The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-11-03
A COMPACT
SUMMARY OF
CONDITIONS.
Preliminary Report Of the Philippine
Commission Submitted to
the President.
CAPACITY OF THE FIlIPINOS
For self-eovernment = commission-
ers Took Testimony From All
Glasses Of People In Manila.

WASHINGTON. Nov. Ain accord
ance with the understanding reached at
the conference at the white house yes
terday, ths Philippine commission toe
day submitted to the President the pre-
llminary report which It had promised
to prepare.
The report appears to be compact
summary of conditions on the islands
as the committee left them; of ths his
torIcal events which proceeded the
Spanish war and led to the original
Filipino lnsurrection, Of the exchanges
between Admiral Dewey and the other
American commanders and the insur-
gents: the breaking out and progress
Of the present lnsurrection, and, final
~, q statement of the capacity Of the
Flnlplnos for seIf-government. A nota-
BILE feature Of the report is memo
randum by Admiral Dewey explanatory
Of his relations with Agulnaldo. The
report begins with the following state
ment:
'The undersigned commissioners ap-
pointed by you to Investigate affairs in
the Philippine Islands, and TO report the
result Of their Investigations together
with such recommendations Us might
in their Judgment be called for by the
conditions which should be found to
exist in these Islands. have the honor to
submit the following preliminary state
ment in compliance with your request"
The commission next tells briefly how
It conducted the task entrusted to it,
hearing statements from all classes OF
people in Manila as to the capabilities
Of the Flllpinos for self-government,
the habits ami customs of the people.
and also the establishment Of municipal
governments in many towns. All this
matter is to be included in the final re-
port.
History Of the Islands.
Turning to the history OF the islands,
the commission attaches little import-
ouce to the divers rebellIons which had
preceeded that Of 1896. AS to this
movement they declare that It was In
no sense an attempt to win indepen-
dence, but solely to obtain relief from
lntolerable abuses. To sustain this
statement they quote from an insur-
gent proclamation showing that what
was demanded was the expulsion OF the
Brlars and the restitution to the people
Of their lands, with division of the
Episcopal sees between Spanish and ma
tive priests. 1t was also demanded
that the FIliplnos have parliamentary
representation. freedom OF the press
religious toleration, economic autono-
my. and laws. similar to those of Spain
The abolition of the power OF Danish
ment- was demanded, with a legal
equality for all persons in law and
equality in pay between Spanish and
native civil servants. The commission
declare; that these demands had good
ground: that on paper the Spanish sys'
tenn of government was tolerable, but
in practice every Spanish governor did
what he saw ut and the evil deeds Of
men In the government were hidden
from Spain by strict press censorship
AllusIon Is made to the powerful katt
punan society. patterned on the Mason
Ic order ard mainly made up OF Ia
gaos, as a powerful revolutionary
force.
The war begun in 1896 was tcrmi-
mated by the treaty Of BIac-Na-Bate'
The Friplnos were numerous, but pos
gessed only about 500 small arms. The
Spanish felt that 1t would require 1Oo,-
| 600 men to capture their stronghold and
concluded to resort to the use of money
Certain concessions were also decided
upon, including representations OF the
FllIplnos in the Cortes, the deportation
OF the FrIars. which was the principal
question; the grant Of the right OF as
ISOLATION ana Of free press Governor
General Rivera was willing to pay 81
100000 Mexican money when Aguinaldo
and his cabinet and leading officers ar
rived in Hong Kong. 1t appears, how
ever that Paterno only offered the lat
ter 100000. 100000 to be paid When
AEuInaldo arrived at Hong Kong and
the balance when the FlllpInos had de-
ilvered up their arms. The arrange
ment was not acceptable to the people
the promises were never carried out
Spanish abuses began nfresh. in Manila
alone more than 200 men being exc
cuted. Hence sporadic rlsingS occur
red, though they possessed nothing like
tho strength OF the original movement
The insurgents lacked arms, ammuni'
tlon, and leaders. The treaty had end
ed the war which. with the exception OF
an unlmportant outbreak In Cebu, had
been confined to Luzon, spnin's sover'
eighty In the other islands never having
been questioned, nnd the thought Of In
dependence never having been enter
tained.
General Augustin's Appearance
The report then tells how General
AugustIn came to Manin as governor
general at this juncturc and war broke
out between Spain and the United
States. AugustlR sought to secure the
support OF the FIlipinos to defend spNlr
against America, promising them au'
tOnomy, but the FlllpInos did not trus,
him. Then came the FIRST OF May nnd
the destruction OF the Spanish fleet By
Dewey with the resulting loss OF pres
tIgc to Spain. Then in June AguInaldc
came.
Tho report then rapidly Bketohel