Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-22
PHILIPPINE CONDITIONS
Contrast of Those Existing Now With Those
Under Spanish Rule.
Address by Prof. Worcester, Member
of Commission. Before Mems
Club Last Evening.

| An interesting comparison of present con-
| ditiOns in the Philippine Islands with those
which existed prior to the coming of the
| Americans there was made last evening by
| Prof Dean c. Worcester, q member of the
| Philippine commission. in the course of an ad-
dress before the Mems Society of the Church
o. the Covenant. 1t was the first meeting
| OF the society since the summer vacation,
| and there was a large attendance of lhe
| members and invited guests. Mr.. Ellis H.
| Roberts. the president of The society, pre-
| sided and the program of the evening was
opened with a violin solo by William F..
| Green. son of Bernard K. Green, who
| showed in the admirable mastery Of this
| difficult instrument the training which he
| received during the time which he recently
| spent in study in Europe. He was accom-
| panied on the piano by Mr.. Harvey Muir
| ray, and in response to hearty applause,
| MIR. Green played another selection. AT the
| close OF the address q bass solo was sung
| by Mr.. J. Walter Humphrey. which brought
| out TO advantage the qualities of his voice.
| Mr.. Worcester spoke without notes, and
for mere than an hour held the attention
o. his audience with a graphic narrative
| of what he had observed in the islands,
which have so much interest to Americans.
| He spoke Of the conditions under Spanish
rule, and said the injustice, inhuman nifty
and oppression that prevailed passed belief.
| Inc natives, OF course. expected llidl lIt
policy OF the Americans would be the same
as their only experience practically with
foreigners was with the Spanish. On tie
| contrary. the Americans had adoDI@d the
| opposite policy. and had conducted the war
| in a humane manner. and for this reason
mainly it was necessary to have so many
| troops TO conquer such a comparatively
| weak enemy.
| He said the natives We're beginning to
| realize that the Americans did not kill
| those captured in battle: that Inder their
| aut hOrity justice was awarded to the one
| who was in the right and not - the one
tEat could pay the most money TO the
| judges and also that the people were
| given to understand that they could man
age their own governmental AFFAIRS, and
| they were doing ii, of course. under Amer
| lean supervision.
The speaker said he had previously stated
that there was no data upon which to base
a conclusion as to whether the people of
these islands were capable OF sef-goVern-
ment. but since then experiments have been
made and are now going on which In part
furnish such data and demonstrate, as far
as it goes that the people are capable of
managing their own governmental AFFAIRS
under proper supervision. In his opinion
the thing to be done was to provide for such
form of local government would per
NIT the participation of the people as far
as they We're capable ana then when they
showed their fitness for greater RESPONSE
bility it should be given them. He thought
the problem of the Philippines was to be
solved right III the city OF W dSnlflSIOn, ana
depended largely upon the adoption of a
policy which would place competent men in
control and keep them there in spite of
political changes at home.
Church Relations.
In regard to the Catholic Church and the
attitude of the natives toward II he said
that while the population was Catholic and
not hostile to the church. there was de-
cidedly bitter feeling toward certain orders
Of the friars, which had succeeded III ac-
quiring large tracts of property some of
it in illegitimate ways. The people occu-
pied these lands at the pleasure of the
friarS and could be turned away at any
tine, and this was the reason why the ma
tiVes. who were attached to their homes.
had such a deeD-Seated hostility to certain
of these religious orders.
In regard to AguinaIdo and his govern
ment. as representing the people of the
| Islands. he said AguinaIdO was a seIt-elected
| president of the sO-called republic. and
tLat he appointed the members of the CON
gTeSS and dismissed them when their ac-
tions did not suit him. In addition. he said
that AgUinaldD and his congress repre-
sented but one of the eighty-three tribes
which inhabit the islands If the Ameri-
cans withdrew, he added, the islands would
simply fall under the control of a faction
/ of the natives and ultimately the process
| of subjugation of the entire group of the
| islands, which had been begun by the tribe
| composed of Mohammedans, would be COM
| pleted.
The interest manifested in the address
| was Indicated to some extent by the ap-
| plause which followed the concluding sen
/ tence, and also by questions which were
/ asked in regard to certain phases of the
! situation on the islands. Upon the Conciu-
| sion OF the program refreshments were
| served and the remainder Of the evening
| was devoted to social enjoyment.