The sun., 1900-08-22

his own arbitrary and despotic power
In any event, the American people may
feel confident that no effort was omitted
by the commission to secure peacefhi
end Of the struggle, but the opportuni-
ties they offered and urged were all neg
lected, if not, indeed, spurned.'
The chapter devoted to Capacity for
Self Government is the result, the re-
port states, Of diligent inquiry for sew
eral months, in the course of which
great number of witnesses We're exam
ined, Of all shades Of political thought
and varieties of occupation, tribe anu To-
cality.
Tribes, Not a Nation.
The most striking and perhaps the most
significant fact in the entire situation Is
the multiplicity OF tribes inhabting the
archipelago, the diversity Of their IAN
guages (which are mutually unintclligl-
hlcl and the mutifnrious phases of civ
ilza all the way from the
highest to the lowest As to this the
report says:
1.-The Filipinos are not nation, nut
variegated assemblagc Of different
tribes and peoples. and their loyalty Is
still OF the tribal type
Converting their, intellectual capacities
the commission says:
"As to the general intellectual capnci-
ties of the Filipinos the commission is dis
posed to rate them high. But excepting
in limited number Of persons these ca
pacitics have not been developed by edu'
cation or experience. The masses OF the
people are uneducated.
Need of Education.
"That intelligent public opinion on
which popular government rests does not
exist in the Philippines. And it cannot
exist until education has elevated the
masses, broadened their intellectual hori'
zon and disciplined their faculty Of judg.
ment. And even then the power OF self
| government cannot he assumed without
considerable previous training aud expert
| ence under the guidance and tutelage OF
an enlightened and liberal foreign power
| For the bald fact is that the Filipinos
have never had any experience in govern
ing themselves"
The report shows that this inability fol
self-government is due to the old Span
ish regime, which gave the Filipinos lit
tie or no part in governing themselves
After reviewing this Spanish system Tho
commission sums up on this point:
..This is all the training in self-govern
ment which the inhabitants of the Phil
ippine Islands have enjoyed. Their lacl
of education and political experience
combined with their racial and linguistic
diversities, disqualify them, in spite o
their mental gifts and domestic virtues
to undertake the task of governing thu
archipelago at the present time. Th
most that can be expected of them is t
cooperate with the Americans in th
administration of general affairs. from
Manila as center, and to undertake
subject to American control or guidanc
(as may be found necessary, the admin
istration of provincial and municipal af
fairs.
Must Retain Rule,
"Fortunately, there are educated Fill
pinos, though they do not constitute
large proportion of the entire populate
and their support and services will be q
incalculable value in innugurating an
maintaining the new government. AS ct
ucation advances and experience ripen.
the natives may be intrusted with lari
er and more independent share of govern
|
) ideal, being constantly kept in view q
: the goal. In this way American sove
: eighty over the archipelago will prove
great political boon TO the people.
2 "Should our power by any fatality /
l withdrawn the commission believes tn;
the government of the Philippines won
Y speedily lapse into anarchy, which wou
: excuse, if it did not necesstate. the il
i tervention of other powers and the evcl
1 tual division of the islands among ther
"Only through American occupato
therefore, is the idea of free, self-go
b erning and united Philippine conmo
+ wealth at all conceivable. And the i
dispensable need from the Filipino poi
d of view of maintaining American sove
u eighty over the archipelago is recogniz,
n by all intelligent Filipinos and even
d those insurgents who desire an Americ,
a protectorate. The latter, it is true, won
N take the revenues and leave us the T
g sponsibilities. Nevertheless they rcco
d nize the indubitable fact that the Fl
X pinos cannot stand alone.
&C THUS the welfare Of the Filipnos {
e incides with the dictates of national ho
n or in forbidding our abandonment of t
l. archipelago. We cannot from any poi
T. Of view escape the responsibilities of so
ernment which our sovereignty cntai
"a and the commission is strongly persuad
10 that the performance of our national du
in will prove the greatest blessing to I
in peoples of the Philippine Islands"
1t Praise for Troops.
r One of the closing chapters of the
at port is devoted to tribute to ''our S
diers and sailors in the war" The co
ie mission says that the presence of Admit
Oh Dewey as member of this body max
IN it uniting to dwell on his persol
achievements, but he joins in the eulo
s. of his comrades. The commissioners W
nj messed some of the many brave deeds
ne our soldiers, and they declare that all II
1t SKILL courage and patient cndnrar
SIS can do has been done in the Philippines
OF They dismiss the reports of the de
~ Grating of churches, the numbering
on prisoners and the committing OF unm
tionablc crimes and say they are glad
express the belief that a war was me-
nj more humanely conducted, adding:
re IF churches were occupied it was o.
RS rs a military necessity, and frequcn
;es their use as forts by the insurgents /
is made it necessary to train our artill,
as upon them.
as Bright Trade Future