Our Philippine Policies and Their Results Author(s): W. Morgan Shuster Source: The Journal of Race Development, Vol.

1, No. 1 (Jul., 1910), pp. 58-74 Published by: Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/29737847 . Accessed: 04/10/2013 02:05
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OUR PHILIPPINE POLICIESAND THEIR RESULTS

By Hon. An Address Delivered W. Morgan Shuster September
East

at Clark University,
Conference Upon

14, 1909, during the

the Far

When self than

a person

presumes of an

to address

a considerable

number

of his fellows on any subject he should at least believe him?

to be the more to have expert, something he of the of which matters average knowledge as our courts have the very of good practice something an expert witness to "qualify" to express I shall opinions, as such before endeavor to do per? so,

talks?and requiring mitting

him

briefly, by stating that I have lived in the Philippines for nearly eight years, during which period I have held the office
of last insular collector and two years of customs, and subsequently, a half, the positions of secretary for the of pub?

lic instruction and member of the Philippine Commission. I have visited practically every province in the islands at
least once?some of them many times?and have been

thoroughly in touch, chiefly through my knowledge of Span? ish, with a great number of the leading Filipinos in all walks of life. I believe that I know something of our work and of
the existing situation on them. and from there I may and that judgment observation diversion err in some and not I can pass an unbiased of my opinions, but

the mistakes

will be due entirely to my

deduction, the strict truth. to any

limited powers of
bias or conscious

I hold no brief for anyone, and look back on the eight

the people years of my stay in those islands and labors among there with pleasure were and deep satisfaction. years They full of experience, and some hardships, the but struggles results obtained the disappointments, the and outweighed now left on my mind is one of fixed determination impression to do what ditions there I can and in future to aid to add in bringing to our knowledge of con? a just appr?cia about

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OUR

PHILIPPINE

POLICIES

59

tion of our work there and of the Filipino people, in whose behalf it is being performed.
Statement of our Policies

Our national
known. They

policies
are based

in the Philippines
on altruism of

are fairly well

the highest sort.

With them no fair-minded man can possibly find fault. In? deed I have hardly ever heard such a person seriously attempt to do so. Criticisms and attacks on what has been done
have usually been confined to the methods pursued in work?

ing out the details of the larger policies, which is a subject on which fair-minded and intelligent people may well differ
in regard to any great enterprise. I shall consider For convenience, my subject in the fol?

lowing order: our larger policies;

and application; their results today.

their detailed

execution

Briefly put, what we have set out to do in the Philippines is to establish and maintain law, public order and loyalty to the flag of the United States; to inaugurate step by step,
a system of popular of the municipalities, of free public schools, government, townships in which and provinces and secondary, the local affairs shall be man?

aged by elected native officials; to establish a great system

primary and academic, avocations fearless poor, and Ameri?

agricultural
for the duties of a civilized impartial

and industrial, all tending to fit the Filipinos

of citizenship community; for the ordinary to create an efficient, alike to rich and

judiciary,

securing

can, Filipino and foreigner, a fair trial and speedy justice; to assure to the people of the Philippines all the guarantees of the Federal Constitution, except the right to bear arms
and to a trial by jury, for neither of which privileges they are and con? to to observe the material, at present personal prepared; in the social rights of the Filipinos; and, as expressed, of President instructions McKinley's paragraph cluding

the Philippine Commission,

for property and life, civil and religious free? to give protection in the paths of peace dom, and wise, firm, and unselfish guidance to all the people of the Philippine and prosperity islands.

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60 We lectual honest

W.

