The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-12-06

determine, when the time arrives,
their own destiny. We are seeking
to arouse a national spirit and not, as
under the older colonial "heory. to
suppress such q spirit The character
OF the work we have been doing is
keenly recognized in the Orient. and
our success thus far followed with not
Q little envy by those who, initiating
the same policy. find themselves hamp-
cred by conditions grown up in ear
her days and Under different theories
of administration But our work is
far from done. Our duty to the Fill
pfnos is far from discharged. Over
half a million. Filipino students are
now in the Philippine schools helping
to mold the men of the future into a
homogeneous people. but there still
remain more than q million Filipino
children of school age yet to be reach
ed. Freed from American control the
migrating forces of a common edu-
cation and a common language will
cease and the educational system now
well started will slip back into inefn-
cheney ar1 disorder.
An enormous increase IN the com
merc'al development of the islands
has been made since they were v1r-
tually granted full access to our mar
kets three years ago, with every NOS
poet OF increasing development and
diversified industries. Freed from
American control such development
is bound to decline. Every observer
speaks of the great progress in public
works for the benefit of the Filipinos,
of harbor improvements. of road and
railways, of irrigation and artesian
wells. bio buildings. and better
means of communication. But large
parts of the islands are still unreach-
ed. still even u-explored, roads and
railways are needed in many parts,
irrigation systems are still to be in
stalled and wells to be driven Whole
villages and towns are still without
means of communication other than
almost impossible roads and trails.
Even the great progress in sanitation,
which has successfully suppressed
smallpox, the bubonic plague, and
Asiatic cholera, has found the cGuse
of and a cure for beriberi, has segre-
gated the lepers. has helped to make
Manila the most hea1thful city IN the
Orient, and to free life throughout the
whole archipelago from its former
dread diseases, is nevertheless incom-
plete in many essentials of perma-
nence in sanitary policy. Even more
remains to be accomplished. If freed
from American control sanitary prog
ress IL bound to be arrested and all
that has been achieved likely to be
lost.
If the task we have undertaken is
higher than that assumed by other
It's accomplishment must de-
mand even more patience. We must
not forget that we found the Fi1ipinos
wholly unframed in government. Up
tc our advent all other experience
sought to repress rather than encour-
age political power. It takes long
time and much experience to ingram
political habits Of steadiness and eff
cheney. Popular self-government ulti-
mately must rest upon common habits
Of thought and upon q reasonably de-
veloped public opinion. No such foun-
dations for self government, let alone
are now present in the
Philippine Islands. Disregarding even
their racial heterogeneity and the lack
Of ability to think az a nation, 1t is
sufficient to point out that under lib
oral franchise privileges only about 3
per cent. of the F1lipinos vote and
on1y 3 per cent. of the people are said
to read the public press. To confer
upon the Filipinos now
ID, therefore, to subject the great mass
Of their people to the dominance Of an
and. probably. exploiting
Such a course win be as
cruel to those people as It would be |
shameful to US.
Our true course is to pursue stead
1y and courageously the path we have |
.hus far followed; to guide the Fill |
oinos into self-sustaining pursuitsi to |
the cultivation Of sound poll |
zeal habits through education and po- |
itical practice; to encourage the d. |
Of industries, and to real |
re the advantages Of their industrial |
education by conservatively approved |
methods, at once check
ng the dangers Of concentrated |
dependent citizenship.
Regulation Of Water Power.
There are pending before congress
| large number of bills proposing to
grant privileges of erecting dams for
he purpose of creating water power
n our navigable rivers. The tendency
If these bills has brought out an Inn
,ortant defect in the existing general
lam act. That act does not, In my
opinion, grant sufficient power to the
FEDERAL government In dealing with
n a oop rfruo@fou oP rueh dama Tn axaOt
protective conditions in the interest
" navigation. It does not permit the
ederal government, as condition of
ts permit, to require that q part OF
he value thus created shall be ap-