The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-09-24

turbances in parts of island, kept up and
avowed by insurgent proclamation and
orders to influence election, do not show
unfriendly attitude Of majority of people
of provinces where they occur but only
activity of small insurgent bodies In
mountain Businesses whence they issue
for usually harmless night attacks, or
murdeTous ambush of small American
squads, or to collect contributions or re-
cruit from people, terrerized by cutting
out tongues, cutting off limbs, burying
alive murder and plumber.
Difficulty of detection enables insur-
gents to maintain surveillance over peo-
pie even in some garrisoned towns. I'm
certainty as to future policy of United
States and defenselessness of people
without arms largely prevent them aiding
Americans in SuppreSsing outrageS. De-
spite these difficulties, maintenance OF
status quo makes for more peaceful con-
ditions."
This could hardly have been satisfact-
DRY to the administration as a political
argument. At any rate, there was no
hurry about making the report public,
it appearing in print for the first time
September 20, month after its receipt
in Washington. The commission states
that the defining of political issues in the
United States gave hope to insurgent Off
GERS who might otherwise have surrend-
cred, but the people of the island have
not been Influenced thereby They desire
peace, regardless of United States poll
tics, and the only way the '1nsurgeDt
officers in the mountain fastnesses'
can obtain followers is by terrorizing a
few peaceably inclined natives who may
be exposed to such treatment 1t might
occur here to the analytical mind, re-
Numbering the character of the Tagalog
leaders, that if they are not satisfied
with McKinley's policy, their surrender
at the present time, could it be brought
about by lack of political differences in
the United States, would, instead of pro
noting lasting peace, only give them a
better opportunity to foment rebellion. A
policy that is not satisfactory to those
leaders is just as agreeable to them when
it has the unanimous support of the peo-
pie of this country as when there is divi-
sion of opinion. If they surrender under
such a policy they simply bide their time,
and are far more dangerous to peace and
security in that position than they can
ever be as guerrillas in the mountain
Businesses.
The president imposed an onerous and
unpleasant task on the commission when
he asked for that report The gentlemen
We're virtually invited to throw to the
winds the best logic of the Republican
fo + ia
ment in the United States. 1t is far
from the interest of the Mckinley admin
istration to admit that the Philippine "a
surrection is as extensive as it was six
has been made in that time Aside from
its being blunder to make an admission
of the kind, in an attempt to lay the
blame at the doors of the opposition 10
the Republican party in the United
States, it would be direct and violent coli
tradiction of the oft repeated assertions
that the policy has been eminently sue
cessful in reducing the trouble from the
proportions of war to occasional and
impotent sallies by robber bands.
Judge Taft and his fellow members on
the commission are wiser than Mckinley.
They would have preferred, no doubt, not
TO make any report for political pur-
poses at this time. But, obeying explicit
orders from Washington for such a re-
port, they are careful to preserve the
logic of a situation which indicates a
successful policy, and by doing SO they
necessarily defeat, to a great extent, the
desires of the administration in asking Tor
political document They will admit no
further influence of the political opposi-
ton in the United States upon the islands
than the encouragement of a few out
laws in the mountain Businesses. But as
| months ago before there was definition
Of political issues in this country, the cyl
dence offered is rather circumstantial IN
nature. In short, the situation is just as
| been put down, the people as a whole
earnestly desire peace, and are not pay
ing any attention to the political fight III
the United States. The guerrilla bands
that came into being when
| the backbone of the insur-
rection was broken are still in
evidence, and the administration is well
come to get all the political capital and
comfort it can out of this The COM
mission can do no better, while observ-
ing the consistency of events that have
| taken place and have been duly reported
to the American public And to empha-
size the barrenness of the subject in
political comfort for Mckinley, the re-
port ends as follows:
Creation of central government within
! eighteen months, like that of Porto Rico,
under which substantially all rights de-
Scribed in bill of rights in federal consti-
| tuition are to be secured to the people of
| the Philippines, will bring to them con-
tentment. prosperity, education and po-
! litical enlightenment"
! What difference, it might be asked, is
there between this recommendation and
the general immediate purpose Of the op.
position to Mckinley, save in the single
respect that better treatment than was
accorded Porto Rico is contemplated?
MONDAY GLOBE CHANCES.