MORGAN

SHUSTER

are attempting to raise the material, moral and intel? to of more standards than seven millions of people,

instill into them Anglo-Saxon

toil, a common to create language, in them and to

ideas and methods,

a national teach spirit,

to dignify
them

to give

experience, gradual their own destiny A more

to be at some

but them, by practical of future date the arbiters

nation for a great and powerful a weak to pursue whom the towards and dependent people can hardly be imag? fortunes of war had cast into her hands,

as a people. course high-minded

ined. I believe that it is wholly unique in history, and I venture the prediction that it will remain so for a long time
to come. are not nearly and altruism among nations Charity as with so contagious individuals. of two national So far as we may judge from the results accord the great with of the American majority people these policies, and they may well Have Been Executed and are be in so.

elections, hearty How

These

Policies

Applied

which tions ment

I pass now to a more of our discussion, phase interesting is the practical execution of these abstract principles to the and their detailed, countless ques? daily application in the government, and education arising improve? a over 3,000 of unknown scattered hitherto people, cover an area of 127,853 large and islands, small, which miles. The exact number The of inhabitants is held to

square

be 7,635,000, of which about 6,987,000 are rated as civilized

and 648,000 anything three were but as uncivilized. an arbitrary degrees of civilization, how?

ever, shade so gradually that it would be difficult to make

distinction.

Of the ten years of American

spent in repressing an fying populace, real opportunity for constructive that time much has been During a war-scourged

control of the Philippines

insurrection but have work and seven been so that in paci? of years available. recruited by Amer? the United

accomplished. a body of the Philippine By means constabulary, from the officered entirely natives, although largely icans, and with the strong moral support of

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OUR PHILIPPINE

POLICIES

61

States army and their occasional active aid, the islands have been policed into a state of comparative quiet, and bandit
if not entirely wiped its accompanying misfortunes, ism, with I left the islands, a year When out, is at least on the wane. of noted outlaws there were a number still ago last February,

at large, but they have been so harried and hunted that they
can do but only In a matter the Moro little harm, of time. province and their capture or violent end is

there

is comparative force appears impression

peace,

but

outbreaks by those untamed

many only years means to come. of making

fanatics may be expected

upon

for

Overwhelming a lasting

to be the them.

They were one of the greatest problems with which the Span? iards were called to deal from the beginning of their r?gime in the Philippines, and they proved indomitable alike by the bullets of the Spanish soldiery or the teachings of their
missionaries. A strong, quasi-military government is the

only one suited to deal with the Moro problem, which must be clearly distinguished from the general Filipino problem. The Filipinos are Christians and by nature peaceable; the
Moros are Mohammedans and by nature turbulent, lawless

and bloodthirsty; the Filipinos hate and fear them, and it is not too much to say that if the strong arm of the United
States were removed would fierce from have waniors government trol of these a most the Philippines serious of Sulu to-day, the native in the con? problem and Mindanao.

The Philippine Commission, of which President Taft was the head, was charged by President McKinley with the
establishment taxes other and the of a civil government, of and and was insular given general

power to legislate for the islands, including the raising of

things, of courts. system assumed and 1900, One of appropriation was authorized The and among funds, for a to provide directed in June, reached Manila

Commission

1st of that its active duties on September was into to acts the islands its divide year. early a trial courts and and institute districts supreme judicial in the to reestablish law and order did much court, which and The obsolete islands. procedure complicated Spanish was replaced by comparatively simple codes, which at least

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62

WILLIAM

S. WASHBURN

are now settled promptly, bring an issue to trial, and appeals of the controversy rather than on purely and upon the merits The technical from the former system, change grounds.

while disliked by many Spanish lawyers, can be better imag?

ined than described. which The great weakness of our present are often insular for

judicial system in the Philippines

peace courts, are conducted and incompetent, are revenues prejudiced insufficient

lies in the justice of the

who The

by Filipinos even worse.

these who justices, fees and the result that in which the the

to provide adequate receive their compensation low-grade classes due become

salaries

is a rather

by certain set of magistrates.

As a great part of all the litigation in the islands, especially

ignorant goes beyond courts, justice the cases, these inferior magistrates source of great abuse, disorder and government fixed salaries has done its best to never involved, to the minor of nature have even this been state and The are central a

crime.

to remedy

of affairs,

but the question

justices.

is largely one of funds with which

secure a better grade

to pay

sufficient

of native

The Philippine judiciary as a whole, however, both in its American and Filipino membership, is distinctly a credit to
our nation, the greatest and both factors has been and will and continue education to be one of of the peo? in the uplifting

ple of the islands. President McKinley

instructed the Philippine Commission

the and establishment to give of a sys? full opportunity the use of the

to regard as of first importance tem of free primary education, to all the people of the islands English language. these lines,

to acquire

seven years, the past substan? Along during tial progress if ever has already been made, and I doubt a so before of free public for schools system large a popula? con? tion has been so rapidly under such adverse provided, ditions, The one at so slight a cost per pupil. of the Filipinos has from the very of our main in the islands. Thousands policies and education first been of free

schools have been established, and hundreds of young primary have been sent into the most Americans distant parts of the

