The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-11-11
OUR ADMINISTRATION IN THE
PHILIPPINES.

II WOulQ De ASTONISHING II Iuef6 mao
been no errors of administration in the
Philippines by Americans When we
consider the very large number of Off
GERS and men we have sent there, the
remoteness of the land from SUPER
vision by heads of departments in the
United States, and the perplexities sur
rounding condition of war involved
with the effort to establish civil gov
eminent at the same time, it would be
more than surprising if some Of our
trusted servants did not abuse the con-
fdence reposed in them.
It is to be kept in mind also that
the Filipino is willy fellow. Those in
Manila are shrewd and INSCRIPTIONS.
They have played false with Ameri-
cans, processing friendship and SUBJ
mission, while secretly aiding the in
surgents and communicating with them.
Even some Of those we have invested
with civil power have been found to
be spies for the enemy, and to be be-
traying the hand that protects them.
Some of these foxy fellows have worm
ed themselves into the confidence of
our officers SO far as to suggest schemes
Of aggnandizment and dishonesty, and
it Is not at all unlikely that some Of
our men have fallen before temptation
and abused the trust reposed in them
But If it is true that there has been
some iniuStiea- in award of rr-ixyifaoe-,
some dishonesty in the collection of
revenues. some trickery in the exercise
of official functions and so on. it is
also true that all these things have
that the commission of such crime and
the betrayal Of trust in no wise affects
the questions involving the assertion
of our authority and the maintenance
of our sovereignty in the islands
When the instruction is crushed out,
as will be done, and earlier than most
people think, we will be able to estab-
lish Offices under the law so we'll. that
justice will be impartially dispensed.
official duty strictly performed and local
government safely placed and honestly
administered. 1t will not be. so diff
cult to accomplish these things in the
new possessions as at home, for the
reason that political party considera-
tions will not enter in, and supervision
over property of the United States will
be wholly Federal We will train up,
fhr0loh q 1f
duty, a class of men specially fitted
for the distant service. The subordi-
mates in all departments in such pos
sessions will be in training for promo
mere carpetbag control and admin
iatration. but supervision under
method that viii, produce for place men
specially qualified by residence and ex-
perience. ~
It is conceivable that we may thus
supervise the new possessions with re-
suits far more gratifying than we have
from government at home, under the
system of sudden and party changes.
Our supervision in the Philippines will
be related to self-government by the
inhabitants to the fullest extent of their
capacity for such trust This sys-
tenn of free government will expand
with the growth of native capability
and recognition Of the democratic
principle. thing that is misunderstood
IN the archipelago thus far
Thus we cap 1rolr Fo,~.,o,
tenn for our Eastern possessions that
VIII reflect credit upon the nation. and
That may lead us at home, into better
nome methods. We are not going to
be entirely experimental In this mat
ter We will profit by the experience
or the Dutch in Java and the English
In Borneo. and the French in Tonoufn.
The Dutch, who have been especially
successful in this regard, win proba-
bly, be our principal study when we
take up the question in peace, and as
1t is not possible to consider it in a
state of war;
The difficulty in the Philippines has
resided in the attempt to maintain
military government and at the same
time establish some forms of civil gov
eminent. This has been due to the
howl raised at home by the malcon-
tents. that We ought as speedily as
possible to set up free government
among the Filipinos. We have at
tempted to do So but in our opinion it
would have been better to have main
tanned a military rule exclusively, un-
til the insurrection was crushed out
better for the inhabitants and for our
selves.
The conditions in Cuba have been
widely dissimilar. Our reestablish-
ment of civil government there has
been without much difficulty, and it
has thus far progressed wonderfully
under military supervision. But there
has not been, during the process. a
st4teof war as i'd tie Phiiippinsa
&{sx43ai - : = = = = g Ef ~
Ths sensational crowd in FRANCE that
is5ddE< M best to stil s,p ne EEL
inanQns the french az npst lie Eng
lii1s The ext1ut 81 giving al u the
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