The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-11-03
tives were aplying-to us FOR help TO re
sist Them"
MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS.

| o4oi
MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS.
The chapter devoted To Establish
| ment OF Municipal Governments" gives
i'm detail the efforts I'm that direction.
There were MANY difficulties encounter
ed. The condition of the people was
found TO be most pitiable. They had
been plundered by the insurgent troops,
who had robbed them Of jewels. money,
clothing and even food, so that they
were literally starving Peaceful Ci;i-
zens had~becn fired upon; women had
been maltreated. There was general sat-
isfaction that the Americans had come
at last and conditions seemed faVora-
Bile for an American propaganda. The
towns OF BacoOr and linus were select
ed for the purpose OF experiment, and
after talks with the local head men a
local form OF government was estab-
llshed Encouraged by the result the
work WAS continued at Paranaque and
Las Pinas with similar good results. AT
the request Of Gen. Lawton, who had
been assigned TO this work by Gen.Otis.
the Commission prepared simple
scheme of municipal government SIM
liar enough To the old system To be
readily comprehensive 10 the natives.
but giving them lib rites which they
had never before enjoyed. This scheme
was adopted and gave general salts
faction In every instanc enthusiasm
ran high before the Commissioners took
their departure. and cheers We're raised
for Gen. Lawton and for tn country
which he represented. With single
exception the officials elected proved
worthy of the trust impOs d in them,
and conditions were rapidly improved
in the newly organized towns
The Commission states that the Oih-
cials were timid and slow 20 compre-
hend their new duties. AT many OF the
elections the voters went around ask
ing who they were expected to vote
for" and ii was only with great DIM
Guilty that they We're persuaded TO eX-
ercise the right of free suffrage.
CONDITIONS AT MANILA.
The Commission sums the situation
at the time Of its departure as folloWs'
when We left Manila large volume
OF business was being done, ana the
streets were so crowded as TO be hardly
safe The native population was quet
and orderly. and all fear OF an uprising
had long since passed. An ettlcient corps
OF native policemen was on duty. n
system OF public schools in oh Eng
likh was taught had been advocated by
tn Commission and established by Gen.
OTIS. Some 5000 pupils were i'm attend
ance."
Having given much attention TO the
Island of LuZon. the commission then
takes up in detail the conditions in the
other islands. ON this point II Is stated
that the rebellion is essentially Talagog
and that when il ends i'm LuZon II must
end throughout the archipelago.
The efforts II Cancellation with Agui-
naldo and various commissions which
are set forth In detail. came 10 naught
as Aguinaldo's enlissaries We're without
powers and merely came and came
again for Information.
The American people may feel conf
dent that no effort was omitted by the
convnissiOn u secure a peaceful end
cf the struggle but the opportun ties
they offered and urged were all neglect
ed. IL not indeed spurned.
LAPSE INTO ANARCHY.
should our power by any fatality b.
withdrawn, the commission believes
that the government OF the Philippines
would speedily lapse into-anafehy,-
which would excuse. IL Il did not neces-
state. the Intervention Of other pow
ers and the eventual division Of the
islands among them. Only through
American occupation, therefore, is the
idea OF free. self-govern ng and
united Philippine commonwealth at all
conceivable
one OF the closing chapters OF the
port is devoted 10 tribute 10 our SOL
diers and sailors i'm the war. The COM
missioners dismiss the reports Of the
desecration Of churches. the murdering
OF prisoners and the committing OF un-
mentionable crimes and say they are
glad 20 express the belief that a war
was nsver more humansly conducted.
The report concludes: Our control
means TO the Inhabitants OF the Philip
pines internal peace and order a guar
antea against foreign aggression and
against the Acknowledgement f their
country. commercial and industrial
prosns ritv and as large a share Of the
affairs Of government as they shall
prove 81 20 take"
The rep,rt IS signed hv ]. g. Schur-
non. Cc0rca Dewey. Charles DENLY,