Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1916-03-02
The PHILIPPINES and Their Destiny.
Greensboro News

~ J S Sto w
which the people of the United
States are OF one mind it is theil
absolute certainty that they dc
not want the PHILIPPINE islands as
a permanent investment. Every.
body says we must turn them
loose as soon as there is any pos.
sibility Of their taking care oI
themselves. The senate has pass
Ell a resolution settingfour years
as the time limit, and forthwith
numerous and vociferous critics
began r,roundly denouncing the
senate.
We find 1T rather difficult to
follow the logic OF the critics. 1t
may be the senate was thinking
more OF a campaign pledge than
OF the Filipinos when it passed
the measure, but at that it was
a good campaign pledge. 1t may
be that something may happen
within the next four years to
prevent the carrying out OF the
plan, but in such a case the worst
charge that could be brought a.
gainst the senate would be that
ofpassing a useless bill-as char
ges 60, @ light one. 1t has been
said that the senate ought not
raise the Filipinos' hopes only to
dash them. But this senate means
what it says; II another senate
reverses this one, that is not the
fault al a dead-and.gone.
We, for one, aregettingexceed.
ingly weary Of endless reitera.
ton OF this country's "duty" to-.
ward the Filipinos. Unfortunate
ly We did butt in on the destiny
OF the islands, and destroy their
governmental system as then es-
tablished. Therefore We clearly
owed it to them to set up a sub
stitute system as good as t h e
one we had knocked down; be-
yond that we cannot see where
this government has any duty
toward, or owes any obligation
to the tilipinos. + We have set up
q system ofgovernment certain
ly not inferior to Spanish tyran-
ny. Our duty is done. Then for
heavens sake let US get out. Ii
the senate is to be criticised it is
fur. eking the term four years
instead Of four months.
We have no illusion about the
Filipino's fitness for self-govern.
ment. Unless Uncle Sam stands
over the islands with a bayonet.
within FIVE years after the Stars
and Stripes are hauled down
from over Manila bay, the Ris-
ing Sun will 60 up. Butyou can't
learn to swim withoutgoing near
the water. You can't learn to
govern yourself without trying
II we let the Philippines go there
is hope that within four or five
centuries they may learn the art
OF sell-government. True, it took
the Anglo-Saxon more than a
thousand years to acquire that
working knowledge of the sub.
iect that he has now, but the Fill
ipino will have the advantage OF
better instruction.
The world is pretty generally
generally agreed that George
newy might have sailed all the
Seven Seas and looked in vain
for q more utterly useless mess
Of junk to wish on his beloved
country. The sand bars dignife
by :the name OF islands are ex-
ceedingly barren, exceedingly un.
healthy IN most cases, and ex-
tremely hot mall. Moreover they
are extremely far from any legit-
innate trade interest OF the Uni
ted States and their population
represents the other extreme OF
the human race in its origin and
ideals.
The Yellow Peril may be quite
as perilous as California imag-
;noo hut oil tho oamo wo could