Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1900-09-07
TOO DEEP FOR THEM.
Fflipinos Incapable sf Comprehendin
New Conditions.

filipinos Incapable ef comprehendins
| New Conditions.
| Manila, Sept. 5.-The Filipinos seem
incapable of realizing the scope and
purpose of the legislative functions of
The commission of peace. There is no
possibility of separating the legislative
from the executive branches of the
government, and, therefore, the COM
missions announcements of it's assump-
ton of power has met with childish
comments at the hands of the Span.
iards and foreigners, who sneer at the
new arrangements, as they are apt to
do, at every beneficial innovation on
the part of the United States authori-
ties.
The commission enters upon the gov
ernmental field under the following
conditions: A majority of the island
ers desire peace and the resumption of
business under American rule, but they
are SO cowed by long series of muir.
derous atrocities and destruction OF
property by their armed countrymen,
that they dare not actively show their
feelings, especially because experience
has taught them what such an expires.
sion of sentiment will bring upon them
| from the mercilessly, revengeful rebels.
A genuine reign of terror is exercised
| by insurgents and ladrones over peace.
| full country folk in order to collect the
| revenues and recruits their operations
require, and widespread vengeance is
| wreaked in the vicinity of garrisoned
| towns. For example, the insurgent
General Cailles, in the province of La.
guna, put to death the president and
oficeholders of the town of Bay. on La.
stalled by the Americans, and gave or.
ders that a similar fate should be meted
out to other adherents of the American
cause. He also ordered that all Fill
| plno soldiers who sold their rifles to
the Americans should be killed.
Any change of policy involving the
withdrawal of the United States troops
without substituting for them an ade-
quate defensive force is certain to re-.
suit in fear of retaliation at the ex-
pense of the 'sfriendlies." The ap-
proac ching return of the volunteers
tends to influence the situation unfav-
orably. In Northern Luzon the status
quo is fairly we'll maintained and the
people in that quarter are quiet and
engaged in planting, except in the
provinces of Neuva Ecija and Bulacan,
where there has been a recent outburst
OF rebel and ladrone activity. But in
Southern Luzon conditions are far less
satisfactory. Life there is not safe
outside of the gaIrisoned towns. Trav-
elers are subject to ambush by guerril-
las. Rarely does day pass without
an encounter between the United
States troops and the insurgents or la
drones, resulting in casualties. There
are 5000 troops in that district, Cen
eral Bates commanding, and in three
regiments over third of the men are
sick. The activity of the enemy in
creased last month. There is evidence
that the insurgents have come into pos
session of new rifles and that they wish
to annihilate some small American
garrisons.
Conditions in the Visayas continue
virtually unchanged. The lack of
troops prevents aggression. Negros,
Rombion, Masbate, Sibuyan, Talbas
and Bohol are tranquil, all desiring
civil government. Mindanao also is
tranquil, except the districts of Tea
gayan and Surigam, where occasional
encounters with the Filipinos. occur.
The enemy's fighting force the re Is
limited but it has a number of rifles.
The surrenders, although they have
notably decreased since May, continue.
The experience of Northern Luzon
shows that the American occupatio of
any locality tends to it's pacifcation
and well-being. An unsettled Ameri-
can policy retards the investment of
capital. Nevertheless, the imports for
tie last quarter and half were greater
than during any period of the Spanish
regime. No doubt, the needs OF the
army of occupation are responsible for
very considerable portion of this.
The internal revenue collections are a
third greater than those made by Spain.
This is due to an honest system of ac-
counts. to lack of favoritism and to
impartial enforcement of the law.
The military officials will turn over
Sc 900, 900 (Mexican) to the commits
sion, and this will probably be expend-
ed in public improvements, notably in
harbor developments, the need of
which is greatly hamperlng the ship
ping industry.
The commission will first oragnize
municipalities in the provinces, notab-
ly in Pampanga province. Subse-
quently it will turn its attention to
needed reforms in the civil and GRIM
inal codes, passing, in due time, to
other features of its instructions, with
the idea of establishing central civil
government during the next l8 months.
Twelve Americans, including two
captains and two lieutenants, have
been killed during the past two weeks.
The off cial reports of the encounters
in which these casualties occurred are
meager.
Thomas j. Powers Killed.
Philadelphia, Sept. 3.-Thomas j.
Doxuore ooyn iSsionor Of hunkinO or