Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-02-11
highly paid clerk or superintendent of
labor he can get on,

hlghly pald clerk or superintendent OF
labor he can get on.
Children of American parents can
not be reared in the Philippines. They
must be sent home when three or four
years old, both for moral and physical
reasons. This fact will bar the settle
ment of the Philippines by Americans.
If Americans intermarry with Philip
pine women, their offspring could be
reared there, but the breed degenerates.
1t is not advisable to encourage such
marriages.
For many years the Filipinos must
be governed from above. We Amer
leans have hundreds of years, and 80
generations of freemen behind us.
The Filipinos have never known free
dom and must be trained to it grad
ually. They are already fit to manage
their own municipal affairs under the
supervision and veto of an American
governor. This governor might have
the assistance of an advisory council,
sent up by the village magistrates, but
this council should not have legislative
powers.
Above these provincial governors
should be a governor general for the
islands-a man of high character, en-
joying the confidence of the United
States government, and clothed with
large powers, for the government of
the islands must rest largely in bis
hands. The islands cannot, without
ruin, be governed from Washington.
All the provincial governors and the
governor general must be we'll paid
and have long permanent tenure of
Office.
Above all, the courts should be puri-
fed. None but men of the highest
character should be judges. 1t will
take years of honest effort to convince
the Filipinos that the courts are honest.
For 800 years justice has been bought
and sold to the highest bidder some.
times the price was money; some
times beautiful wife or daughter-a
price was always paid. All this the
Filipinos will have to unlearn through
our honest judges.
In 1857 the Spanish government had
only seven battalions, about 5000
men, of native infantry, two squadrons
of native cavalry and 1900 Spanish
artillery stationed in the Philippines.
With a just government and moderate
taxation we could get on with as small
force as the Spaniards did in 1857.
A military police would be better
than an army. The captains in this
force should be picked Americans, pre-
ferably young West Point men, the
lieutenants and non commissioned OFF,
GERS Filipinos. The men could be got
in large plumbers at IS in gold per
month. 1t would be needful at first to
keep sharp lookout against both
bribery and oppression on the part OF
the native officers aud soldiery or po-
lice. Their habit has been to bully
and rob.
Ore of the most difficult questions
we shall have to face is that of the
friars. The Augustines, the Domini-
cans and the Franciscans in their sew
eral subdivisions control the parishes
in far the greater part of the island.
The insurrection broke out against
them before it attacked the govern
ment and today there are comparative
Iy few friars left in possession. (Note
that the priests were not attacked nor
were the Jesuits.) A friar gave his
first and earnest thought to the en-
richment of his brotherhood or order.
His duties to his God and to his par
ishioners came long afterwards. They
hold immense estates not hitherto SUBJ
ject to taxation.
The natives are Catholics and need
The services of priests of their own
faith. 1t would be wise to send out
there as many American Catholic
priests as possible-men of clean lives
who would teach and not oppress their
hocks.
The key to successful government OF
the Philippines is an honest and per-
manent civil service filled by men
whom good pay and security in their
positions raise above the temptation to
make illicit gains. 1t is impossible to
get a decent service on other condi-
tions. No fit men will break up their
connections at home for short tenure
of Office. Unfit men will do so; but
they are not wanted.
| OGDEN E. EDWARDS.