There Appears To Be Little Light On The Situation

THERE APPEARS TO BE LITTLE LIGHT ON THE SITUATION

There appears to a direct conflict between the opinions of the military and civil officers in the Philippines  as to conditions there. Governor Taft, who has just returned from there for the purpose of giving congress and executive such needed information as the status of affairs says that the civil authority is getting along finely and its jurisdiction is being constantly extended and that in the very near future not more than fifteen thousand soldiers will be needed in the whole of the islands. According to the governor the people are being rapidly pacified and are coming to have nothing but good will toward the United States. On the other hand General Chaffee, who is in command of the military forces there, says that fifty thousand soldiers will be needed for a long time to come. General Wheaton says that fifty thousand men will be needed for at least five years to come and both generals unite in saying that the Filipinos are not pacified at all, that they are just as much opposed to American rule as heretofore. On top of this testimony of the military chiefs comes that of one Stephen Bonsal, who has spent several months in the archipelago. in which he declares that there is no reconciliation in the islands at all and that the opposition to American rule is even more determined than before the capture of Aguinaldo.  He says the natives are irreconcilable and that the civil government is a failure. He declares that none of the Filipinos desire nor are willing to accept the colonial relation to this nation and that nothing but the military keeps them in any kind of subjection. The native constabulary serving under United States authority, he declares, would rise against that authority at once but for the presence of the military.

Of course all these gentlemen cannot be right. Nor is there any basis for the belief that any of them are deliberately lying or trying to deceive the American people relative to the exact situation in the islands. But it is quite evident that each sees the situation through his own glasses, or in other words, about as he wants to see it. The truth Is probably somewhere between these extremes. But supposing it to be between these extremes the outlook must be acknowledged to be anything but satisfactory. If the situation be even as stated by Governor Taft, a situation which demands indefinitely fifteen thousand soldiers; it is not pleasing to contemplate. And if be what the others say it is, it. is bad indeed. At any rate these conflicting opinions indicate that the United states government is blundering along hoping that the best may happen while constantly fearing the worst. It is a bad matter to make the best of it. But undoubtedly the situation might be cleared by telling the Filipinos once for all that the United States intends to eventually withdraw from the islands and allow the people to govern themselves. With a definite understanding of this kind and the assurance that they will be aided and protected by the United States in establishing a government of their own and then left to work out their own affairs, the insurrection would undoubtedly come to an end very shortly.

Railroad Commissioner Osborn has given a synopsis of his forthcoming report to the press and it is interesting matter. Speaking of grade crossings of electric and steam roads, he says the department has taken strong ground against crossing on grade and that in most instances the electric roads have been convinced that it is to their interest to have grade separation. During the year twenty crossings of electric and steam roads have been ordered separated or approved. Let it be hoped that this good work will continue. Ann Arbor approves the commissioner's stand for grade separation and wants him to bring it about in the university city. There are few points, if any, where it is more needed than in the city of Ann Arbor.

Congressman H. C. Smith now has another thorn in his flesh. This is one he has just produced by his turn down of "Doc" Smith. The soon-to-be ex-postmaster of Adrian has announced as a warm and aggressive candidate for the second district congressional nomination and says he will be after delegates from this time forward without intermissions of any kind. He proposes to camp on the trail of the jollier in that neck of woods just as Editor Helber does in Washtenaw. And together they are likely to make the Hon. Hank sweat blood in his ambition for a third nomination. Of course this unpleasantness is no democratic affair, but if the Adrian postmaster has as good a case as has Editor Helber, then he cannot be blamed for going after Hank's scalp. The Ann Arbor man has undoubtedly been treated most shabbily. It is not clear to the fair minded man how anyone on honor bent could hand out to another the treatment Congressman Smith has to his committeeman in this county. With the red hot opposition Smith seems sure to encounter in Washtenaw and Lenawee and an active candidate in Wayne whose buttons have been spread all over district already, it looks as though Jordan will be a hard road for Smith to travel to another congressional nomination.

Rear Admiral Schley has very properly decided not to enter politics and he has made his decision most emphatically known to a great concourse of people at Chicago. There Is no mistaking what he meant when he said: "I desire to say most emphatically that I have no desire to be other than a sailor. I have no aspiration for any civil office, however high it may be. My one ambition has been to serve you faithfully, loyally, devotedly, and If I have succeeded in doing that the measure of my ambition is full, and my only other ambition is that 1 may retain for the rest of the years that may be vouchsafed for me, your love, your esteem and your respect. I would not care to jeopardize that by seeking or accepting any office." These are the words of a good sailor, a brave, true, patriotic man, a man whom  the men who sought the credit of planning battles seated in comfortable offices in Washington, have conspired to rob of the credit due him for the victory of Santiago.

Even mediocrity may make a record, and here is the record of our mediocrity governor since he has held the high office in Michigan. His first notable act was his signing the notorious ripper legislation for the city of Detroit. So was eager was he for this that he got up in the morning and signed the bill before he was dressed. Next he posed as a reformer in opposition to cigarettes and even contemplated calling a special session of the legislature to consider the subject. Then matters moved along smoothly until the governor one day turned up In Washington to record the fact that he was opposed to President Roosevelt's Cuban policy. Then he rushed into print by means of the reporters as favoring Olympic games in Chicago and caused people to wonder how long he had known anything about Olympic games, so completely had he formerly hidden his erudition. Then his opinions of Lipton's proposed Shamrock III were recorded. What else has he done or said?

The correspondents are beginning to figure on whether Roosevelt can command enough votes in the next republican national convention to nominate him or not. This speculation is valueless. The president's nomination depends entirely upon the course of future events. If he angers enough of the political leaders or the people between now and the convention time he will not be nominated. If he does not, he will be and no figuring on the vote of particular states is now possible.

It is evident that the Bliss machine is at work bolstering up the chances of mediocrity to retain possession of the governor's chair. The possession of the offices is the main reason that animates them. There doesn't seem to be much reason to believe that Bliss will not be re-nominated and his loyal office holders may with flattering unction claim the credit. But Michigan ought to be tired of mediocrity.

It looks as if the United States would soon be called upon to send away from its shores another consignment of school teachers. That seems to be the course pursued upon each new annexation. This new consignment of school teachers will be ticketed at government expense tor the Danish West Indies. The United States acquirement of new territory is rapidly progressing.