The San Francisco call., 1899-11-03


favorable to the American propaganda.
The towns of Bacoor and linus were Sc
lected for the purpose OF experiment and
after talks with the local head men," a
local form of government was established
Encouraged by the result, the work was
continued at Paranaque, Las Pinas and
other towns, with similar good results.
At the request of General Lawton, who
had been assigned to this work by Cen
eral Otis, the commission prepared SIM
pie scheme of municipal government,
similar enough to the old system to be
readily comprehensive to the natives, but
giving them liberties which they had
never before enjoyed. This scheme was
adopted and gave general satisfaction. In
every instance enthusiasm ran high be-
fore the Commissioners took their depart
ure and cheers were raised for General
Lawton and for the country which he
| represented.
The commission states that a large
amount of supervision over the affairs of
our new municipalities proved necessary,
as the officials were timid and slow to
! comprehend their new duties. At many
of the elections the voters went about
| asking whom they would vote for" and
It was only with great difficulty that they
| were persuaded to exercise the right of
! free suffrage.
The commission sums up the situation
at the time of their departure as follows:
When we left Manila a large volume of busI-
ness being done and the streets were so
! crowded as TO be hardly safe. The native pop
ulation quiet and orderly and all fear Of
uprising had long since passed. An efficient
! corps of native policemen was on duty. A
| system Of public schools in which English was
| taught had been advocated by the commission
| and established by General Otis. Some 5000
| scholars in attendance.
| In the Tagalo province Of Luzon, where the
anti-American feeling had been strongest pub
! lie sentiment had greatly changed. as evi-
! of Balaganas had offered TO surrender his
! troops and his province II we would only send
Luzon, had risen against their Tagalo mas
| ters The Macabebes were clamoring for an
| opportunity to fight in our ranks and native
| soldiers and scouts were also serving under
! General Lawton. Stories OF the corruption Of
| insurgent officers were becoming daily more
common and the dsintegration of the enemy s
forces was steadily progressing. The hope of
assistance from outside sources seemed TO be
| all that held them together.
Having given so much attention to the
! Island Of Iuzon the commission then
/ takes IN detail the condition of the other
! islands. On this point 1t is stated that
| the rebellion IS essentially Tagalo, and
throughout the archipelago. The situa-
| tion elsewhere than Luzon is summed up
as follows:
! The only island. apart from Luzon. where
! serious trouble threatens Is Panay, TO which
considerable force of Tagalo soldiers were
! sent before outbreak of hostilties. Many
| of the Visayans of this island are opposed to
! Tagaos, however, and IT is not believed that
! the latter make a formidable resistance.
In Samar. Leyte and Masbate the Tagalo in
vaders are numerically few and disliked by
the natives of these islands, whom the have
oppressed We were assured that 200 men
would suffice to restore order in Mandoro
BObol asking for troops, the Calamanes
islanders had sent word that they would well
come US. There be resistance in Pala-
Satisfactory relations had already been
established with the warlike Moros, whose
Sultan had previously been conciliated by a
member Of the commission and IN Mindanao
this tribe had even taken up our cause and
attacked the insurgents of whom there are
very few in the island. In Cebu We have only
to reckon with the lawless element. which has
been formidable there.
Special attention is given to the island
of Negros, as this seemed a field well
adapted TO the extension of an American
system; Here the natives had adopted
local form Of government. including a
Congress. and had raised the American
flag. They believed themselves capable
of managing their own affairs and asked
for battalion of troops to hold in check
a mountainous band of fanatics. The bat
talon was furnished, but the people
proved unable to carry out their pro-
gramme, owing to i'll feeling among their
own officials. The Americans remained
popular. At the request of General Otis
new and Simplified scheme of govern
ment for the island, giving the people a
large voice in their affairs, but placing an
American in full control was put into
operation. 1t brought about satisfaction
and public order is better in the island to-
day than at any time during the last
twenty years. Summing the failure Of
success of the American control, the COM
mission says:
The fiat failure Of this attempt to establish
an independent native government In Negros,
conducted as 1t was under the most favorable
circumstances, makes it apparent that here.
rs well in the less favored provinces a large
amount OF American control is at present abso-
lutely essential to a successful administration
of public affairs.
The efforts at conciliation with Aguin-
aldo and his various commissions are set
were assured of the beneficent purposes
of the United States and the President 8
readiness to grant the Filipino reople as
large a measure of home rule and as
ends of Government, subject only to the
recognition of the sovereignty of the
United States-a point which being es-
tablished the commission Invariably re-
fused to discuss"
The commission adds that nothing came
of the negotiations, as Aguinaldo's ennis
saries were without powers and merely
came and came again for information.
Courteous reception was accorded to the
insurgent commissions and earnest ap-
peals made to stop further boodshed, all
ton" exhibited by the American com
mission in endeavoring to reach an
amicable adjustment with the insurgents
as we'll as the obduracy Of Aguinaldo
The report sums up the result Of these
fruitless exchanges as follows:
No better proof could be furnished that the
primary object of this struggle is not, as is
pretended the liberty of the Filipino peoples.
despotic power. In any event. the American
people may feel confident that effort was
omitted by the commission to secure a peace
full end Of the struggle, but the opportunities
they afforded and urged were all neglected IL
not, indeed spurned.
The chapter devoted to "capacity for
self-goverament" is the result, the report
states, of diligent inquiry for several
months IN the course of which a great
number Of witnesses were examined Of
all shades of political thought and va
rieties Of occupation, tribe and locality
The most striking, and perhaps The most
significant fact in the entire situation is
the multiplicity of tribes inhabiting tn 1,
archipelago. the diversity of their
languages (Which are mutually unintelli-
gible) and the multifarious phases Of
lcivilization-ranging all the way from the
highest to the lowest. AS to this the re-
port SAYS: THE Filipinos are not a ma
ton. but a variegated assemblage Of diff
ferent tribes and peoples, and their loyal
ty is still of the tribal type"
Concerning their intellectual capacity,
the commission said:
AS to the general intellectual capacities of
the Filipinos the commission Is disposed to rate
them high. But excepting In a limited number
OF persons these capacities have not been de-
yeloped by education or experience The masses
of the people are uneducated. Intelligent pub
lie opinion on which popular government rests
does not exist in the Philippines. And 1t can
not exist until education has elevated the
masses broadened their intellectual horizon
and disciplined their faculty Of judgment And
even then the power of self-government can