The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-11-13
RIVAL KLONDYKE.
Philippine Islands
R.ohest on the
Earth.
OPINIONS OF AN EXPERT.
Aguinaldo Waiting on
Anti-expanSion-
lists.
OPINIONS OF AN EXPERT.

New York, Nov. 12.-After an alb
sence in the Philippines of nearly two
years, H. F. Seymour, proprietor of
the American, the first paper printed
in the English language in the archi-
pelago, has arrived in this city With
his wife, he is the guest of friends at
No. 52S Seventh avenue. Mr.. Sey-
mour came over in the same ship with
Col. DENLY, of the Philippine commits
sion.
Mr.. Seymour declares the Philippine
islands are the richest in minerals and
productiveness in the world. He speaks
from personal observation, having trav-
eled over nearly all of them. He says
that an era of progress will begin with
the close of the war, which, he pre-
diets, is near an end, and that there
will be room there for every American
who wants to go, with or without
money. Under the influence of Ameri-
can capital and enterprise, Mr.. Sey-
mour believes that those far-off possess
sions will rival the Klondike.
why, there are now in Manila
alone" said Mr.. Seymour, about 1000
Americans, exclusive of soldiers, and
every steamer brings in more. On ev-
cry hand, there are signs of American
activity, and the lazy, indolent Spanish
shopkeepers are being driven out of
business.
"They can't understand the methods
of a people who will open up their
stores at o'clock in the morning and
keep open as long as there is dollar
in sight. The old Spanish custom was
to get around to business about o'clock
and then close up for hours at time
during the day. Besides, they don't
keep their shops clean and tidy, and
that is another reason why the Ameri-
can business man is getting all the
money.
1.-The islands are we'll worth the price
originally paid for them, and will pay
for themselves many times over. But
there. is need of radical reform in the
old Spanish laws now in force. More
over, my belief is that We should have
free trade with the United States, and
the tariff laws should be extended to
the Philippines.
"Those are about the only drawbacks
to business enterprises there. The
present tariff rate is ruinous, many
kinds of goods being shut out entirely,
because of that and the present enor-
nous cost of transportation. There
need be no fear of competition from the
islands, for there is already market
in the east for more than they can
produce.
NEW LINE OF STEAMSHIPS.
Just after left Manila, new line
of steamships was put on. The steam
ers are to ply directly between there
and San Francisco and other ports on
the Pacific coast. The idea is to avoid
going out of their course and touching
at Hong Kong, as at present, thus
.lz 81, oil
ought to benefit both passengers and
shippers.
80 far as the insurrection is con-
cerned, I believe that the trouble is
near an end. The rainy season is over,
and the active campaign now in prog
ress will soon stamp out the last ira
ces of rebellion. There has never been
more than one tribe-the Tagals-in
rebellion, and had cavalry been used
before they would have been whipped
long ago
1.-THE trouble is that you must first
catch the Filipinos before licking
them they are too fleet Of foot for the
infantry, who, while doing gallant ser
vice, are not familiar with the peculiar
formation of the country.
mo, do not wish to critieise Otis, |
even though he did suppress the Amer
lean for a few days. 1t now looks as
though he will remain there for some |
time to come. In certain matters of |
detail Otis has no superior, but he is |
getting old, and the combined duties Of |
military governor and commander of |
the forces are too much even for a |
younger and more active man.
80 far as Aguinaldo is concerned, he |
is crafty and tricky, but I do not be- |
lieve that he possesses a very high de- |
gree of intelligence or ability. But for |
the sympathy and announcement of |
the anti-eXpanSionists in the United |
States, Aguinaldo never could have so |
long kept alive the spirit of rebellion |
among his followers.
His only hope has been that the |
ants would win out in the November |
elections. But now that the elections |
are over, expect to hear almost any
day that the rebel leader has fed the |
country and gone to China, where he |
has purchased some property out of the |
money he has made by stirring up this |
and other rebellions. +
ITO my mind, the Filipinos are not |
capable Of government. am in ia |
vor of a United States protectorate |
much like the government that is in |
vogue in the British colonies. What we |
want is a civil governor, a man like |
Colonel DENLY. With the appointment |
of a civil governor, vice governors for |
the various provinces and the estab- |
lishment of army posts to preserve or |
der in the towns, the natives could be |
placed in the subordinate offices. This |
system is now being tried in Manila |
There the lower court judges are all |
natives and they are doing we'll
Nothing can shake my faith in the
future Of the Philippines. There is as
much gold there as in the Klondyke. |
and an abundance of silver, lead, iron
and coal"