Washington sentinel., 1900-01-27
Owl Service for our Provincial
Subjects,

IA It's annual ASRCAS 49, 'f
Service Commission recommend
the application of the merit sys'eu
to the new de tendencies OF thu
United States-Puerto Rico anC
the Philippines. The Philippine
Commission, in its proclamation tc
Mr. McKinley's unwilling and un'
happy subjects in our Far Eastern
possessions, promised them ar
honest, economical and efficient
civil service. This pledge, saws
the Civil gervice Commission, can
not be fulfilled unless "the practice,
with its corrupting influence, oi
distributing appointments as per
sonal favors or political rewards,
through which S. ain lost her col
onies, is superseded by a well ad
ministered merit system. The
patronage system has been tried
in this country and found want
ing"
Evidently the Civil Service
Commissioners are not satisfied
with Senator Beveridge's assur-
ances that the ward workers, COM
mltteemen and "all round political
huStlers" identified with both par
ties in the United States are clam
oring for a civil service admins
tration in "our new possessions"
They have never displayed enthu
siasm over such a policy at home
and, despite Mr. Beveridge's om-
niscience, there has been no reason
TO believe they were eager to sac
rifce themselves in the interest of
an honest, efficient and economi
cal administration in Puerto Rico
and the Philippines. Indeed there
is a well founded suspicion that
those imperialists who advocate
the permanent retention OF the
Philippines because the islands will
furnish homes for the Surplus
population OF the United States"
had in mind the surplus Office
seekers Tor whom places could not
be found here.
1t is to be feared that a party
which is far from jealous in behalf
OF the civil service system at home
will not be enthusiastic in estab'
fishing and maintaining it in the
Philippines AS soon as the Fill
pinos have been shot and bayo-
neted into freedom it is likely the
emigration of our surplus popu-
lation" OF office seekers will begin,
and they will fad "homes" Tor
themselves in fat Offices in Manila
and vicinity. If this should prove
to be the result OF American ac-
QUESTION CT the Philippines the ma.
tives will never be paclfed. Amer
ican carpet baggers, eager Ior
spoils, are an aft ction which not
even an Asiatic can be expected to
endure. And when they begin to
flock from Ohio and other States
specially favored by the President
to the archipelago in search OF
"homes" they cannot find in the
United States the Filipinos will
have to contend with an invasion
more terrible than any they have
yet encountered. The American
soldier, with bis message OF free
dom wrapped around rifle bullet,
was jad enough; but the American
carpet bagger who comes to prey
upon the land is even worse. Un-
less barrier IS placed between our
spoilsmen and the Fllipinos they
will be deyoured and their expert
ences under Spanish rule will be as
naught compared with What they
will endure when the "overplus
population" Of Ohio office seekers
lands at Manila. II the President
was not lost to all sense Of human
itY he will protect his "benevo
lentIv assimilated" subjects in the
Philippines from the horrible fate
which hangs over them like a
swarm Of locusts hoverIng over the
harvest field.