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OUR PHILIPPINE

POLICIES

63

islands to teach and supervise their native assistants. Nearly In 3,000 schoolhouses of all kinds have been constructed. 1908 there were 4009 schools throughout the islands. Of
these, trades, 35 arts and 193 intermediate, 3,701 were primary, 30 domestic and 38 provin? 12 agricultural, science,

cial high schools.

divisions, each can. each

The

islands are divided

of an American

into 36 school
superintendent,

in charge

and these divisions are subdivided into 460 school districts,

in charge Including are an Ameri? of a supervising usually teacher, teachers these, there are about 900 American

and approximately
of whom

6,000 Filipino
from

teachers, a great part

and high schools

graduates

the normal

established

by our government.

English

is, and should

There has recently of the schools. the language remain, to been some agitation certain among Filipino demagogues

have the native dialects taught in the schools, with the evi? dent intention of diminishing or detracting from the teach? It is to be hoped that no consideration will ing of English. be given to the proposal. There is no danger of the children
not their learning in the schools. native dialect?whatever may be taught

I believe that it is no exaggeration to say that if our great experiment in the Philippines is to be carried to a successful conclusion along the altruistic and beneficent lines which
we have announced to the world; if we are to make of the race?

Filipinos not a race of coolies and peons, fit only to till the
and take soil, bear the burdens if we are to make them but and orders into an from a superior intelligent, to prepared that cultured, take their can be

position all

capable people, self-respecting in the world's onward march,

result

accomplished

only by the systematic,

patient

education of

in be maintained schools must the people. Free public a com? of to child sufficient numbers proper age give every mon in the English school education, coupled with language, an opportunity train? it to acquire for all who desire special or in some art or trade. Full opportunity ing in agriculture must branches scholastic them to enter the higher be given as as far academic desire in purely and to advance they may It is useless to hold forth ideals of equality, pop learning.

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64 ular

W.

MORGAN

SHUSTER

government, rice-growers

constitutional and coolies.

rights, I do not

social

recognition to pass here

and good citizenship to a people of whom we seek to make

only pretend

upon the feasibility or the advisability of the policies which we have adopted or the ideals which we have held before them, but I do say that, having boldly announced those poli?
cies and set those ideals, we can only carry a broadly conceived and sincerely executed " the little red schoolhouse," tem, in which ing basis time shop, the agricultural of intellectual We need school and farm, will one them out through sys? train? college much educational the manual and the

and university
the work and

shall each play its proper role. Even on this

renovation not require of expect generation such stupendous results.

education

patience. of the masses

to produce

The training of the present generation of Filipinos will, of necessity, be somewhat superficial, but the ground will have been broken and the improvement thereafter will be steady
and sure. with It seems to me useless To and but or raise their to talk to even increment, of "years'? in con? modern who colony present, nection standards have such a task. ordinary of people

seven millions, never been anything such as "decades''

a dependent "generations."

Malayan At

will require time which may be better expressed in some larger

unit, sition

although

the Philippine Assembly

has shown every dispo?

to cooperate with the government in making appro? the for in educational and priations spite of the sac? work, rifices made there are at least 800, by the people themselves, 000 children, of school age, for whom there are no public

school facilities, due to lack of insular funds. About 400,000

children are now prac? provincial governments a and fair basis for estimat? tically autonomous, they afford of the Filipinos to conduct, even ing the present capacity on a minor While scale, their fiscal and other public affairs. there are some exceptions, the provincial have governments not been successful in the of their strikingly management or in the maintenance finances of highways, two of the most important they have, duties committed as a rule, shown to some them. results. In other The respects municipal The municipal are at present and receiving free public instruction.

