Union gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1899-1900, 1899-11-10
| THE PHILIPPINE COMMISSION

/ lM HniLlHYiNL UUMnllOOlUn
Summary of It's Investiga-
tions in the Islands.
EMPTY CLAIMS OF FlLIPlNOs
Dewey Made No Promises to Aguinaldo o
/ the Spanish War.
Washington, Nov. An accordance
! with the understanding reached at the
conference at the White House yester-
day. the Philippine commission sub
mitted to the president the preliminary
report which it had promised to pre-
pare.
The report appears to be a compact
summary of conditions on the islands
as the commission left them; of the his
torical events which preceded the
i Spanish war and led to the original
Filipino insurrection; of the exchanges
between Admiral Dewey and the other
American commanders and the insur-
gents, the breaking out and progress of
the present insurrection, and finally a
statement of the capacity OF the Fill
| pinos for self-government. A notable
feature of the report is memorandum
by Admiral Dewey, explanatory of his
| relations with Aouinaldo
The commission tells briefly how it
conducted the task intrusted to it,
hearing statements from all classes of
people in Manila as to the capability
of the Filipinos for self-government,
the habits and customs of the people,
and also the ablishment of municipal
governments in many towns. All this
matter is to be included in the final
report.
| History of the Islands.
Turning to the history of the islands,
| the commission attaches a little impor-
tance to the divers rebellions which
had preceded that of 1896. As to this
movement, it declares it was in no
sense an attempt to win Independence.
but solely to obtain relief from intoler-
able abuses To sustain this statement
the commission quotes from an insur-
gent proclamat on showing that what
was demanded was the expulsion of
the friars and the restitution to the
people of their lands, with division
of the Episcopal sees between Spanish
and native priests. 1t was also de-
manded that the Filipinos have parlia-
1 ,4,,- ,@o& of% ~
press, religious liberation, economic
autonomy and laws similar to those of
Spain. The abolition of the power of
banishment was demanded, with a
legal equality for all persons in law
and equality in pay between Spanish
and native civil servants.
The commission declares that these
demands had good ground; that on pa
Per the Spanish system of government
was tolerable, but in practice every
Spanish governor did what he saw fit,
and the evil deeds of men in the gov
eminent were hidden from Spain by
strict press censorship. Allusion is
| made to the powerful Katipunan So
ciety, patterned on the Masonic order,
and mainly made up of Tagals, as a
| powerful revolutionary force.
The war begun in 1895 was termin-.
ated by the treaty of Biac- -Na-Bate.
The Filipinos were numerous, but pos
sessed only about 800 small arms. The
Spanish felt that it would require 1O0,-
600 men to capture their stronghold,
and concluded to resort to the use of
money.
The arrangement was not acceptable
TO the people. The promises were
never carried out. Spanish abuses be-
gan afresh, in Manila alone more than
two 200 men being executed. Hence
sporadic revolutions occurred, though
they possessed nothing like the strength
of the original movement. The insur-
gents lacked arms, ammunition and
leaders. The treaty had ended the
war, which, with the exception of an
unimportant outbreak in Cebu, had
been confined to Luzon, Spain's SOW
reignty in the islands never having
been questioned and the thought of in
dependence never having been enter
tanned.
The report then tells how General
Angustini came to Manila as governor
general at this juncture, and war broke
out between Spain and the United
States. Angustini sought to secure
the support of the Filpinos to defend
Spain against America, promising them
autonomy, but the Filipinos did not
trust him.. Then came the first of May
and the destruction of the Spanish feet
by Dewey, with the resulting loss OF
prestige to Spain. Then in June, Agui.
naldo came.
Relations With Aguinaldo.
On this point the commission says:
"The following memorandum on this
subject has been furnished the COM
mission by Admiral Dewey:
Memorandum of relations with
Aguinaldo: On April "a, 1898, the
following cipher dispatch was received
at Hong Kong from E. Spencer Pratt,
United States consul-general at Singa-
pore:
60 "Aguinaldo, insurgent leader,
here. Will come to Hong Kong, ar
range with commodore for general CO.
operation insurgents Manila if desired.
Telegraph. PRATT /"
4 "'On the same day Commodore
Dewey telegraphed Mr.. Pratt: Tell