Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-12-04
PHILIPPINE CONTROL.
Must Hold Ultimate Independence IN
View and Strive TO Fit Filipinos For
Self Government at Future Date

Self Government at Future Date.
These are all matters Of vital do
nestle concern, and besides then' OUT
side the charmed circle of our own ma
tonal life in which Our affections com
mand us. as well as our consclences'
there stand out our obligations toward
our territories over sea. Here we are
trustees. Porto Rico. Hawaii. the Phll-
ippines. are ours. indeed but not ours
to do what we please with. Such ter
ritories. once regarded AZ mere posses
sions, are no longer to be selhshly eN-
plotted; they are part of the domain OF
public conscience and Of serViceaDle
and enlightened craftsmanship.
We must administer them FOR the
people who live in them and with the
same sense of responsibility TO them as
toward our own people In our domestic
affairs. No doubt we shall success
fully enough bind Porto Rico ana the
Hawaiian Islands to ourselves by ties
of justice and interest and anecuon'
but the performance of our duty TO-
ward the Philippines is more diin-
cult and debatablc matter. We can
satisfy the obligations of generous JUS
tice toward the people of Porto RICO
By giving the ample and familiar
rights and privileges accorded our own
citizens in our own territories and or
obligations toward the people of IIa-
wall by pcrfecting the provisions Tor
self government already granted them,
but in the Philippines we must go flr-
, Their. We must hold steadily In view
their ultimate independence. and we
must move toward the time of that
independence as steadily as the way
can be cleared and the foundations
thoughtfully and permanently laid.
Acting under the authority conferred
upon the president by congress, nave
already accorded the people of the is
lands Il majority in both houses Of
their legislative body by appointing
five instead of four native citizens to
the membership Of the commission. |
believe that in this way we shall make
proof of their capacity in counsel and
their sense of responsibility in the OK
ercise of political power and that the
success Of this step will be sure to
clear our view for the steps which are
to follow.
Step by step we should extend and
perfect the system Of self government
In the islands. making test of them and
modifying them as experience discloseS
their successes and their failures; that
we should more and more put under
the control Of the native citizens Of the
archipelago the essential instruments
Of their life. their local instrumental
ties of government their schools. all
the common interests Of their commu
mites and so by counsel and experience
set up a government which all the
world will see to be suitable to Dco
pie whose affairs are under their own
control.
At last, I hope and believe, we are
beginning to gain the confidence of the
Filipino peoples. BY their counsel and
experience, rather than by our own.
We shall learn how best to serve them
md how soon it will be possible and
wise to withdraw our supervision Let
us once find the path and set out with
firm and confident tread upon it, and
we shall not wander from it or linger
upon 1t.