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OUR PHILIPPINE

POLICIES

65 of frenzied

governments the local

have

usually

entered

upon

a career

finance, apparently
treasury of a select coterie

deeming

it their first duty to exhaust

money municipal for the police outside salaries force, of the

by appropriating of officials. The

which was intended to be an important factor in the preser?

vation of order and detection of crime, as one has,

city of Manila,
has universally relatives ness, and and

been a disgrace and a laughing-stock.

been regarded of the "perquisites"

It
of

the local presidente, to which he was to appoint his indigent

or fit? of their courage henchmen, regardless was to draft his personal from which he servants, It is a peculiar fact that police and attendants.

messengers

forces all over the world

grounds for corrupt

seem to be the chief stamping

and grafters, and certainly,

politicians

if that trait be indicative of high civilization, our Filipino municipal officers, in that respect, at least, need no education
from us.

But at all events no just claim may be made that the full? est and fairest opportunity has not been given to the Fili?
pinos to manage rather their than local too affairs, little. and the mistake, if any

there be, has been in giving them more

assimilate, and have

than they could is simple

The system of raising taxes in the Philippines

the taxes just, and while been the subject of bitter imposed complaint, by our

government they are reason?

able and the burden equitably distributed. The total income from taxation in the Philippines during the year 1908, includ?
ing the ments, a per insular and capita and municipal govern? government, provincial was or the city of Manila, less than $15,000,000, contribution, on the basis of the census and rated of 1903, is

of about $1.91. This is said to be the lowest taxation imposed

in the world, by any civilized government so. It must be noted, however, that while a large number of the Filipinos have but world's goods doubtless as civilized, little more of this

than some of the uncivilized of the people are are in the and often globe. improvident They extreme, one who No has not lived and poor beyond description. can realize in the country traveled the impoverished aspect of the average Filipino village. The impression produced is

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66

W.

MORGAN

SHUSTER

that it would
taxable tion property now

take a lynx-eyed revenue officer to find any

or industry at all. the taxa? So that, while coun? is very with other imposed low, compared as the Philippines can stand at the tries, it is quite as much sources time. The of income present principal government are from customs revenue on such articles duties and internal as spirits, tobacco, matches a civil and service from licenses.

Soon after the assumption of legislative power by the Phil?

ippine Commission credit and of the law was for enacted, the which,

while subject to the usual criticisms, has redounded to the

cleanliness and made government of the insular service law, many Filipinos in general. have been improvement Under the encouraged

operation government.

of this

to fit themselves

for work in the different blanches

of the

Along the line of public works great progress has been made. Over 500 miles of roads have been built, and great
numbers repaired. buoys of bridges and The American and the has culverts have been has an constructed built equal spent nearly number five years and 100 of in government located almost it has already

lighthouses, about

islands;

the work of charting the archipelago. Over $3,000,000 has been spent on improving Manila harbor and $800,000 on
the port works at Iloilo strides have been made, where a new have system few of the larger provincial tary rules on seven millions and Cebu. especially great city of Manila, and a modern sewerage of Manila Outside and a in the In sanitation

water system gravity just been completed.

the task of imposing sani? towns, of people, in small vil? scattered

is a gigantic, if not impos? lages over an immense territory, sible one, until the education of the masses shall have secured to the government some more of coopera? substantial degree tion by the people themselves. The police and fire depart? ments and of Manila render most offices. efficient telegraph the building of 750 miles of railroad, a amount considerable of track islands, and laid. Among other things, the public lands have been thrown Concessions service, as do the postal have been granted for over various distributed has already been

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OUR PHILIPPINE for settlement, been been been a system reformed, repealed, put

POLICIES

67 for

open

of government

guarantee

the titles of real property has been instituted, the entire legal
has procedure tive law have prisons industrial have substan? parts of the Spanish or modified, the substituted a modem, humanitarian basis,

education

banks postal savings the government. by There is entire freedom

upon and to the prisoners, is being afforded bank are operated and an agricultural of speech and liberty of the press.

