tai, OF the Germans in Southwest Al
RIGA and East Africa (and OF all thcS"
peoples, and of other white peoples, in
lrany other piaces), has been for the
advantage of mankind. Every We'll
wisher OF mankind, every true friend of
humanity, should realize that the part
England has played in India has beel'
to the immeasurable advantage of IN
dia, and for the honor and profit OF
civilization, and should feel profound
satisfaction in the stability and perma-
nence of English rule. I have seen
many american missionaries who have
CINE from India, and l can not ever
state the terms Of admiration in which
they speak Of the English rule in In
dla, and of the incalcufable benefits it
has conferred and is comforting upon
the natives.
Finally, take our own experience in
the Philippines. Spain finally lost
power to be of benefit to the islands;
but do not forget that Spain accom-
plished very. very much for them dur
ing more than two centuries: and that
the islands owe their present posi-
'bilities to the fact that the Spaniar ds
took possession of them. Then we
came in. | am sure that when inter-
national history is written, from the
standpoint of acclaiming international
justice, one chapter will tell with
heartiest praise what our people have
done III the Philippines. Exactly as in
the Caribbean Sea we have endeavored
to give genuine and disinterested help
to the Independent peoples of Cuba and
San Domingo, so, in the same spirit :
though the task is of quite different
character-we are endeaVOring to
educate and train the native races
under our sovereignty in the Philip
pines. In our treatment of the
Filipinos we have acted up to the high
est standard that has yet been set as
marking the proper way in which a
powerful and advanced nation should
treat a weaker people Cuba we are at
this moment leaving for the second
time to work out a destiny which we
now hope and believe will be one Of
stable and orderly independence ana
prosperity. In the Philippines we are
constantly giving an increasing mea-
sure of self government. OF course, in
one sense of the word self government
can never be bestowed by outsiders
upon any people 1t must be achieved
by themselves. 1t means nj this sense
primarily self-control, self-restraint,
and if those qualities do not exist
that is, if the people are unable 10
govern Reconsideration, as there
must be government somewhere, it has
to come from outside. But we are
constantly giving to the people of the
Philippines an increasing share in, an
increasing opportunity to learn by
practice, the difficult art of self
government. If we had abandoned
them at the outset to their own de-
vices. if we had shirked our duty and
sailed out of the islands, leaving them
in a bloody welter Of confusion, the
chief sufferers would have been the
Philippine people themselves. We are
leading them forward steadily in the
right direction, and we are doing it
because our people at home desire that
they shall be treated right, and be-
cause our people in the islands, in the
civil government, in the army, and
among the missionary representatives
of the various creedS work primarily
for the advancement of the people
among whom they dwell. l believe
that l am speaking with historic ac-
curacy and impartiality when I say
that the American treatment of and
attitude toward the Filipino people, in
it's combination of disinterested ethical
purpose and sound common sense.
marks new and long stride forward.
in advance OF all steps THAT have
hitherto been taken, along the path Of
wise and proper treatment of weaker
by stronger races.
y Now, in speaking tonight l wish 20
lay stress upon the missionary side If
the general work in the foreign lands.
America has for over Il century done
it's share of missionary work. We who
stay at home should as matter of
duty give cordial support to those who
in Il spirit OF devotion to all that is
highest in human nature. spend the
best part of their lives in trying to
carry civilization and Christianity into
lands which have hitherto known little
or nothing Of either. The work is vast.
and it is done under many and widely
varied conditions. Personally / have
always been particularly interested, for
instance, in the extraordinary work
done by the American schools and
colleges in the Turkish Empire, botn
Turkey i'll Europe and Turkey in Asia
a work which has borne such wonder
full fruit among the Rulgarians. among
Syrian and Armenian Christians. and
I,,1, I,n n Aln, n1nt, nd