Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1900-09-13

You tthe secretary OF war; will m
StruCt the commission to devote
/ their attention in the first instance to the
| establishment of municipal governments
! in which the natives of the islands both
/ in the cities and in the rural cOmmuni-
. ties, shall be afforded the opportunity to
manage their own local affairs to the
! fullest extent of which they are capable.
! and subject to the least degree of super
! vision and control which a careful study
/ of their capacities and observation OF the
workings of native control show to be
J order and loyalty. Whenever the
! commission is of the opinion that the
! condition of affairs in the island is such
! that the control and administration may
/ safely be transferred from military to
! civil control they will report that con-
! cluson to you the secretary of war;,
! with their recommendations as to the
! form of central government to be es-
! tablshed for the purpose of taking over
| the control"
! The instructions conclude with the proc
! lamation issued by Gen. Macarthur on
! June q. 1900 by order of the president.
! Offering amnesty to the rebellious Fill
| pinoS. The president continues:
| Under their instructions the commits
! sion composed of representative Ameri-
| cans in different sections of the country
! and from different political parties, whose
| character and ability guarantee the most
| faithful intelligence and patriotic service,
| are now laboring to establish stable gov
! ernment under civil control, in which the
inhabitants shall participate, giving them
| opportunity to demonstrate how far they
| are prepared for self government.
! The Commissioner Quoted.
This commission, under date of Aug. q,
! 1900. makes an interesting report from
which | quote the following extracts:
Hostility against Americans originally
! aroused by absurd falsehoods of unscru-
| puIous leaders. The distribution of troops
! in three hundred posts has by contact
! largely dispelled hostility and steadily
| improved the temper of the people. This
| Improvement is furthered by abuses of
| insurgents. Large numbers of people
| long for peace and are willing to accept
government under the United States.
| Insurgents not surrendering after defeat
divided into small guerrilla bands under
! general officers or become robbers. Near
| ly all of the prominent generals and poll
| ticians of the insurrection except Agui-
! naldo have since been captured or have
| surrendered and taken the oath of al
| legiance. All northern Luzon except
| two provinces substantially free from in
surgents. People busy planting, and ask
| ing for municipal organization. Railway
| and telegraph line from Manila TO
| Dagupan 122 miles, not molested for five
in leading guerrilla warfare. In Negros,
| Cebu. Romblon, Masbate. Sibuyan, Tab
| las, Bohol and other Philippine islands
| little disturbance exists and civil gov
ernment eagerly awaited -Four
| years of war and lawlessness in parts of
| islands have created unsettled conditions.
Native constabulary and militia,
which should be organized at once, will
end this and the terrorism to which de-
| fenselesS people are subjected. The ma
| tives desire to enlist in these organiza-
| tions. If judiciously selected and ofticered
| will be efficient forces for maintenance of
order and will permit early material re-
| duction of United States troops
Turning islands over to coterie of Tagalog
| politicians will blight fair prospects of
ann inn a. ga
| make life and property, secular and relig-
| ious, most insecure; Danish by fear OF
cruel prescription considerable body of
conservative Filipinos who have aided
| Americans in well founded belief that
their people are now fit for self gov
| ernment. and reintroduce same oppression
and corruption which existed in all prov
inces under Malolos insurgent govern
| ment during the eight months of its con-
| troll. The result will be factional strife
| between jealous leaders, chaos and an
| archy.
The commission is confident that by
| judicious customs law, reasonable land
| tax and proper corporation franchise
| tax, imposition of no greater rate than
that in average American state will
! produce revenues sufficient to pay
expenses of efficient government, in
| cluding militia and constabulary."
! They "are preparing stringent
| civil service law giving equal opportunity
to Filipnos and Americans, with prefer
| ence for former where qualifications are
equal. 10 enter at lowest RANK ana Dy
| promotion reach head of department. =
Forty-tive miles of railroad eXten-
| sion under negotiation will give access
| to large province rich in valuable min
erals, a mile high with strictly temperate
| climate. Railroad construction
| will give employment to many and COM
| munication will furnish market to vast
| stretches of high agricultural lands
The Demand For Education.
They report that there are calls from
| all parts of the islands for public schools,
school supplies and English teachers,
greater than the commission can provide
| until a comprehensive school system Is
organized. Night schools for teaching
English to adults are being established in
response to popular demand. Native chill
| dren show aptitude in learning English.
| Spanish is spoken by a small fraction of
people. and in a few years the medium
of communication in the courts. public
] offices and between different tribes will
be English.
| This shows to my countrymen what has
| been and is being done to bring the bene-
| fits of liberty and good government to
| these wards of the nation. Every effort
has been directed to their peace and pros
| perty, their advancement and well being,
| not for our aggrandizement. nor for
| pride of might. not for trade or com
merce, not for exploitation. but for hu-
manity and civilization, and for the pro-
| lection of the vast majority of the popu-
| laton who welcome our sovereignty
| against the designing minority whose
first demand after the surrender OF
| Manila by the Spanish army was to
enter the city that they might loot II and
destroy those not in sympathy with their
| selfish and treacherouS designs.
| Nobody who will avail himself of the
facts will longer hold that there was any
| alliance between our soldiers and the in
surgents. or that any promise OF indie
| pendence was made to them Long before
| their leader had reached Manila they had
resolved, If the commander of the Ameri-
tTiNE har . n
| which to fight the Spanish army, they
would later turn upon US, which they
| did murderously and without the shadow
| of cause or justification. There may be
| those without the means of full informa-
| tion who believe that we were In alliance
| with the insurgents and that we assured
| them that they should have independence.
| In the report of the first Philippine COM
| mission, submitted on Nov. 2 1899, Ad-
| miral Dewey. one of its members, said:
| mo alliance of any kind was entered
| into with Aguinaldo, nor was any prom
| Use of independence made to him at any
| time
| Gems. Merritt Greene and Anderson.
| who were in command at the beginning
] of our occupation, and until the surrender
| of Manila, state that there was no alli-
| ance with the insurgents, and no promise
| to them of independence. On Aug. II.
| 1898 Gen. Merritt was instructed that
| there must be no joint occupation OF Man
| fla with the insurgents. Gen. Anderson,
| under date of Feb. TO- 1900 says that he
| was present at the interview between Ad-
| miral Dewey and the insurgent leader
| and that in this Interview Admiral Dewey
| made no promises whatever.
| Would not our adVeTSaries have sent
| Dewey's fleet to Manila to capture and
| destroy the Spanish sea power there. or.
| dispatching it there, would they have
| withdrawn II after the destruction of the
| Spanish fleet, and If the latter whittier
would they have directed it to sail
| Where could it have gone? What port
| In the Orient was opened to it2 DO not
| our adversaries condemn the expedition
| unuer tine cOmuIauu NUn, ~EUErrvv Sv
strengthen Dewey in the distant ocean
and assist in our triumph over spain
with which nation we were at war w as
! II not our highest duty to strike Spain
at every vulnerable point, that the war
might be successfully concluded at the
! earliest practicable moment?
And was it not our duty to protect the
| lives and property of those who came
within our protocol by the fortunes OF
| war? Could we have come away al any
time between May !. 1898. and the con-
clusion OF peace without stain upon our
| good name2
Could we have come away without dis
| honor at any time after the ratification
of the peace treaty by the senate OF the
! United States2 ... ..r.t.........
Cannot Desert the PHILIPPINES.
| Tbers has bpcn no time since tho de-