The Philippine Assembly now participates with the Commis? sion in all legislation except that affecting territory inhab?
ited has by Moros granted the and other non-Christian two resident islands peoples. commissioners Congress to the

United
house. This

States, who are admitted

and much more has have been often no one a man

to the floor of our lower

done been can who in pursuance described read had them, never of the

instructions of President McKinley

instructions state that writer's themselves and certainly paper, were by they penned

of April 7, 1900. These

as a model realizing seen the

Philippine
keen

Islands, without
insight into

a profound admiration
conditions there.

for the
They

the actual

have been the basis of all our policies in dealing with the Filipinos, and an important part of them has been adopted in the organic act of Congress for the government of the
islands.

In the execution of these policies the Philippine Commis?

sion, body, during the seven 1800 years that and it was the the sole same were legislative period promul? a passed large number some laws, of executive orders during and decrees

gated. Some It is not my along rather which Results intention To-day to discuss of These in detail Policies the progress made

but lines of governmental any particular activity, some of the results of our general policies to deal with ten years so far become of our after have evident, of the islands.

occupancy

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68

W.

MORGAN

SHUSTER

We know a good many things about the Philippines, the Filipinos, the Orient and the tropics, that we could not know
ten years to learn. giving to have ago, and we doubtless a twofold Thus education Filipinos and education, the yet a great deal more are is going on. We and scholastic modern

a western, us,through political they, in turn, are teaching our administrators, citizens officials and private there, some? a Malayan of the science thing of the art of governing people, ? of tropico-oriental and it is not colonial administration as much too much to say that there is almost to be learned on one side as on the other. been made is not surprising. as to them That That have a number many been of mistakes more will have be made

in future
pinos

is almost certain, but fortunately

for the Fili?

out

our mistakes

in the carrying

of our policies, in the practical application of our announced principles, rather than in the basic policies and principles
themselves.

The Philippines and the Filipinos have been made the sub?
utterances which ject of so many to fit some particular occasion, were or intended manifestly some to secure special

object,

that one who would

avoid

that defect must

doing

be

careful. extremely It is hard to generalize injustice.

on a whole

race without

some

We have all heard the Filipino described as an idle, treach?

erous, ungrateful, len savage when when belonging ture fits some, corrupt and ignorant; to the educated but unworthy a bombastic class. individual; and shallow Doubtless calumny a sul? orator

As majority. when ignorant, erly led, he he treated,

it is an outrageous a matter of fact, the

this pic? on the vast even prop? fed and

properly loyal soldier; is a reliable, efficient and economical laborer; he is an unusually cultured properly educated, intelligent, and refined He has the Latin for gentleman. predilection words and oratorical unedu? effect, and when high-sounding far too he is the and conscienceless cated, swayed easily by own deceitful his among countrymen. demagogues Perhaps the most oft-iepeated charge against him, as a

is by nature is a brave and

average Filipino, and peaceable; law-abiding

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OUR PHILIPPINE

POLICIES

69

race, is that he is lazy. At first sight there appears to be considerable justification for the statement, but I believe that mature investigation will show that he is not lazy
sense in the ordinary a different philosophy lated in some way, of the word. from often without normal by ours. When he merely At worst, has or stimu? aioused to his patriotism He he or

an appeal complaint.

his pride, he will labor faithfully and cheerfully, undergoing

apalling ever, hardships that under conditions, how? believes, should do just suf?

ficient work to live. This is hardly a physical characteristic, but rather a novel mental attitude. Such physical laziness as there is among them, I have been assured by a highly educated Filipino physician, is due entirely to the fact that
nine-tenths of The the lower classes, the masses, of these fashion, eat only the

minimum
sustained. ically, by

amount of food with which human

great majority a after subsisting, of the soil. They support on the

life may
life parasit

be

spontaneous no more and productions gather produce than the minimum because of their mental above-mentioned, no more, cannot eat more. and, producing attitude, they This may fed on sound like a curious statement, but experience has

demonstrated

beyond cavil that the average Filipino, when

American ration, becomes a different

a substantial

man, physically and mentally, and will do efficient work of the hardest kind. Their general condition is not unlike
that ished For of the "clay-eaters" of the South, and we know from

them how little is to be expected of an insufficiently nour?

the Filipino has been accustomed to doing nothing the bare acts of living, necessary beyond of some one above him in power, intelli? except at the behest in the government Spanish of "paternalism," and did not or thought on the part of of action encourage independence were the natives. Such frowned to things severely upon, Yet of us are surprised that put it mildly. to-day many the Filipinos do not rise to an immediate of appreciation gence islands was their civic obligations, responsibilities and public duties; and The authority. the embodiment community. several centuries

that they do not volunteer

to build good roads, that they

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70 do not their as

W.

