The times., 1899-06-18

ommendation OF the best citizens. / do
not mean the best men in the social sense
or in any other sense than those best quail
ihed by experience and ability to Judge OF
the fitness of the various applicants for
office. Whenever IL was necessary to fill
an important position il was my custom to
call together a number of representative
men. representing the different learned
professions. the chamber of commerce. and
the administrative officers of the towns in
question. tell them what positions there
were to be filled. and ask them to recon-
mend suitable men for the positions. They
were told plainly that their recommenda-
tions must be based solely upon merit. and
the greatest attention must be given to
the character of the man recommended,
and they were assured that so long as
their recommendations resulted in the Sc
lection OF good and efficient men their ad-
vice would always be taken; but il found
they were recommending unsuitable. in
competent men, they would no longer be
consulted. These consulting committees
were never fixed, but varied from time TO
time. The result was very satisfactory and
the Ten recommended were almost always
good and efficient. l do not believe that
just at present the people are in condition
to be taken further into the administration
of civil affairs than indicated above.
Before proceeding further it will be
necessary to complete the organization of
the schools; get the courts into thorough
running order, and, what is very import
ant, to get all the municipalities establish
ed upon an efficient basis. making them
thoroughly self-supporting TO do all that
can be done to get the people back to their
plantations and at work; to reopen the
roads and make them passsble, thus en-
abling people to get their produce TO the
seacoast and to the markets: to establish
enough rural police to keep things quiet
and orderly in the interior. After these
conditions have been well established and
found to be in good working order then we
can begin to consider seriously the re-
naming details of civil government. Just
at present 1t is well to stop, for short
time, at least, where We are.
Money is absolutely required for sani
tary work in the seaport towns, for road
making and for the restoration of the little
towns in the interior, which have been
either destroyed or partially destroyed, and
all of which need more or less assistance
in getting once more upon footing of
even moderate prosperity. 1t must be re-
membered that large portion of the pop-
ulation is illiterate and they have never
had any extensive participation in the af-
fairs of government, not even in municipal
affairs. and. until they thoroughly under
stand the handling of small affairs, they
certainly are not fitted to undertake larger
ones. In other words, let us begin from the
bottom and build on secure foundation
rather than start at the top to remodel the
whole fabric of civil government. The pres
ent methods are. from our standpoint, in
tolerable. A vast amount of work has to be
done in all the towns to make them habit
able and healthy. The present condition of
affairs demands in the most imperative
/ terrns on Ioea1 control of local affairs
with, OF course, the whole system under the
/ firm but broad and liberal supervision OF a
/ central authority. The best results will be
/ obtained IL to those responsible for the con-
! troll development, and establishment OF
/ the different sections there be given wide
| discretion and they be left unhampered as
/ far as possible by petty and arbitrary re-
/ straints. II one man cannot be trusted TO
act with honesty, good sense, and judg-
ment another should be found who can be.
/ The educational, judicial, and administra-
] tive systems of the island should be
prompt assimilated and harmonized.
/ "a people still hungry, living in ruined
I towns devoid of hospitals, school buildings
/ and systems of water supply, with an inte-
| rior country desolated by the war, untra-
j versed by roads, in fact thrown back into
/ an almost primeval condition, are not in
condition to have suddenly inflicted upon
I them the enormous expense and unneces-
sary burden of supporting the officials and
offices of a completely developed and pro-
gressive country.
"AiI these things will come in time, but
: il they are rushed upon people thor
oughly unaccustomed to handling them
( selves and to controlling their own affairs
the most disastrous results are sure TO fol-
low. We must thoroughly build the foun-
dation. Free and independent people are
not the result of any number of orders OF
proclamations, but they are the result OF
hard work and experience and profound
respect for law And such conditions are
produced by and rest on good school sys-
tenn. prompt and effective system of Judi
cial procedure and thorough and careful
administration of municipal affairs.
"A military supervision must necessarily
exist for some time. This supervision
should be very liberal, and every effori
should be made to assist and support rather
than suppress and supplant civil procedure
but it must be strong enough to suppress
and remove corrupt officials and sneeh
promptly corrupt and inefficient methods
of procedure.
"a great success is possible here The
people are anxious to shake off the burden
OF the old laws, and of the purchased con-
cessions and monopolies with their mani
fold corruptions They look to America
for reforms not for continuation OF th'
old conditions. All want good schools, re
forms in the courts, public works-in shor
they want to advance.
.'There is a wonderful opening here fo
energy and enterprise. Very little ma
been done. Everything is in the future