The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1899-11-09

theif iulsIicctT0 cop4ca60, Sos Conos
mission aeys:
"As % gerAral ir,srectua, eapaei.iss
Of tbs ytllpinos the commission y -.
posed 10 rata them high But xxcsptng
IL . limited number Of persona these
capG cities have mob been developed By
education Or experience. TIE misses I
Of the people are uneduca,ed- That Intel
10 gent public opinion On which popular
government rests does not exist Ia the
Philippines. and 1t cannot exist until
education has elevated the masses.
b,cadened their inseI.eesual hor.1en AID
disciplined their faculty Of Judgment
And even then the power OF seif-gos-
sYGment cannot be assumed without
comfortable previous training end ez-
rerience under the guidance and tute-
lege CT an enlighsened and liberal SOW
ereign power For the bald fact Is that
the Ftlipinos have never had any cx-
perience In governing Themselves"
TIE report shows that this inability
for sc.f-goyernment Is due to the Old
Spanish regime. which gave the Fill
pinos little or no part In governing
themselves. After reviewing this Span
I'll, system. the commission sums UP On
this point: This Is all the training In
self-scyernment which the inhabitants
nf the Philippine Islands haze eaJo".d.
Thar lack OF education and political
e. De rience, combined with their racial
and linguistic diversities. disqualify
them u. spite Of their mental gifts and
domestic virtues. to undertake the task
Of governing the archipelago at the
present time. Should our power by any
fatality be withdrawn. the commission
believes that the government Of the
Philippines would speedily lapse into
anarchy, which would excuse, II 1t did
not necesSitate. the Intervention of 9TH
| err powers. and the eventual division OF
| the islands among them. Only through
| American occupation, therefore, is the
| idea OF free, self-governing and unit
| ed Philippine commonwealth, at all con-
cs!vable. And the Indispensable need
| from the Filipino point Of view of MAIN
| tanning American sovereignty over the
archipelago IL recognized by all intelli-
| gent Fil.pinos and even by those insur-
! gents who desire an American protec-
J torate. The latter. 1t Is true, would
| take the revenues and leave us the re-
| spcnsibilities. Nevertheless, they recog-
nize the indubitable fact that the Fill
p!rOs cannot stand alone. Thus the
welfare Of the Filiplnos comedies with
+ the dictates Of national honor. in for.
bidding our abandonment Of the archi-
| pe,ago. We cannot from any, point OF
| view escape the responsibilities OF gov
eminent which our sovereignty entails
and the commission Is strongly per-
studded that the performance of our ma
Hcnal DUTY will prove the creates,
blessing % the peoples Of the Philippine
Islar.is"
OnS Of the closing chapters Of the re-
port Is devoted to tribute to "ous
soldiers and sailors in the war;" TIL;
commission says that the presence Of
Admiral Dewey as member OF this
body makes 1t uniting to dwell on 1t,
personal achievements, but he joins il
the eulogy Of his comrades. The com
mission witnessed sSme Ut the many
brave deeds of our soldiers. ar! the,
declare that all the skill, courage. and {
patient endurance can do. has beef
done In the Philippines. They dismiss
the reports OF the dissertation
churches, the numbering of prisoner
and the committing Of unmentionabl
crimes and say they are glad to expires
the belief that a war was never NOR
humanely conducted.
The commission gives a general vie1
Of the value of the islands, their richie
In agricultural and forest products
their mineral wealth, and their com
| manding geographical position. The
state that the Philippine Islands shout
, become one of the great trade centre
| Of the East. Manila is already con
nected by new steamship lines wit
Australia. India and Japan and sh
will become the natural terminus c
many other lines when a ship cana
, connects the Atlantic and the Pacific
: cannot be doubted that commerce wi
greatly increase and the United Stats
, will obtain a large share in this incri
a ment. Manila, with the immunity thu
: it has SO far enjoyed from that terrib
9 pest, the bubonic plague, should b
come a distributing centre for Chin
: Slam. the Straits Settlements, TonQui
, AMMAN and Australia. The report COZ
!, cluGes:
= "Our control means to the inhabitan
: Of the Philippines internal peace ar
0 order, a guarantee against foreign al
e erosion and against the dismembe
e ment of their country. commercial ar
n Industrial prosperity and as large
" share Of affairs of government as the
+ shall prove fit to take. When PEG
A and prosperity shall have been esta
y lished throughout the a. chipe ago, VIII,
/, education shall have become genera
n then, in the language of a leading FIJI
q pino, his people will, under our gui
i ance, become more American than Il
r. Americans themselves
a The report is signed by J. G. Schu
Il man. George Dewey. Charles Denl
n and Dean c. Worcester.