MORGAN

SHUSTER and acts

keep

instinctively

in sanitary condition the other many individuals, towns we are accustomed it was the a common

perform, of good enlight? for the

which citizenship ened countries. In parish lage, to his their Spanish priest, to call convent failure who the

to see in more occurrence

times was

native

real power in every Filipino vil? and other local officials presidente and take them to task for or for in good condition, crops, or to point out some of a high never be and order, called

the failure

Sunday, to keep the streets to plant of the people was at "

on each

needed public work and direct that it should be done within

a specified time. This even abusive and was popular government, paternalism" it could times; was done

but

the work and a He

the general he force, was and

public
an

benefited

by

the results.
district.

The
was

parish priest was

energetic

individual in his

stern

omnipresent

task-master; the vital

practically nothing was done except by his direction. This was the experience which the Filipinos had in the past with
duties. public it is to expect habits nervous never I only them, mention in a few it to short show years, how to ridiculous the change a spontaneous suddenly develop of themselves which they have

of generations, and in behalf energy before us of possessed.

One result of our regime in the Philippines

teach which something themselves One must these rains river down of and and of are the enormous drag physical upon a great

has been to
obstacles the work of

uplifting, morally,
people. what by rential whole obliterate blow

intellectually and materially,

the Filipino

in the islands live years to realize fully are. The obstacles natural languor produced comparatively ensuing ruin changeless floods, which carry climate; the tor? out wipe annually and away bridges which roads; typhoons level whole fields of hemp and the growing rice, and wipe depend in some results;

a warm

towns, the best scores

crops, constructed

of houses, destroy on which

groves out the for

cocoanuts, food supply

their

province

of people thousands which every support; year, droughts or provinces, similar unfortunate produce

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OUR PHILIPPINE

POLICIES

71 enormous

rinderpest,

which

decimates

the work

animals;

swarms of locusts which devour growing ciops in a night; fires, which, owing to the highly inflammable nature of the
houses, frequently ing of occasional bonic almost witnessed lutely plague, entirely many sweep an entire of large town; onslaughts these cholera, latter troubles are to say noth? and bu? small-pox have facts. now been I have

although

conquered. such occurrences

These

hard

more. of many They be but confirmed may traveler, some years in the islands. These continued calamities

and know abso? myself, are not the lurid tales of a by have anyone who has lived

produced

three

very

marked
must be pauperize

and lamentable effects upon the Filipinos,

taken large into consideration. of people numbers First, they in an already

which

absolutely impover?

ished community; secondly, they make "fatalists" of the people, and tend to develop in them the laissez-faire attitude and a strong disinclination to struggle against the
adverse in which central ernment reason, only one's forces sufferers of nature; the thirdly, from these accidents have led the people of that nature numerous have instances and merited

received help,

in the form of food and money

to look

from the

government, for assistance their affairs of

do not the

resources

prosper central government

to the gov? for any whenever, as they desire. As the are derived by

taxing the people

themselves,

the hoisting
to our mind. to show continue islands. the that

of oneself by
the forces of a heavy must enterprise be

comes at once bootstraps are sufficient These incidents have are, been, all progress reckoned with on and in and will

nature handicap carefully

to be They in any

discounted

or private. either public there, Another result of our experience to place has been before squarely how mass upon planting roads, best

so far in the Philippines us the vital of question

to uplift and regenerate and most the great rapidly of the people. Is it to be done by seeking to impose a greater them amount of individual in the effort of crops, the in general, and, tilling of the by working soil, the construction harder and longer, of and

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producing more, because we t^ll them that they should pro?

