The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-04-07
From the New York Independent.
CAN WE
AmeriCanize the Philippines?-An
American, Who Has Lived There,
Says No.
BY OGDEN E. EDWARRS.

| BY OGDEN E. EDWARRS.
| MIR. Edwards was connected with the firm
| (American) of Peele, Hubbell & Co. from 1852
| to 1888, becoming member of the firm in 1855
| During this time he resided in Manila for a
period of twenty years. He was q. S. Consul
during the administration of President Pierce
was Danish Consul for a much longer period
| and was brought in contact with the Spanish
and native officials, served upon committees
| raised by the Government for the purpose of
formulating the financial and economy of the
islands,]
In the many questions asked about
the Philippines and their inhabitants
none comes up more frequently than
this: "Can the natives be American
ized?" In other words, can a race of
Malays, hitherto despotically governed
by Spaniards, be in any short space of
time so trained and elevated in citizen
ship as to be fit for our form of govern
|ment? The answer is not doubtful;
they cannot.
Years of good, honest and just gov
ernment must precede SO radical a
change. A certain amount of local self
/
Village affairs by the "Cabezas'
men, the elders of the village-might
safely be intrusted to these natives.
Each province or district, of which
there are twenty-five on the island of
Luzon, could be governed by an Amer
lean, either a graduate of West Point
or naval officer, assisted by an advis-
ory council chosen from, or by, these
notables, and by two or three young
Americans who had passed a strict civil
service examination at home; this would
form an admirable style of government
at present for the rural districts. The
larger towns and Manila itself would
require some modification of this plan
to admit of representation by the more
educated natives, both of Malay and
, Spanish descent. But in the main gov
ernment must for years come from
above, not from below.
One thing is absolutely certain, there
must be no touch of the spoils system in
, our government of the Philippines. If
we cannot govern them honestly
through permanent staff of highly
l trained, well-paid officials, selected for
merit and for merit only, we must
abandon the idea of governing the
islands or any part of them. The spoils
system has ruined Spain and caused
every rebellion in her colonies. We
cannot repeat her sins without incur
ring an equal punishment.
The Philippines are tropical coun-
try, and no American can go there and
work on his own land as a farmer, OF
engage in any employment which will
oblige him to labor under tropical
sun. AS captain of labor" oversee.
ing and directing natives, the American
can do useful and profitable work. AS
an artisan or mechanic he cannot com.
pete with native or Chinese labor. The
Filipinos are good shipwrights, iror
founders, cabinet makers, gOldsmiths
and assistant engineers, and at such
employment they work for 25 to so cents
a day. They are sober and industrious
workmen and under skilled supervision
are equal to any of the ordinary kinds
of labor or manufactures. There are
savages in the mountain districts O.
Luzon, but they are neither numerou:
nor troublesome.
: The rice fields in Luzon, rising il
s irrigated terrace above terrace from
l the sea level to nearly two Thousand
feet elevation on the mountain sides
are marvels of patient, intelligent work
This soil is so fertile and the yearly
rains so certain that rice is grown yeal
8 after year on the same fields withOu
e other manure than the enrichmen
e given by irrigation. L was told that {
fortnight's labor of man and his family
in the planting season, and an equa
time at harvest would supply their foo(
, for a year. And this statement mus
4 be pretty near the truth, as the plant
J. ing season does not extend beyond /;
0 month after the first rains have fallen
It An orchard of banana trees will giv'
o fruit in ten months from the date o
. planting. All the care necessary is Il
:, keep down the weeds for a few months
d until the trees are large enough t.
). shade the ground completely. Afte
t this no further care is needed except Il
d cut down each tree when it has fruited
The orchard renews itself for years.
t 1t is not the great heat, but the steady
II uninterrupted heat which saps tn
: strength of Europeans or Americans
~ In twenty years experience l neve
knew the thermometer to mark abov
1. 96 degrees in my Office, and this fgur
was not reached more than few time
/; in the course of year. But year b.
At year the European or American livin
d, in the Philippines loses something G
'r his vitality; instead of being acclima
tized at the end of ten years he is les
fit to endure the heat or exposure to tn
sun than he was when he first arrived
Ifhe marries European or America
woman their children will thrive fo
a four or five years; after that age the
n must be sent shome," to Europe o
s. America, or they will grow up ''deger
:. crates" So far as is yet known, tn
re European or American cannot rear hi
l. offspring in the Philippines. If tn
+ children be of mixed blood by a Mala
. mother, they may be physically vigol