The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1899-11-04

eminent, similar enough TO the old Sys-
TEN to be readily comprehensive to the
natives, but givingfhem liberties which
they had never before enjoyed. This
scheme was adopted and gave general
satisfaction. In every instance enthu-
siasm ran high before the commission
ers took their departure. and cheers
were raised for General Lawton and
for the country which he represented.
Situation at Manila.
The commission states that a large
amount Of supervision over the affairs
of our new municipalities proved nee
essary, as the officials were timid and
slow to comprehend their new duties.
At many of the elections the voters
went about asking who they were eX-
pected to vote for, and it was only with
great difficulty that they were per-
suaded to exercise the right of free
suffrage. The commission sums up the
situation at the time of their depart
ure as follows:
when we left Manila, a large vol
ume of business was being done, and
the streets We're so crowded as to be
hardly safe. The native population
was quiet and orderly and all fear of
an uprising had long since passed. An
efficient corps of native policemen was
on duty. A system of public school in
which English was taught had been
advocated by the commission and es-
tablished by General Otis. Some 5000
scholars were in attendance.
In the Tagalo province of Luzon.
where the anti-American feeling had
been strongest. public sentiment had
greatly changed, as evidenced by the
fact that the military governor of Ba-
langas had offered to surrender his
troops and his province if we would
only send a small force there. The
Biools, in southern Luzon, had risen
against their Tagalo masters.
Macabees Our Friends.
"The Macabebes were clamoring for
an opportunity to fight in our ranks,
and native soldiers and scouts were
already serving under General Lawton
Stories of the corruption of insurgent
officers We're becoming daily more com
mon. and the disintegration of the en-
enly'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 Luzon, the commission
then takes in detail the conditions in
the other Islands. On this point it is
stated that the rebellion is essentially
Tagalo, and when it ends in Luzon it
must end throughout the archipelago.
The situation elsewhere than in Luzon
is summed up as follows:
The only island, apart from LuZon,
where serious trouble threatens, is
Pana, to which a considerable force of
Tagalo soldiers was sent before an
outbreak of hostilities. Many of the
Visayans of this island are opposed to
the Tagalos, however, and it is not be-
lieved that the latter can make q for
midable resistance.
In Samar. Leyte and Masbate, the
Tagalo invaders are numerically few
and are disliked by the natives of these
islands, whom they have oppressed. We
were assured that 200 men would suf-
flee to restore order in Mindoro. Bobol
was asking for troops, the Calamianes
islanders had sent word that they
would welcome us.
Moros Are Peaceable.
There can be no resistance in Pala-
wan. Satisfactory relations had al
ready been established with the war
like Moros, whose sultan had previ-
ously 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 Cehu
we have only to reckon with the law
less element, which hes never been
very formidable there"
Special attention is given to the
island Of Negros, as this seemed a field
we'll adapted to the extension of an
American system. Here the natives
had adopted the extension of an Amer
lean system, including a congress, and
had raised the American flag. They
believed themselves capable of man
aging their own affairs and asked for
a battalion of troops to hold in check
a mountainous band of fanatics. The
battalion was furnished, but the people
proved unable to carry out their pro-
gramme, owing to i'll feeling among
their own officials.
Americans Popular In Negros.
The Americans remained popular. At
the request of General Otis, new and
scheme of government 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 satisfac-
ton and public order is better in the
island today than at any time during
the last twenty years. Summing up
the failure of the native form of gov
eminent and the success of the Amer
lean control, the commission says:
THE flat failure of this attempt to
secure an independent native govern
ment in Negroes conducted, as it was,
under the most favorable circum-
stances, makes it apparent that here,
as well as in the less favored provinces,
a large amount Of American control is
at present absolutely essential to sue
cessful administration of public at
fairs"
The efforts at Cancellation with
4 p11 in Y Al g.
sions are set forth in detail. These COM
rnissioners were assured of the benefl-
cent purposes of the United States and
the presidents readiness to grant the
Filipino people as large a measure OF
home rule and as ample liberty as was
with the ends of government,
subject only to the recognition of the
supremacy of the United States-a
point which. being established. the
invariably refused even to
discuss"
AguinaIdo Is Ambitious.
The commission adds that nothing
came of the negotiations, as Aguinal-
dos emissaries were without powers
and merely came and came again for
Courteous reception was
accorded the insurgent commissions
tllu SeiIeSl dpDedlS IIldue " Sup In
Their bloodshed, all witnessing the
spirit of patient Cancellation exhibited
by the American commission in en-
1eavoring to reach an amicable adj
iustment with the insurgents, as well
rs the obduracy of Aguinaldo. The re-
port sums up the result of these fruit
ess exchanges as follows:
NO better proof could be furnished
hat the primary object of his strug-
gle is not, as is pretended, the liberty
If the Filipino peoples, but the contin-
lance of his own arbitrary and despotic
power. In any event, the American
people may feel confident that no eff
'ort was omitted by the commission to