duce more; methods, houses, to better or should stimulate we and strive, by indirection to produce their own desires and the many little suaver more,

by showing them the practical benefits of more food, better

clothing, conveniences

of modern life? The first method

difficulties. hard wants and The again brought gressive envy Under we

is the more direct, but it offers many

a government can make which a man holds that no man

may be compelled to do anything but obey the laws, it is

to see how work harder than he a compulsory labor law should be devised, to, unless to that, to say there are serious constitutional objections

nothing
the

of the impracticability
second course seems to be schools in contact and come forward their and

of its enforcement.
the only feasible one, and as the most allies. effectual

Children go home from the schools where

with teachers and In better-clad to sprout, and more playmates. soon perceiving food,

they have been

their more time that the pro? seed of

begins better

their parents and books

can give them nothing more,

clothes, abundant

the idea of securing better

furniture

through their own efforts forces itself upon them, and from that moment the task of "uplifting" a young citizen is fairly started. There can be no denying that this method
is slow, and those of us who if persisted look for very in, success definite will results

within
principle

our time will be disappointed,

is sound,and,

but the underlying

be assured.

Much has been said of the desirability of encouraging American and foreign capital to invest in Philippine indus?
tries that extent, natural and outside enterprises. There can be no doubt whatevei a moderate to even invested there, capital to hasten the development of the do much in a material resources the Filipinos and to benefit be are remembered not of in the unless that habit they substantial and of putting large can read its future

would

it must way?but men solid moneyed sums into a distant with wants a considerable and is entitled

country degree to know

certainty.

What

the American

possible

investor in the Philippines

long he may depend

is, for how

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OUR PHILIPPINE own

POLICIES as the

73 there.

upon

his

government

remaining

sovereign

It is true that our highest executive officials connected with the administration of the islands have stated that a con?
siderable drawing tions at as time must from our seem elapse control to be before of the we contemplate Two situation. can with? genera? know, can be

least, the minimum

by those who recognized there time which must pass before

any radical change in our relations to the Philippines. Capital, however, is not in the habit of acting on mere expressions of opinion in matters so vital to its safety, and for this reason I believe that a declaration at the proper time by Congress of the United States that our sovereignty will not be withdrawn from the islands for a period of at
least fifty investors present years, and when would by the at any time thereafter, those then who only are in which at

on conditions which would

there, deterred go

fully safeguard

the rights of

far to reassure comparative

uncertainty

Such a declaration the future of the Philippines is veiled. by Congress, it is true, would not bind any future Congress, but it would give the weight and solemnity of legislative
action to what is now a mere matter of opinion.

peace and tranquillity of the islands would also greatly benefit from such action, and while there might be a The
temporary uneducated bility outcry fellows, from certain rabid result native would politicians, be who

live by preying upon the prejudices

the final and to our government

and passions

of their

to the execution As it is now,

to give a sta? of our policies, a large number in every raise the

and an industrial impulse to the whole country, which could

be obtained and in no other way. of a class provincial

of natives are being constantly wrought upon by the promises

exhortations municipal, election, of "immediate issue America the fields and in a constant of demagogues, who or for the assembly, invoke the

independence,"

and keep things American, and state of excitement or the crops

to hostility classes laboring while

perturbation,

lie untilled

ungathered.

The
cannot colonial

task which we have undertaken

be or quickly accomplished. lightly but the English administration,

in the Philippines
are new at We can tell us some

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74

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things that they have learned by experience.

Their policies

in dealing with inferior races are often diametrically opposed of government, to ours, but they can teach us that in matters at least, one "cannot hustle and that the science the East," in the Orient for any man. of governing is a life study If we world are to attain any permanent faithfully results what we in the uplifting have so confi?

of the Filipino people; if we are to earn the applause of the

for accomplishing

dently set out to do ; ifwe are to win the respect and eternal gratitude of the Filipino people of the future, then we must continue patiently along the general lines laid down in the instructions of President McKinley, but we must absolutely remove the Philippine Islands, its government and its local
from interests, administrators and support, our policies. the who the arena of American are willing freest possible aware that politics, to make of hand that in the is asking select their skilled duties a

life work, and give to them the fullest moral and mateiial
execution an of I am impossi?

bility, but I make the statement in the hope that in time we shall come to realize its truth and desirability.

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