The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-11-08
F|L|P|NOS SLOW TO LEARN.
HAD HOPED TO HooDwINK THE
NEW COMMISSION.
Cannot Understand That the s
Body Works in Unison with 'ne
Army-Leaders of the Hepehio"'
Filipspo. want to Negotiate.

future to preSage radical CHoHo~ ,f.,-~
status of the revolution. The conditions
which require the United States to have
$4,000 troops in the islands can De nai.
tanned by the Filipinos for long time W
come, should they want to do SO.
With the commissions advent into tne
field Of governmental control there W.
hopes among the Filipinos of chhnge Oh
American policy. and particularly OF con-
cessions to themselves Today the inten-
lions and purposes of the civil commas
sion are better understood than they were
three months ago. and II is Slowly psins
realized that Judge Taft VIII not oeciars
the Filipino people TO be independent. anu
that he does not carry in his vest pocket
a proclamation granting them the iuin,,
ment of their widest and most ioeahsuc
hopes and ambitions Before the commas
sion arrived at Manila. IL was awaited oy
certain Filipino politicians with an unex-
pressed intention of ascertaining now gui-
iibie the new crowd might be- Iouay tne
commission has shown itself as ooth haro
to deceive and as a firm supporter OF the
Washington administration policy.
The Filipinos have been slow TO learn
that the commission acts in accord with
the army; that these two brancnes OF
governmental control cooperate IN the
fulfillment of the same idea.
Negotiations between the army ana the
Fiipinos during the last eighteen months
can be described briefly as follows: The
army has always said: Surrender first,
and then we will talk" while the Fill
pinos have continually said to the army:
LET us first talk and them maybe Wen
stop lighting With each party to the
negotiations firm in it's attitude, nothing
could be. nor has been, accomplished. The
fact that the commission maintains the
army's position on this question OF nego-
tiations is being forced with convection
into the minds of certain ambitious ma
- l. Il len rlV,S Va
ing to their cherished intrigues. They had
hoped the commission would be amenable
to their ways of doing business, and for
an example of this is cited Paterno's eff
forts, with his 'love feasts' in commem-
Grafton of the amnesty proclamation, by
which he tried to get the commission to
lend the color of their presence to state
ments and conditions distinctly untrue.
Palermo almost succeeded In dragging the
army into this clever trap; but he learned
the commission could not be easily de-
ceived and the knowledge has been
sore disappointment. not only to Palermo,
but to others of his kind.
COmmfssiOn's Methods.
The commissions methods and ways OF
entering upon those duties of government
clearly outlined In its instructions from
President Mckinley, have been disap-
who expected the millennium on the ist Of
September In the administration of
Philippine civil affairs by the army there
has always been noticeable the fact that
the army has known its civil duties to be
incidental and temporary; that 1t would
sooner or later be relieved from these
duties by a properly constituted civil au,
to have INDUCED in expedient and make
shift. AS an example OF this reference Is
made to the Philippine municipal code
and the revision of the criminal code
issued by Gen. Otis just prior to his de-
parture for the United States, and made
law by stroke of his pen. Both these
reyisions bear trace of hasty and tempo
rary work, of being makeshifts, and 1t is
now evident that Gen. Otis hammered
them out hastily at the last moment In
order to get on record as having taken.
on his own initiative, these radical steps
toward the establishment of civil Phil
ippine government.
These two codes OF Gen. Otis are to-
day being thoroughly revised by the COM
mission, which is the properly constitute
ed civil authority that Gen. Otis, repre-
senting the army, knew would succeed
him in civil administration. Army meas
ures in the past. having been more or
less In the nature OF temporary expedient
and without wise consideration of future
effect, are distinctly opposed to the course
of action now being pursued by the com
mission.
Measures Taken.
The measures taken by the commission
consider the eventual establishment OF
central Philippine civil government. with
the needed details of provincial admin
istration. and they are as lasting as any
thing that can be done in these islands
until the time when congress shall de-
tsrmine the future of the philippines.
The commissioners, In taking specific ac-
ton, consider Its advisaAiiity and It's ef-
feet upon the completed fabric of govern
ment they are instructed TO erect. They
build for all time and hence they build
carefully and with due consideration Of
their structure, nor can they AFFORD to
indulge in expedient and makeshift. The
commission became the supreme law
making power in the archipelago Sep
TENDER /. and there is no one TO question
the propriety Of the measures they adopt
nor their right to enact laws. This Is
their beginning, and thus they have put
themselves upon firm footing for their
future work. BY this action OF Septcm-
Der ] the commissioners have established
the beginnings OF government In which
they are empowered to determine and
settle the questions 81 Oriental complex
lily which will constitute the good gov
eminent OF the Philippines
III the commission is 10 do good work
1t is but right they should begin this
work well; vet some people, Filipinos as
well as foreigners and Americans. claim
the commission has not reduced taxation
and custom impOsts. permitted the people
Of Manila 70 be abroad after II o'clock
street TO market vendors,
Filipino Opinion.
In Filipino newspaper % September 2.
there appears the follo~ipg
I'VE had all os US hoped that the COM
mission Of civilians. free from the pre-
possesslons imposed by the very nature
OF military obligations would have easily
found solution Of the peace problem"
And this pretty well expresses the dis
appointment OF the Filipinqs al large.
They persist in seeing problems" to be
solved. and they stu seem 20 hope the
United States government VIII treat with
the men who are opposed 70 Il By force
OF arms.
A certain statement. remarkably clear
and exact as 10 what the commission
purposes has been made public. and al
though the commissioners have shown a
most concillatory desire 90 permit the
FtiipiDns 10 ask for notifications. and
are always ready TO hear their wants
regards certain minor points. Il does not
app4ar al all likely al present that the
primary condition 81 surrender first and
then talk" will be departed from 10 any
great degree.