如何在jquery tmpl中操作模板内的html标签？

I have a problem, I can't access from outside of jquery template for manipulate html code. This is the result: []

I have this template:

<script id="tmpl" type="text/x-jquery-tmpl">
<select id="country">
<?php
$query = 'SELECT country_id, country_name FROM countries';
$results = $wpdb->get_results($query, OBJECT);
foreach($results as $result)
{
echo '<option value="'.$result->country_id.'">'.$result->country_name.'</option>';
}
?>
</select>
<span value="${countryHelpers(user.country)}" />
</script>

And outside of template I have this code javascript

<script type="text/javascript">
function countryHelpers(country) 
{
$("#country option[value='"+country+"']").attr("selected",function(){return "selected";});
}

How I do for put the attr "selected"

Thanks!

You can try this:

function countryHelpers(country) 
{
    $("#country option").filter(function() {
      return $(this).text() === country
    }).attr('selected', true);
}

Edit: There is a similar question: Selecting an option in a dropdown menu based on node value?