The sun., 1899-11-03
under tho guidance and tutclage OF an on.
lightcned aud liberal Sovereign power.

lgU1cUcu dlI llhcldl GbNItlEu DOW'I'
No EXPERIENCE IN sELr-GovERSMEST.
For tho bald fact II that the Filipinos have
never had any experience in governing them.
selves The Avs for the Arehlnelago were all
and applied them wero al sent out from Spain.
And as the legislative and judicial jurisdiction
Spain. so the legislative and administrative
branches OF the Government were. with tho
exception of the lowest officials. completely in
II goes without saving that. tho. Governor
General was appointed by the Spanish Govern
ment. He was assisted hy a council Of admin
istrntion. whose members were in part APP
pointed nv tho Spanish Government and IN
tho Spanish Government controlled. Spain
also appointed the Governor Of everv rroyince
Governor. only the minority OF the mem beers
were elected, and thsse not by the peopls at
large, but the heads or mayors ma nmunShlp. dhp.
II was that neither in tn" government OF the
province nor in the general Government oi The
pins any control aud scarcely even voice
Indeed. these provincial councils. for which
TO elect u minority OF the members. had only
advisory powers in relation 10 the Governor
and Yf EsSiS.s sdyl.Ins Il the Goysrnor, the coun!
ellis had no other function but to inspect the
administration Of the AFFAIRS OF tho munici-
Evsn the municipal councils were, therefore.
not bodies controlled by the people. In ad-
dition to constant inspection and direction
from the PROVINCIAL junta. every municipal
council was liable to warning, admOniton,
tiovsrn"r Cove ", Of ii. province And 10 make the
control from above still! more effective. the
all the municipal tribunals and was vested with
rovcr to discharge members or even the
Even when mmnicinal government had been
thus cirrum Scribcd ihe masses of the people
had no share In i. Suffrage was limited 70 the
"prncTal people OF tho town, and elections
wore Indirect The " principal people were.
present and past Office holders and persons
Ps9s ,hns as KIT .asd by Sao
twelve delegates: and those elected the munich
pal tribunal. which actually governed the
This /. all the training in sslt.goyernmopt
| which the inhabitan,s OF the PhiLrplne lslands
| political experience. combined with their ra:
| ca and linguistic dtversities disqualified
mestic virtues. 10 undertake. the task OF gov
erniuc the archipelago atthe. present time. The
| most that can he cNpect"d Of them ia to cooper.
a'~with the American in the administration OF
general affairs from Manila ~ n centre and to
| InI.rtasc subject TO american control or guild
Hnce 'as may re found necessary !. the admin.
istr,tlon ~ provincial aud municipal AFFAIRS.
Fortunately. there arc educated filiplnos.
| tion O! tho entire population. aud their support
and services will be Of incaicuabe value in
innuHuratlug and maintaining he new govern
ment. A. education advances and experience
rirous the natives may he entrusted with
larger and more independent share OF govern
men' self government, as the American ideal.
being constantly kent IN Wow as the goal In
ms way American sovereignty over tne
archipelago will prove n great political boon to
the people.
ANAECHY WOULD FOLLOW ORR WITHDRAWAL
Shouli our power by any fatality ne with
drawn the Commission believes that the gov
ernment 81 the Ihllpnines would speedily
did not necrSSitate, IN" Intervention of other
powers, and the eventual division OF the islands
among them Only through American occupa-
tion. therefore. is the idea OF u free. self-Gov-
eTning aud united Philippine Gommonwsath at
from, Inc iinino point of view Of maint aiming
American sovereignty over the archipelago 10
has" WSo d.- an sss
protectorate. The latter. Il Ia true. would take
ne reysnres and l.aye Us the responsibilities,
daSi,aGe fact 'Hn that the ipn"s ' cam IN
no, nn n,Dos alone eog9s. I Il. EsiaTc 5'.,, 1i
oi national honor in iorbldIirg our abandon
ment ~ the archipelago. We cannot from any
point oI View escape the responsibilities oi the
| government which our soysrsigntv entails. and
| the Commission is strongly persuaded that tho
| the greatest blessing TO the reoplesot the Phil
| inpne lsiands
| orR SOLDIERS ANp SAILORS IL 1HE WAR
The Commission Is not willing to close this
sailors and soldiers. Ihe nresencs OF Admiral
| Dewey a. a member Of this body makes II an
hI hut hs IoIns With us in cuosy Of his comrsdos'
| We were fortunate IN witnessing soms Of the
many brave deeds o. ionrsoldiers. Az ntskill.
l
done IN the Philippines. We arc aware that
there are those who have seen 1t To accuse
| our troops OF dcSccrating churches. numbering
prisoners and computing unmsntionable
crimes, TO those who derive satisfaction
from srlHug on Isolated occurrences, re-
grettahlc, indeed. but incident 10 every war.
aud making them tho ,bass Gf sweepinG ac-
say. sim less do we feel called upon to answer
idle ta,es without foundation in fact. But.
fOund 1t dinlcult to understand why the
Transporting or American citizens across the
| Pacific DC"nn should chang" their nature, we
are glad 10 express the belief that u war was
never more humnney conducted. lnSurKent
wounded were repeatedly succOrei on the liz i'd
by our men al tho risk OF their Iivcs Those
WHO had q chance Tor iitc were Ia ken to Manila
and tnndcrlv cared for in our hospitals. II
churches were occupied It WAS only as a mill
tnry necosstv. and frequently after thcir
use Rs forts by tho insurgents had made
i necessary to train our artillery upon
thSm, Prisoners were taken whenever oppor-
tunity offered. often only to bo set at liberty
after being dearmci and led, Up to tho time
OF our de- arturo. although numerous spies
|