Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-03

even then the power OF eelf- government can
not be assumed without considerable previ-
Gus training and experience under the guild
ance and tutelage of an enlightened and lib
eral foreign power. The bald fact is that
the Fflpinos have never had any experience
in goyye9rRjng themselves"
No Experience in SeIf-Govcrnmcnt.
The report shows that their inability for
government Is due to the old Spanish
regime, which gave the Filipinos little OF
no part in governing themselves. After re-
viewing the Spanish system the commission
sums UP on this point:
This Is all the. training in self-govern-
ment which the Inhabitants OF the Philip
pine islands have enjoyed. Their lack OF
education and political experience, combined
with their racial and linguistic diversities,
disqualify them in spite of their mental gifts
and domestic virtues to undertake the task
of governing the archipelago at the present
time. The most that can be expected OF
them is to cooperate with the Americans in
the administration of general affairs and
undertake, subject to American control and
guidance, as may be found necessary, the
administration of provincial and municipal
affairs. AS for the educated Filipinos, al
though they do not constitute large pro-
portion of the entire population, their sup
port and services will be Of incalculable
value in inaugurating and maintaining the
new government AS education advances
and experience ripens the natives may be
entrusted with larger share of government
self government as the American ideal
being constantly kept in view as the goal
In this way American sovereignty over the
archipelago will prove a great politlcal poon
to the people. .- ..-
Should our power by any fatality be with
drawn, the committee believes that the gov
ernment of the Philippines would speedily
lapse into anarchy. which would necessitate
the intervention of other powers and the
eventual division OF the islands among them.
"Only through American occupation
therefore. is the idea of free selfgovern-
ing and united Philippine commonwealth at
all conceivable And the indispensable need,
from the Filipino point nf view, of main
tanning American sovereignty over the arch'-
pelago is recognized by all intelligent Fill
pinos, and even by those insurgents who de-
sire an American protectorate. The latter,
it is true, would take the revenues and leave
us the responsibilities. Nevertheless, they
recognize the indubitable fact that the Fill
ipinos cannot stand alone. Thus the well
fare of the F'ilipinos comedies with the die
tates of national honor in forbdding our
abandonment of the archipelago. We cannot
from any point of view escape the responsi-
bilities of government which our sovereignty
entails and the commission is strongly per-
suaded that the performance of our national
duty will prove the greatest blessing to the
peoples of the Philippine islands
Tribute to Soldiers and Sailors.
One OF the closing chapters of the report
is devoted to a tribute to "our soldiers and
sailors in the war" The commission says
that the presence of Admiral Dewey as
member of this body makes it uniting to
dwell on his personal achievements, but he
joins in the eulogy of his comrades The
commission witnessed some OF the many
brave deeds of our soldiers and they declare
that all that skill and personal courage can
do has been done in the Philippines
They dismiss the report OF the desecra-
ton OF churches, the numbering Of prison
ers and the committing of unmentionable
crimes and say that they are glad to express
| the belief that a war was never more hu-
namely conducted, saying:
IF churches were occupied 1t was
only as a military necessity and frequently
| after their use as forts by the insurgents
had made it necessary to train our artillery
on them. Prisoners were taken whenever
| opportunity offers.i,t often to be set at lib
erty after being Saisarmed and fed. Up to
| the time Of our departure numbers of spies
| had been captured, but not single Fill
pino had been executed: Such crimes as
were committed against the natives were
likely to be brought to our attention and in
every case that we investigated we found
a willingness on the part of those in au-
| thority to administer prompt justice. ,.- ..
,St Value" of the Islands,
The commission gives a general view of
the value Of the islands, their richness in
] agricultural and forest productions, their
| mineral wealth and commanding geograph
| caI position. They state that the Filipino
| islands should soon become one of the trade
centers Of the east. Manila is already con-
nected by new steamship lines with Aus
| tralia, India and Japan and 1t will become
the natural terminus of many other lines
| when a ship canal connects the Atlantic with
! the Pacific 1t cannot be doubted that COM
merce will be largely increased. Manila,
with the immunity which 1t has thus far
| enjoyed from that terrible pest the bubonic
| plague should become distributing center
| for China Siam the Straits Settlement,
| Touuuin Amin and Australia. The report
| concludes:
-"Our control means to the inhabitants Of
| the Philippines internal peace and order, a
guarantee against foreign aggression and
against the Acknowledgement Of their coun-
| try, commercial and industrial prosperity
and as large share CT the affairs Of gov
| ernment as they shall prove fit to take.
| When peace and prosperity shall have bsen
established throughout the archipelago,
| when education shall have become general,
! then, in the language of leading Filipino,
his people will, under cur guidance, become
more American than the Americans them
| selves t