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Show PHILIPPINES MUST BE RETAINED Defending American occupancy of j the Philippines. B. W. MeKecn, who ' j saw service in the Islandt- says To have returned them to Spain I after that country had misruled and despoiled the islands for 300 years would have been wholly indefensible from any standpoint As to the paying of $20,000,000 to Spain, that was a mere incident, and ' without significance from the stand point of purchase We had the 111-I 111-I ands. By all the rights of war they 1 were ours We could not have given them up under anv conceivable conditions con-ditions and have remained true to civilization and humanity. But. as it was we were virtually stripping Spain of all her Island possessions. Not to j be too Bevere .with her, and as a balm to the Castilian pride, it was finally decided to reimburse Spain to the extent of 120,000.00ft, the amount it was estimated she put into the Philippines Phil-ippines in permanent impro emen's This act on the part of the United States was not a necessity nor was ! the $20,000,000 a purchase price, but i it was, all of a kind with the unexampled unex-ampled act of generosity of this conn .try In remitting the Indemnity which China was to pay to thi6 country for damage done through the Boxer up ; risings 'The Philippine situation sums It I self up briefl to mv mind as follows-' follows-' The Philippines came Into the pos ! session of this country through the fortunes of war I "it was inconceivable that we should return them to Spain after 800 'years of misrule by that country: and equally Inconceivable that we should turn them loose to become a prey to themselves and to other countries for not even the most ardent advocate of Philippine Independence could for a moment argue that the islands were then capable of self government. "The condition of the Philippine people has ben greatly improved by j the fourteen years of American rule but even as yet there is no unity of ! sentiment or nationality among them Fourteen years of good government and education, the latter directed mostly to the younger generation, can not m reason be expected to over come the evil effects of BOO years of Ignorance and misrule, built on a foundation-of still greater ignorance and even savagery. "Not even three generations of American enlightened rule and education edu-cation can fully overcome the ignorance igno-rance of the present generation (though it will do wonders), for It , cannot overcome centuries of hered- i lty. Nor can It fully unify or nation- ' allze the Philippine people. "Philippine independence is not a , problem of eight years, of fourteen I ears, of twenty-one years, nor of J this generation. All we can hope to do, and that is being done nobly. Is , to lay as best we may the foundation i for future independence, but no man 1 can tell the day nor the hour when that can be brought about, for no man j knows the future, nor can properly gauge the progress of these people, i nor foretell future world politics and conditions. "A6 long aa we are doing our best for these people it le not for us to l worry about the exact day of their independence. The future must take care of this question, for no practical, Intelligent man can consistently claim that the day for that Independence Independ-ence Is at hand, or even nearly at hand If such were the case, or could he aoon, a miracle would have to be performed." oo |