The times., 1899-06-02
An Object Lc.snn.


liar nuisance.
An object Lessen.
The recent history of the Malay PENN
sula is rather instructive reading for the
American who is interested in current in
ternational politics-and just at the pres
ent time most Americans are. For nearly
twenty-five years the federated Malay
States have been under the rule of the
British Government. In 1873 three of the
petty Sultans appealed TO the British Gov
/ crnor of the Straits Settlement for protee-
tion and guidance. Sir Andrew Clarke.
acting on his own responsibility. drew up
an agreement which these Sultans signed.
and a few years later the State of Penang.
in the neighborhood OF these three, asked
for the same arrangement, and the result
has been that from the abode of misrule,
piracy, and squalid poverty these States
have become civilized and prosperous. Sir
Andrew Clarke's plan was very simple.
| One of the greatest abuses was that of
! excessive taxation. which kept the people
/ poor and prevented any but the most
primitive methods of labor Under the
new regime the farming out of taxes was
abolished, the middleman ousted from his
position of profit and taxes levied honest
ly under British supervision. After the
disappearence OF the middleman the reve-
nues easily permitted the paying of a good
( Iy salary to headman and chiefs, who were
made the allies of honest government by
this course. and added their authority
and knowledge to the steady, silent. in
evitable pressure of the influence of Brit
| ish civil officers in favor of law and order.
! The chiefs, alone, could not control the
dangerous elements OF the population.
without the help of the native authorities
the Englishman might not have been able
to get the confidence of the wary and in
/ scrutabIe Oriental: but by combination
! of the two. great things were done.
| Various reforms were gradually and quiet
I ly brought about The Chinese secret So
ceties had given considerable trouble, as
/ they frequently do under certain condi-
tions. Sir Andrew, instead of abolishing
them, held conferences with the head men
( of the societies and told them that they
would be expected TO prevent objection
I
! ers. Slavery existed in form perhaps as
! debased and appalling as any on earth.
| The story of its disappearance reads like
! a fairy tale. The fugitive slave law was
! first repealed, then the holders of debtor
( slaves were compelled to accept payment
/ for the debt At last the Government ap-
I propriated money to buy and free all the
] ofr,ff ell th.a
I ing part of the story. The masters. refused
to accept payment. but freed their slaves
for the glory of Cod"
AS for the financial aspect of the situa-
tion. the yearly revenues Of the federated
States have been multiplied by ten, and
one-half the money is spent in road
making bridgebullding, and other public
works. The foreign trade in 1896 amount
cd to s5O,OOO.000. and the population OF
the country is only half million.
There is no reason why American COL
onies should not fare as well as the Malay
States have done, if the right methods
are pursued. But one of the indispensable
1 conditions of such business in the Orient
/ is long tenure of Office. Sir Andrew
Clarke could never have done what he
did If he had not had long term of Of
fee in which TO do it. The work could
net have been accomplished by dozen
! different men of varying ability and po-
litical convictions, succeeding one another
at intervals of three or four years The
Oriental does not understand that sort OF
government. He wants the Englishman
who has gained his confidence TO stay
with him for life. and if that mans son
| can succeed to the office. so much the
better; if not. let there be another Sahib
of the same political traditions and gen.
eral character. 1t Will not do. either, to
depose all native authority and throw the
whole country into state of anarchy.
Western executive ability cannot bring or
der out Of Eastern anarchy, especially
when totally unacquainted with the nature
of the people. The watchword in this
Philippine civil government problem
should be, Go slow, and build for future
| generations.