The times., 1899-11-03

AbA WA4Nu tliG GtdES tl Llle 4AAHlel lpaLltlEH
were permitted to elect a minority OF the
members, had only advisory powers in re-
lation To the governor. whose decision in
all matters was supreme; and besides ad-
yising the governor the councils had 20
other function but to inspect the admins
trstiou Of affairs of the municipaIities
Even the municipal councils were, there-
fore, not bodies controlled By the people
In addition TO constant inspection and di-
rect:on from the provincial junta, every
municipal council was liable to warning
aGmonitiou, fines, and sgspen nsiCn at the
hands of the governor OF the province.
And to make the control from above still
more effective the Governor General exer-
cised jurisdiction over all the municipal
tribunals and was vested with power to
discharge members or even the entire tri-
bunal itself.
Even when municipal government had
been thus circumscribed the masses OF the
people had no share in it. Suffrage was
| limited to the principal people" OF the
town. and elections were indirect. The
| principal people were present and past
ofiiceholders and persons paying $50 land
| tax. The principal people" as thus con
stituted, elected BY ballot twelve delegate
and these elected the municipal tribunal.
which actually governed the town.
hat May lie Expected.
This Is all the training in self-govern-
meHt which the inhabitants OF the Philip
pine Islands have enjoyed. Their lack Of
education and political experience, com
bined with their racial and linguistic diver
stiles, disqualify them. in spite Of their
mental gifts and domestic virtues. 10 IN
dsrtake the task OF governing the archi-
Delago at the present time. The most that
can be expected of them is to cooperate
| with the Americans in the administration
OF general affairs from Manila as a centre.
and TO undertake, subject to American con-
| troll or guidance (as may be found neces-
saryt, the administration of provincial and
municipal affairs. Fortunately there are
educated Filipinos. though they do not con
stitute a large proportion OF the entire
population. and their support and services
will be Of incaleulable value in iHaugura-
ting and maintaining the new government
As education advances and experience
ripens, the NATIVES may be entrusted with
| larger and mere Independent share o.
government; self government. as the
American ideal, being constantly kept in
view as the goal In this way American
sovereignty over the archipelago Will prOvz
great political boon to the people.
Should our power. by any fatality, be
Withdrawn, the Commission believes that
the Government Of the Philippines would
speedily lapse into anarchy. which would
1 excuse, if it did not necessitate. the inter
yentiOn OF other powers. and the eventual
/ division of the islands among them. Only
| through American occupation. therefore.
! is the idea Of a free, seIf-g governing and
united Philippine Commonwealth at all
/ conceivable. And the indispensable need
| from the Filipino point of view. OF main
tanning American sovereignty over the
archipelago is recognized by all intelligent
| Filipinos and even by those insurgents
who desire an American proteetorate- The
latter, it is true. would take the revenues
/ and leave US the responsibilities. Never
| theless, they recognize the indubitabie fact
| that the Filipinos cannot stand alone Thus
the welfare Of the FiIipiuos comedies with
I the dictates OF national honor in forbid
/ ding our abandonment OF the archipelago.
! We cannot, from any point OF view. escape
| the responsibilities Of the government
/ which our sovereignty entails. and the
Commission is strongly persuaded that the
| performance Of our national duty viii
prove the greatest blessing to the peoples
Of the Philippine Islands.
American Soldiers Had Sailors
| The Commission is not willing 10 close
this statement without paying just tribute
]
Admiral Dewey as a member of this body
makes it uniting to dwell on his personal
achievements, but he joins with US in eul-
| ogy OF his comrades. We were fortunate
| in Witnessing some OF the many brave
deeds OF our soldiers. All that skill. cOur-
age. and patient endurance can do has
been done in the Philippines We are
aware that there are those who have seen
fit to accuse our troops OF desecrating
.Nne
| mitting unmentionable crimes. To those
who derive satisfaction from seizing on
| Isolated occurrences, regrettable. indeed
| but incident to every war and making
them the basis OF sweeping accusations.
| this Commission has nothing to say Still
| less do We feel called upon to answer idle
/ tales without foundation in fact But for
| the satisfaction of those who have found
I it difficult to understand why the transport
| ing Of American citizens across the Pa
| ci1c Ocean should change their nature we
are glad to express the belief that a war
was never more humanely conducted. In
| surgent wounded were repeatedly succored
on the field by our men at the risk Of their
! lives. Those who had a chance for life
| were taken to Manila, and tenderly cared
/ for in our hospitals. II churches were
| occupied it was only as q military neces-
sity, and frequently after their use as forts
| by the insurgents had made it necessary
! TO train cur artillery upon them. Prison
ers were taken whenever opportunity Of
| fered, often only to be set at liberty after
| being disarmed and fed Up TO the time of
our departure although numerous spies
| had been captured, not a single Filipino
had been executed. Such wrongs as were
| actually committed against 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 authority to administer prompt justice.
The Value of the Islands.
Rich in agricultural and forest products.
as well as in mineral wealth. commanding
in geographical position. the Philippine Is
| lands should soon become one of the great
trade centres Of the East. New steamship
| lines, established since the American oc-
! cupation. already connect Manila with Aus
| tralia, India and Japan. She Will be-
| come the natural terminus Of many other
| lines when ship canal connects the At
lantic with the Pacific. and yet others will
/ inevitably be attracted by the develop
ment of the Philippine coal deposits The
| building of a shore railway has recently
| doubled the rice crop Of the archipelago.
1t cannot be doubted that under an eff
| cient administration of domestic affairs
commerce will greatly increase. and the
United States will reap a large share in
this increment Manila, with the immuui-
ty which it has thus far enjoyed from that
terrible pest the bubouic plague should
become distributing centre for China.
Siam. the Straits settlements. Touquin.
Annom and Australia,
Our control means to the inhabitants OF
| ha fnra