River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1899-11-09
PRELIMINARY REPORT.
The Philippine Commission Tells of
Its WoriS-FiIipinos Unfit for
Self-Government


Washington, Nov. 3.--In accordance
with the understanding reached at the
conference at the white house, the
Philippine commission has submitted
to the president the preliminary report
which it had promised to prepare. The
report appears to be a compact sum
mary of conditions on the islands as
the commission left them; of the his
torieal events which preceded the Span
ish war and led to the original Filipino
instruction; of the exchanges between
Admiral Dewey and the other Ameri-
can commanders and the insurgents;
the breaking out and progress of the
present insurreetion, and, finally, a
statement of the capacity of the Fill
pinos for self-government. notable
feature of the report is a memorandum
by Admiral Dewey explanatory of his
relat ions with Aguinaldo.
In this it is stated that in all Of
Dewey's negotiations with Aguinaldo
no alliance of any kind was entered
into, nor was any promise of independ
ence made to him.
The efforts at Cancellation with
Aguinaldo and his various commissions
are set forth in detail The commits
siopeTs were assured of the benefcent
purposes of the United States and the
presidents readiness to grant the Fill
Pine people as large a measure of home
rule and as ample liberty as consistent
with the ends of government, subject
only to the recognition of the sovereign
" of the United States-a point which,
being established, the commission in
variably refused even to discuss" The
commission adds that nothing came of
negotiations, as Aguinaldo's ennis
saries were without powers and mere
~ came, and came again, for informal
ton. Courteous reception was accord
ed to the insurgent commissions, and
earnest appeals made to stop further
bloodshed, all witnessing "the spirit Of
patient Cancellation" exhibited by the
American commission in endeavoring
to reach an amicable adjustment with
the insurgents, as well as the obduraey
of Aguinaldo.
The chapter devoted to capacity for
self-goyernment' is the result, the re-
y
eral months, in the course of which a
great number of witnesses were exam
med, of all shades of political thought
and varieties of occupation, tribe and
locality. The most striking and per-
haps the most significant fact in the
entire situation is the multiplicity Of
tribes inhabting the archipelago, the
diversity Of their languages (Which are
mutually unintelligible) and the null
tifarious phases of civilization-rang
ing all the way from the highest to the
lowest. As to this the report says:
"The Filipinos are not nation, but a
variegated assemblage of different
tribes and peoples, and their loyalty is
still of the tribal type"
The report concludes as follows:
"Our control means to the inhabitants
of the Philippines internal peace and order,
a guarantee against foreign aggression and
against the ACKNOWLEDGMENT Of their couu-
try, commercial and Industrial prosperity.
and as large share Of the affairs Of gov
eminent as they shall prove fit TO take.
When peace and prosperity have been es-
tablished throughout the archipelago,
when education shall have become gener-
al then, in the language of a leading Fill
ipno, his people will, under our guidance,
become more American than the Amer
leans themselves
Washington, Nov. 4. = The cabinet
meeting Friday lasted two hours. Much
of the time was spent in the reading and
discussion of the preliminary report
of the Philippine commission. The re-
port was considered very satisfactory
and received the full approval of the
cabinet